THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN
_Slow Mobilization of Troops--Invasion of German and Austrian
Territory--Cossacks Lead the Van--Early Successes
in East Prussia--"On to Berlin"--Heavy
Losses Inflicted on Austrians--German Troops Rushed
to the Defense of the Eastern Territory_.
When at 7:30 o'clock on the evening of August 1, 1914, the German
Ambassador at St. Petersburg handed the declaration of war to the
Russian foreign minister, the immediate reason was that Russia had
refused to stop mobilizing her army, as requested by Germany on July 30.
The general mobilization of the Russian army and fleet was proclaimed
on July 31 and martial law was proclaimed forthwith in Germany. The
government of the Kaiser had given Russia twenty-four hours in which
to reply to its ultimatum of the 30th. Russia paid no attention to the
ultimatum, but M. Goremykin, president of the Council of the Russian
Empire, issued a manifesto which read:
"Russia is determined not to allow Servia to be crushed and will fulfill
its duty in regard to that small kingdom, which has already suffered so
much at Austria's hands."
Austria-Hungary declared war against Russia on August 6. From that
time on the Russian army had two main objectives--first, the Austrian
province of Galicia, and second the eastern frontier of Germany, across
which lay the territory known as East Prussia. And while the early days
of the great conflict saw a German host pouring into Belgium, animated
by the battle-cry, "On to Paris!" the gathering legions of the Czar
headed to the west and crossed the Prussian frontier with hoarse,
resounding shouts of "On to Berlin!"
MOBILIZATION WAS SLOW
The mobilization of the Russian army was slow compared with that
of Germany, France and Austria, and some weeks elapsed after the
declaration of war before Russia was prepared to attack Germany with
the full force of which it was capable. The immense distances to be
traversed by troops proceeding to the frontier and by the reserves to
their respective depots caused delays that were unavoidable but were
minimized by the eagerness of the Russian soldiery to get to the front.
In Russia, as in all the other great countries engaged in the conflict,
with the probable exception of Austria, the war was popular and a wave
of patriotic enthusiasm and martial ardor swept over the land, from the
Baltic to the Black Sea, from St. Petersburg to Siberia.
In Russia military service is universal and begins at the age of 20,
continuing for twenty-three years. There are three divisions of the
Russian army--the European, Caucasian and Asiatic armies. Military
service of the Russian consists of three years in the first line,
fourteen years in the reserve (during which time he has to undergo two
periods of training of six weeks each) and five years in the territorial
reserve. The Cossacks, however, hold their land by military tenure and
are liable to serve at any time in the army. They provide their own
horses and accouterments. The total strength of the Russian army is
about 5,500,000 men; the field force of the European army consists of
1,000,000 soldiers with about the same number in the second line. There
were besides at the beginning of the war over 5,000,000 men unorganized
but available for duty.
ARMY REORGANIZED RECENTLY
Since the disastrous war with Japan the Russian army has been
reorganized and it has profited largely by the harsh experience of the
Manchurian campaign.
The physique of the Russian infantryman is second to none in Europe. The
Russian "moujik" (peasant) is from childhood accustomed to cover long
distances on foot, so that marches of from 30 to 40 miles are covered
without fatigue by even the youngest recruits. They wear long boots,
which are made of excellent soft leather, so that sore feet were quite
the exception even in Manchuria, where very long marches were undergone
by many of the units.
Each regiment of infantry contains four battalions commanded by a major
or lieutenant-colonel. The battalion consists of four companies of
men, commanded by a captain, so that each regiment on a war footing
numbers upwards of 2,000 men.
The Russian cavalry is divided into two main categories. There are the
heavy regiments of the Guard, which consist mainly of Lancer regiments,
and there are also numberless Cossack or irregular cavalry regiments,
which are recruited chiefly from the districts of the River Don and the
highlands of the Caucasus.
The horses of the Russian horse and field artillery are distinctly poor
and very inferior to those of the cavalry. The artillery is
therefore somewhat slow in coming into action. But the horses, while
weedy-looking, are very hardy and pull the guns up steep gradients.
The Russian gunners prefer to take up "indirect" rather than "direct"
positions. Batteries are also rather slow in changing positions and in
moving up in support of their infantry units.
