GERMANS REPULSED ON THE RIGA

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2538, 12 August 1915, Page 5

GERMANS REPULSED ON THE RIGA

VENA TO BE EVACUATED LOMZA FORTRESS STORMED BY THE ENEMY 1 , . By Telegraph—Press AsMoiatiori-Oopyrigit , A telegram from Petrograd Btates that the Germans weVertpuS twentythree miles from Riga. J RUSSIANS PREPARE TO EVACUATE .VILNA. t, . ; . , . Petrograd, August 10. The Russians are preparing to evacuate the military centre of "Vilna ton the Petrograd-Warsaw railway, about 250 miles from Warsaw, and canifcal of tlie province of .Vilna). 1 GERMANS SHIFT THEIR MAIN ATTACK ■ , MOVE TO OUT THE RUSSIAN COMMUNICATIONS, - (Rec. August 11, 8.36 p.m.) „ T" e "Daily Telegraph's" Petrograd correspondent etates that MfowinMlie Russian retirement from Warsaw, the Germans shifted the momentum of their main attack to the left hank, with the immediate object of cutting tho Petro-grad-Warsaw railway : somewhere between Pskof and .Vilna, tho fleet actively co-operating in this fresh operation. , '' "Though tho Germans, lost a cruiser and two destroyers in their first attempt to enter the twenty-seven mile passage between Oesel and the mainland it is unlikely that this -will be their last attempt to penetrate the Gulf of None of the Russian vessels suffered. The purpose of the Germans was to se-ure a passage for the supply of water to the troops operating'towards Rica Thav already hold the western shores of tho Gulf, but they desire a seaward access.".VILNA' SUPPOSED TO BE THE OBJECTIVE. x ' , , . ' Petrograd. Aueust 11 The focus of the enemy's pressure is eastward of the PonievitctWilkomir lino. General Sch'emettan's cavalry have made extensive reconnaissances turning southward from Ponievitch, indicating that the objective is .Vilna 'which was recently a special target for the German aviators. ' RUSSIAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE, Rec. August 11, 8.35 p.m.)' ' Petrograd, August 11 Official.—"On the roads from Riga we repulsed on the night of August 8-9, in hand-to-hand fighting, several Gorman attacks, which were supported by a powerful force of heavy artillery. _ "On the 6ame night and tho following day, in th'd direction of Dwinsk and 1 the district, of Schoenburg and Wilkomierz, the enemy fell hack lea vine hundred prisoners, machine-guns, and munition chests. ' "Desperate fighting occurred on tho Naretr front. Our artillery repulsed the enemy's offensive against Novo Georgievsk. 1 "On tho roads from Vlodava, we repulsed attacks which were made under cover 6f asphyxiating gases." GERMAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. •An , • it' miri 1 Amsterdam, August 10. A German' communique states:—""General von Scholtz stormed and captured tho Lomza. fortress, and after severe fighting southwards of Lomza, we crossed the Ostrof Road. Ostrof is still in the enemy's hands. From Bowjany, westward of Brok, twelve kilometres eolith of Ostrof, we reached' the Bug. "Since August 7, 23 officers and 10,000 men in that region have been captured. _ "Prince Leopold of Baiaria is nearing the Stanislavof-Noi ominsk Rond. "General cvon Woyrsch, in pursuing tho enemy, reached the district northward of Zelechof, and is now in close touch with Mackensen's advancing armies. "The enemy's rearguards on the Ostrof-Bug front hare been thrown back on" the main forces." AUSTRIAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. (Rec. August 11, • 8.35 p.m.) Amsterdam, August 11. An Austrian official communique records a furthor advance in the Vistula region. "We crossed the Viepiv, at several points, and captured) a bridgohead near Czernelica, on the south hank of the Dniester, which tho Russians stubbornly dofended. We tcok prisoner 22 officers, 2800 men, and much material." HEAVY MACHINE-GUN FIGHTING TOWARDS PRAGA. ("Times" and Sydhey "Sun" Services.) London, August 10. Tho "Cologne Garotte" dcclaves Mmt the people of Wufeiiv wn(wto«l tho Germain, but hcary machlnc-gun fighting accuusd i.a the streets towards Exieit

RUSSIAN FORTRESS INVESTED. (Rec. August 11, 8.25 p.m.) Geneva, August 11. Tho investment of the fortress of Novo Georgievsk became effective on tho night of August 8, when the bombardment began. An army of sixty thousand is investing Novo Alexandria. THE BALTIC NAVAL ACTION:' GERMAN VERSION, (Rec. August 12, 0.15 a.m.) I . Amsterdam, August 11. Berlin alleges that the Baltic naval action was merely a reconnaissance to ascertain the position of the mines. Two small mine-sweepers were lost. THE GERMAN ASSAULT AT KOVNO A TERRIFIC HURRICANE OF ARTILLERY? "* (Rec. August 11, 10.30 p.m.) Petrograd, August 11. Official.—"Details of the German assault on Kovno on August 8 show that the. enemy about midnight opened.the bombardment from tho village of Piple. Guns of all calibres, up to 16 inches, wore employed. This hurricane of fire lasted for two hours, and our batteries vigorously replied. About three in the morning an assaulting column, in close formation, marched against our positions, but by a concentrated fire, the explosion of mines, antl gallant counter-attacks, tho onemy was thrown back on his whole front within an hour, suffering onormous losses. Tho oxhausted Germans wero hurled into a neighbouring ravine, where thoy prepared for fresh assaults. "At noon oil August 8 the enemy's liro increased to terrible intensity, but this protracted, destructive hurricane of fire from the enemy's powerful guns failed to shake our troops. Our artillery valiantly supported the infantry. This incessant cannonade lasted all day, and at nightfall the enemy's columns' massing, rushed to the assault, their attacks lasting for 'wo hours. They succeeded in taking part of the trenches in our advanced position, but later our reserves swept forward and repulsed the Germans with enormous losses, the enemy only retaining the worka near Piple." FACING THE QUESTION OP WAR SUPPLIES Breakdown due to red tape in ordnance department. . '("Ernes" and . Sydney "Sun"- Services.) -n , . , , ,„ m - m . „ London, August 10. lhe Petrograd correspondent of "The Times" says that at a meeting of the Duma Committees of the Budget and Naval and Military Affaire, various proposals for organising supplies and munitions were discussed. Tho President, M. llodzianko, attributed the breakdown to red tape methods in the Ordnance Department, which resulted in a disastrous delay of many months before the industry was properly orjganised. Ho deprecated crying over spilt milk, but insisted on the urgency of remedial measures. The main difficulty is that the War Department, owned or controlled all the arsenals and factories. Any change in administration will iuduco a complete disarrangement of the work.- Ho recommended the creation of tho position of a second .Under-Secretary for War, with a seat in the Cabinet and full control, who would be personally responsible foi- war supplies. The Minister for War entirely concurred, and approved the proposal for the creation of a Consultative Committee, including experts and representatives of tho Duma, which will assist the War Office in dealing with the problems of transport and food supplies. ,* HUGE SUPPLIES FROM THE EAST. : ... .. _ .. Sydney, August 11. lhe captain of tho steamer Cycle, from Vladivostok, says he was greatly impressed by the quantity of war materials and munitions passing through that port to Petrograd and. the Black Sea ports from the United States and Japan and other parts of the world, amounting to thousands of tons weekly. . The city is full of soldiers leaving for the front. Siberia has already sent over a million and a. half men. He was impressed by tho system of Prohibition. It was impossible to buy a drop of liquor.