THE RIGA FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 January 1917, Page 5

THE RIGA FRONT.

THE RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE. GERMAN FRENCHES ENTERED. Copenhagen, Jan. 9 German correspondents state that the Russians on the Riga front are evidently in possession of great quantities of munitions and fresh reserves, niid preparing for a new offensive near Milan and southward of Riga. The arlilleir is violent on both sides. .During a great f iowstorm on Sunday masses of Russians, with white sheets over their uniforms, in order to eseape detection, succeeded m entering' the (Jcnnaii trenchi-, on a thousand metres front between Manual and Buabos, with a view to breaking through the Milan-Riga road. The Germans realised their danger and dispatched all available reserves. After violent bomb and bayonet fighting the Russians retired. ENEMY THROWN BACK. AN ISLAND CAPTURED London, Jan. 9. A llnssian official message states:— We threw back the enemy offensive westward of Riga. We captured an island in the western Dvina river, north of Dvinsk.

OBJECT OF ADVANCE. LARGE RUSSIAN FORCE AVAILABLE Times Servica London. Jan. 0 The sustained Russian offensive on the Riga front is closely connected ivitli the Bulgar-German success on the Sereth, where the capture of Foesani imperils the Russo-Roumanian line. Retreat to the Pruth seems inevitable. The Riga advance of fom miles was across frozen marshes. Large new force are available for the northern Russian Hue. GERMANS ADMIT REVERSE.' London, Jan. 0. A German official dispatch states that in !i heavy snowstorm the Russians captured Glandin Island, north of Illukl \n attempt against the west bank of th" Dvina failed.