THE RUSSIAN COSSACKS
What the Uhlans are to the German army, the Cossacks of the Don and the
Caucasus are to the Russians--scouts, advance guards and "covering"
cavalry. They are good all-round fighters, capable of long-continued
effort and tireless in the saddle; they are also trained to fight in
dismounted action.
As a soldier the Cossack is altogether unique; his ways are his own and
his confidence in his officers and himself is perfect. His passionate
love of horses makes his work a pleasure. The Cossack seat on horseback
is on a high pad-saddle, with the knee almost vertical and the heel well
drawn back. Spurs are not worn, and another remarkable thing is that
he has absolutely no guard to his sword. The Russian soldier scorns
buttons; he says, "They are a nuisance; they have to be cleaned, they
wear away the cloth, they are heavy, and they attract the attention of
the enemy."
The Cossack pony is a quaint little beast to look at, but the finest
animal living for his work, and very remarkable for his wonderful powers
of endurance. The Cossack and his mount have been likened to a clever
nurse and a spoilt child--each understands and loves the other, but
neither is completely under control. The Cossack does not want his horse
to be a slave, and recognizes perfectly that horses, like children, have
their whims and humors and must be coaxed and reasoned with, but rarely
punished. The famous knout (whip) is carried by the Cossacks at the end
of a strap across the left shoulder. Most of the men are bearded and in
full dress, with the high fur cap stuck jauntily on the head of square
cut hair, the Cossack presents a picturesque and martial figure. The
appearance of these men is quite different from that of the clean-shaven
regular infantryman of the Russian army.
RUSSIAN PLAN OF CAMPAIGN
"While the direct objective of the Russians was Berlin, there were
many reasons why a bee-line course could not be followed. Germany had
prepared an elaborate defense system to cover the direct approaches to
Berlin, and the fortresses of Danzig, Graudenz, Thorn, and Posen were
important points in this scheme. The nature of the country also adapts
itself to these defensive works and would make progress slow for an
attacker.
Moreover, as Austria and her forces mobilized before Russia, a diversion
was created by the Austrian invasion of south Poland, in which the
Germans also took the offensive. Under these circumstances the Russian
plan of campaign resolved itself into three parts:--
(1) A northern movement from Kovno and Grodno on Insterburg and
Königsberg as a counter-attack.
(2) A central movement from Warsaw towards Posen with supporting
movements north and south.
(3) A southern movement on Lublin in Poland to repulse the invaders
combined with a movement from the east on Lemberg in order to turn the
Austrian flank.
The first purpose of Russia was to clear Poland of enemies, as they
threatened the Russian left flank. At the same time Russia took the
offensive by an invasion of Prussia in the north. This latter movement
led to a victory at Gumbinnen and the investment of Königsberg. Later
came victory at Lublin, rolling back the Austrians, and the capture of
Lemberg, which signalized the Russian invasion of Austrian territory.
Thus Russia was for awhile clear of the enemy, while she established a
strong footing in both Prussia and Austria.
[Illustration: THE RUSSIAN PLAN OF CAMPAIGN In the above view the German
lines of defense are shown black, the Austrian lines of defense are
indicated by crossed lines, and the Russian advances are shown by
arrows.]
We can now understand the main Russian plan a little better. In the
north the army was to advance from Königsberg and endeavor to cut off
Danzig and break the line of defenses between that place and Thorn, thus
leaving this fortress in the rear. In the south the Austrians, already
heavily punished, would be driven back on the Carpathian passes to
the south, and westward also toward Cracow, which is the key to the
situation. If Cracow fell Russia would have a good route into Germany,
and the move would be supported by advances from Warsaw, thus
threatening Breslau from two sides.
GERMAN TROOPS HURRIED EAST
Early in September, however, the danger of the Russian advance into
Germany, which apparently had given the German general staff but little
concern at first, was fully realized and large bodies of German troops
were detached from the western theater of war and hurried to the eastern
frontier. Germany had evidently reckoned on Austria being able to hold
its ground better, and was badly prepared for a flanking move on Breslau
so early in the campaign. But the Servian and Russian defeats of Austria
left Germany to bear the full force of the terrific Russian onslaught,
and her forces proved equal to the occasion. Under General von
Hindenberg the German army of the east soon repelled the Russian
invaders and forced them to retire from East Prussia across their own
border, where they were followed by the Germans. A series of engagements
on Russian soil followed, in which the advantage lay as a rule with the
Germans. The losses on both sides were heavy, but the Germans captured
many thousands of Russian prisoners and considerable quantities of arms
and munitions of war. The immense resources of the Russian empire in men
and material made the problem of Russian invasion a very serious one for
Germany. This was fully realized by the Kaiser, who about October 1,
at the end of the second month of the war, proceeded in person to his
eastern frontier to direct the defensive operations against Russia.
