GERMANS ATTEMPTING .TO FORGE A BATTLE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2543, 18 August 1915, Page 5

GERMANS ATTEMPTING .TO FORGE A BATTLE

. BEFORE RUSSIANS REACH PREPARED POSITIONS ATTACKS ON KOVNO AND NOVO-GEORGIEVSK By Telegraph—Press Association—Cocyriyit • , t , , , . . ■ Petrograd, August 16. ■'The main masses of the enemy's front are on the. line from Ossowiecz to Brest-Litovsk, where from forty to forty-five army corps are concentrated. The enemy is trying to precipitate a decisive battle before the Russians have deployed on the positions to which they were retiring, which have been put in a proper state of defence. , . RUSSIAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. (Rec. August 17,; 10 p.m.) ' ■> -n ■ tn • i • '.. "„„ Mtrograd, August-17. A Russian official communique states: "The bombardment of the Kovno fortress works continues unceasingly. The fortifications on the western sector have been obstinately bombarded. "Furious fighting took place on Saturday and Sunday between the Narew and the Bug, a series of German attacks being repulsed with great loss to the enemy."-. ' GERMAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. „ „ . , . , . „ Amsterdam, August 16. A German official communique states: "Our successful attack-3 on the advanced positions at Kovno on Sunday resulted in the capture of 1730 men "We broke through the Russian lines from the Narow to the But* "After crossing the Nurec, our pursuing troops reached a lull at Briansk oapturing 5000. ' "Wo drove the defenders of Novogeorgievsk back . from further groups of fortifications. , . ' . i "Prince Leopold's armies, during Sunday night, fought tlieir way across the Bug eastward to Drogitshin, the centre and right wing captoriii" Losico and Miodzyrzecz. The Russians renewed their resistance at Toznaw and Klukowa, but our iittaok at daybreak put the Russians to flight east of Losice "Vo.ii Mackensen continues his pursuit, and has occupied Slavatycze twenty-fivo miles southward of ( Brest-Litovsk, We are advancing eastward of Vlodava." . .. AUSTRIAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. (Rec. August 17) 11.15 p.m.) ■ , . . . . , Amsterdam, August 17 An Austrian official cqmmumqno rtatea:—"The Arohduke Joseph is pro-' grossing southwards to B'ala, and has crossed the, Krzua River. Numerous great conflagrations are visible near Biala and Brest-Litovsk." FABULOUS EXERTIONS OF GERMAN: TRANSPORT SUPPLY COLUMNS. (Rec. August 17, 10.30 p.m.) Rotterdam, August 17 The German newspaper "Cologne Gazette" states that a great area westward of the Vistula is covered with wagons ceaselessly bringing up supplies . for the Germans on the Eastern front. "The destruction by the Russians of tho railways and bridges necessitates fabulous exertions in order to carry the supplies to our advancing armies." STRATEGY OF THE SITUATION EXPERT VIEWS ON THE RUSSIAN PLAN. (Rnc. August 17, 11.15 p.m.) _ London, August 17. Military exports point out that tho main onsis of tho Grand Duke Nicholas's srand'ioso and decisive withdrawal to his main defensivo lino on tho Brest-Ossowiec-Kovno front has not yet been reached. The situation at Kovno is intimately correlated with tho Russian advance from Dvinsk (in the north}; if tho latter progress, or ovon hold tho enemy, it would be possible, successfully to defend Kovno and tho Niemen-Bobr lino, and also to prevent von Hindenberg from seizing this much-coveted pivot.