FALL OF RUSSIAN FORTRESS OF KOVNO

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2545, 20 August 1915, Page 5

FALL OF RUSSIAN FORTRESS OF KOVNO

AFTER TERRIFIC ATTACKS RUSSIANS HOLD THE NIEMEN SIDE '.' By Telegraph—Prose ABBOciation-CiypyTiEht (Rec, August 20, 0.20 a.tii.) ' • t . m ■, , Petrograd, August 19. ' Official.—"Towards Dvinsk we repulsed tho German attempts to take tho offensive. • ■• , : At Kovno, after desperate battles lasting eleven : daysj and 'costing them enormous losses, the Germans succeeded in establishing themselves in the fortifications on the left of the Niemen, and, westward of tho River Jessia The Germans ! are now attempting to pass to the .right of this position, where the last defence works are still in.our hands. We hold all tlio fortifications on the right of tho Niemen. "There has been continuous fighting on the Narew front, and between the Narcw and, the' Bug, with alternating success. 'Die onemy made very stubborn attacks on tho loads to .BiGlostok and Bislsk from the west and Jiortli-castorn front of Novo Georgievsk, principally against the fortifications commanding tho railway from Mlawa. _ ' A COSTLtf ACHIEVEMENT. ' (Rec. August 10.20 p.m.) ' ~T li e Germans when first Advancing against Kovno method of attack, involving heavy losses. Successive columns were swept ■ with their failure against Riga and Dvinsk. they changed their tactics at Kovno, relying on their artillery, and bringing up their 42centimetre guns. (Rec. August 20i 1.15 p.m.) Telegrams from Innsbruck state that the Russians IT to drive the Germans back. The enemy has evacuated all his positions "on the Dwina. GERMAN ..OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. m in • i c tj i- il „ August 18. An official message from.Berlin states that Kovno was taken last nirfitwith all its forts and an enormous quantity of war material, including over four hundred guns, after a most stubborn resistance. ■ " ■ ■ "Two more forts were stormed on the north-east front at Novo Georcie vsk, and twenty guns were captured and 600 men made prisoner "The Russians are offering, a fresh strong, resistance to Prince Leopold's army in the Kamionka sector, on both sides of Siematysze, on tho Bue near Fuerstendorf. We forced a crossing of the sector, repulsing tho enomv n„r right wing lias reached the south bank of the Bug. " Uur "Generaj von Mackeiisen drove tho enemy from the Bug into thoir id Winced positions at Brest-Litovsk. We have advanced oast of VlodpvV J tho railway from Oholm to Brest-Litovsk, eastward." 301058 AUSTRIAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. (Rcc. August 19. 11.35 p.m.) ■ . Amsterdam, 'August 10 'An 'Austrian communique states: "While the Germans 1 advanced along the left of the Bug, General von Arz repulsed the Russians oil both sides of the Biala Road, within range of tho Brest-Litovsk fortress artillery. The surroundiug ring on the western bank is closed, and the Archduke Josef in the Janow district, has cleared the southern bank of tho enemy. , ' PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES AT VILNA. m, . « _ tt'i i- _ Potrograd, August 18. The Governor of Vilna, as a precaution against the occupation of the town b,y the enemy, has ordered the removal of the banks, factory plants and everything that would be useful t° the enemy. Taubes have dropped bombs on Vilna. • REJOICINGS IN BERLIN. (Rec. August 19, 10.45 p.m.) Amsterdam, 'August 19. Salvoes were fired in Berlin to celebrate the capture of Kovno. 'All the church bells were ringing.