CZAR NICHOLAS AT THE FRONT
About the same time the Czar, Nicholas II, also took the field in
person, arriving at the front on October 5, accompanied by General
Soukhomlinoff, the Russian minister of war.
"I am resolved to go to Berlin itself, even if it causes me to lose my
last moujik (peasant)," the Czar is reported as saying in September. The
spirit and temper of the Russian government may be judged by the fact
that before the war was many days old the name of the Russian capital
was officially changed from "St. Petersburg," which was considered to
have a German flavor, to "Petrograd," a purely Russian or Slavic form of
nomenclature.
RUSSIA PREPARES TO STRIKE AUSTRIA
By the third week of August, according to an announcement from
Petrograd, Russian troops had checked an attempt by the Austrians to
enter Poland from the Galician frontier and were preparing to invade
Austria on a large scale. At that time Russia was said to have 2,000,
men under arms for the invasion of Germany and Austria, also 500,000 on
the Roumanian and Turkish borders, and 3,000,000 men in reserve. (The
latter were called out by imperial ukase before Czar Nicholas started
for the front.) The Poles had been promised self-government and had been
called on to support Russia. The Jews throughout the Russian empire were
also promised a greater measure of protection, freedom of action and
civil rights. These measures inaugurated an era of better feeling in
Russia and Poland and were strongly approved by the allies of Russia.
Most of the Austrian reserves were mobilized by August 15 and Germany's
ally announced that she would soon have her total war strength of
2,000,000 men in the field. Austria sent some troops to join the German
forces in Belgium and an army of several hundred thousand men was
gathered along the Austro-Russian frontier under command of the Archduke
Frederick. General Rennenkampf was in command of the Russian forces for
the invasion of East Prussia, while General Russky led the Russian army
operating against Galicia.
INVASION OF PRUSSIA
Within a week the Russian movement in eastern Germany assumed menacing
proportions, the great army of invasion having moved rapidly,
considering the natural obstacles. More than 800,000 men were sent over
the border into Prussia. The Germans evacuated a number of towns, after
setting them afire, and a considerable part of the Kaiser's eastern
field forces was bottled up in military centers. Germany's active field
force was at this time inferior in numbers to the invading army.
By the capture of Insterberg the Russians paralyzed one of the main
German strategic centers and gained control of an important railroad.
The German Twentieth Army Corps was reported to have been routed near
Lyck. At the start the Russian forces extended from Insterberg to
Goldapp, a distance of about thirty-two miles. Seventy-five
miles further on was the first of the two strong German lines of
fortifications.
Early victories were claimed by the Russians in their advance into
Austria, which was made slowly. Austria then turned to fight the Russian
invasion. It was forced to gather all its forces for this principal
struggle and hence retired from offensive operations against the
Servians. Unless she could halt the Russians pouring in from the north,
a success against Servia could do her no good.
By the first of September the Russian advance into East Prussia was
well under way and the strong fortress of Königsberg was in danger of a
siege, German troops were being rushed to its defense. In Galicia there
were fierce encounters between the Russian invaders and the Austrians.
Several victories were claimed by the Russians all along the line and
whole brigades of Austrian troops were reported destroyed, while the
Russian losses were also admittedly heavy. The fiercest fighting
occurred in the vicinity of Lemberg, the capital of Galicia, which was
soon to fall to General Russky. The Austrian attack on Russian Poland
failed and the Austrians were driven back across their own frontier. The
Russians were seeking to destroy the hope of the Kaiser for help from
Austria in Eastern Germany, where the Russian advance, ridiculed or
belittled by Germany before it began, became more menacing every day.
The German war plans had contemplated a quick, decisive blow in France
and then a rapid turn to the East to meet the Russians with a tremendous
force. But the belligerency of the Belgians and the cooperation of the
British balked these plans, while the Russians moved faster than was
expected by their foe. Austria had failed everywhere to stop the Czar's
forces, and then came a crushing blow to Austrian hopes in a ruinous
defeat near Lemberg and the loss of that fortress.
THE FALL OF LEMBERG
The capture of Lemberg from the Austrians early in September after a
four days' battle was one of the striking Russian successes of the war.
Details reached the outer world on September 10th from Petrograd (St.
Petersburg) as follows, the story being that of an eyewitness:
"The commencement of the fighting which resulted in the capture of
Lemberg began August 29th, when the Russians drove the enemy from
Zisczow (forty-five miles east of Lemberg) and moved on to Golaya
Gorka--a name which means 'the naked hill.'
"We spent the night on Naked Hill, and the actual storming of the town
was begun at 2:30 o'clock in the morning. Then followed a four days'
battle. A virtually continuous cannonade continued from dawn to darkness
without cessation.
"Even in the darkness the weary fighters got little sleep. Whenever a
single shot was heard the men dashed for their places and the battle
boiled again with renewed fury.
"The enemy's counter attacks were delivered with great energy and a
dense hail of lead and iron was poured over our ranks. The Russian
advance was greatly impeded by the hilly nature of the ground and
the great number of extinct craters, which formed splendid natural
fortifications for the enemy, which held them doggedly. Out of these,
however, the enemy was driven in succession.
"We suffered much from thirst, for the stony, country was devoid of
springs. The days were oppressively hot and the nights bitterly cold.
RUSSIAN ARTILLERY SUPERIOR
"Both sides fought with great obstinacy, but the nearer we approached
Lemberg the harder the struggle became. However, it soon was evident
that we were superior in artillery.
"At length the enemy was driven from all sides beneath the protection of
the Lemberg forts. Our troops were very weary, but in high spirits.
"For two days the fight raged around the forts, but we were always
confident of the prowess of our artillery. The big guns of both sides
rained a terrific hail down on the armies, which suffered terrific
losses.
"At last we noticed that the resistance of the forts was growing weaker.
A charge at double quick was ordered, and we carried the first line of
works.
"It was evident from that point that many of the enemy's guns had been
destroyed. Not enough of them had been left to continue an effective
defense, but the enemy was undiscouraged and tried to make up with rifle
fire what it lacked in artillery.
LOSSES BECOME HEAVIER
"Between the first and second lines our losses were heavier than before,
but under bayonet charges the enemy broke and fled in panic.
"Our troops entered the town at the enemy's heels. We ran into the town,
despite our fatigue, with thunderous cheering.
"An episode which had much to do with ending the enemy's dogged
resistance occurred during the fighting between the first and second
lines. The Austrians in the hope of checking the Russian effort to
encircle the town had thrown out a heavy screen of Slav troops with a
backing of Magyars who had been ordered to shoot down the Slavs from
behind if they showed any hesitation.
"This circumstance became known to the Russian commander, who ordered a
terrific artillery fire over the heads of the Slavs and into the ranks
of the Magyars. This well-directed fire set the whole line in panic."
More than 35,000 Austrians and Russian wounded were abandoned on the
field of battle between Tarnow, Lemberg and Tarnopol owing to lack of
means of transportation, according to reliable reports. Both armies
declined to ask for an armistice for the burial of the dead and the
collection of the wounded, each fearing to give an advantage to the
other.
THE BATTLE BEFORE LEMBERG
The immense superiority of the Austrian forces east of Lemberg enabled
the Austrians at first to adopt the offensive. As soon, however, as
the Austrians realized the impossibility of an advance on Warsaw they
concentrated their large and overwhelming forces in an attempt to
outflank the right wing of the Russian army, which was drawing slowly
but surely towards Lemberg, On the other Russian flank the two
Russian army corps, after crossing the River Zlota Lipa without much
opposition, continued their advance to the River Knila Lipa, where they
found the bridges had all been destroyed by the Austrian advance guards.
Two bridges were constructed on the Rogarten-Halicz line, which enabled
a crossing to be effected in spite of heavy and incessant artillery fire
from the Austrian 24-centimeter guns.
Once across the river, the two Russian corps crossed the upper reaches
of the River Boog and so approached the town of Lemberg from the east.
The main Austrian army, however, had by this time moved up to bar the
further advance of the Russian forces, and the whole of their armies on
the left bank of the River Vistula being in front of the three Russian
corps, the latter were compelled to adopt a defensive rôle for three or
four days, after which, having received large reinforcements, the
Russian force moved forward and drove the Austrian troops out of their
entrenchments outside Lemberg at the point of the bayonet. A desperate
attempt was made by means of a counter-attack to arrest the advance of
the Russian troops, but this only resulted in the capture of 6,000
Austrian prisoners.
[Illustration: WHERE RUSSIA FIGHTS.
Battle grounds of Eastern Prussia and of Galicia, where the Austrians
were repeatedly defeated with heavy losses.]
Lemberg was not a fortress but was recently converted into a
semi-fortified place, as a series of lunettes, redoubts, etc., had been
hastily prepared. It was the headquarters of the 11th Austrian Corps,
which consisted of the famous 43rd Landwehr infantry division, and was
further divided into three Landwehr brigades. There was also a Landwehr
Uhlan regiment, together with a howitzer division of field artillery.
These batteries were armed with 10.5-centimeter guns, fitted with the
German or Krupp eccentric breech action. The forts outside the town were
said to be armed with the 15-centimeter siege gun made of steel, also
with a Krupp action. The ammunition for these guns is chiefly high
explosive shell and shrapnel; one of the forts is also said to have had
a battery of three 24-centimeter heavy siege guns of quite a modern
pattern.
GERMANY RUSHES REINFORCEMENTS
When Lemberg fell the Russian advance covered a line extending from far
up in Eastern Prussia, near Tilsit, across the frontier and on down
south into Austrian Galicia. Königsberg was hearing the sound of the
Russian guns and its besiegers seemed on the verge of victory. A central
column of mighty strength was pushing its way into Germany, despite a
stubborn resistance. Then the tide turned. German reinforcements were
brought up and under General von Hindenberg the Germans administered a
severe defeat to General Rennenkampf's army near Allenstein, in which
it was claimed that 60,000 prisoners were taken. Other reverses were
suffered by the Russians and soon after the middle of September they had
been forced to retire from German territory, the German troops following
them into Russia, where a series of minor engagements occurred near the
frontier.
GENERAL RENNENKAMPF'S DEFEAT
The operations leading to the defeat of General Rennenkampf's Russian
army by the Germans were as follows:
From September 7 to 13 the Russians took a strong position on the line
from Angerburg to Gerdauen, Allenburg, and Kehlau, the left wing resting
on the Mazurian lakes and the right wing protected in the rear and flank
by the forest of Frisching, whose pathless woods and swamps furnished
an almost impregnable position. The Russians devoted great efforts to
intrenching their position and brought up besides their heavy artillery.
Russian cavalry scouted far to the west and south, but otherwise the
army-undertook no offensive operations in the days following a battle at
Tannenberg.
The German forces, according to the German official account, were
composed of the Second, Third, Fourth and Twentieth corps, two reserve
divisions and five cavalry divisions.
General von Hindenburg, the German commander, meanwhile was assembling
every available man, depriving the fortresses of their garrisons and
calling in all but a bare remnant of the force protecting the southern
frontier in the vicinity of Soldau, adding them to reinforcements
received from the west.
General von Hindenburg again resorted to the customary German flanking
movement, and since the German right, protected by the forest and
marshes, seemed too strong, he adopted the daring strategy of sending
the flanking force to the lake region to the south, the same character
of movement by which the Russian Narew army had been defeated on August
28, in the vicinity of Ortelsburg, and which in case of failure might
have been equally as disastrous for the Germans.
STRATEGY IS SUCCESSFUL
The strategy, however, succeeded, although General Rennenkampf offered a
desperate resistance to the frontal attacks. After three days' fighting
the Russians were forced back slightly in the center. When the flank
movement of the Germans was discovered already threatening the flank,
a counter-movement was launched with a new army collected at Lyck,
including the Twenty-second corps and parts of the Third Siberian corps,
just arriving from Irkutsk, and the balance of the defeated army. The
counter-attacks failed and on September 10 the Russians began to fall
back on their main position, retreating in good order and well covered.
The Russian artillery on the right wing appears to have made a good
retreat owing to a timely start, while the left wing was hard pressed by
the enveloping German infantry. From this wing the Russians retreated
across the border in two columns, while the main body went northward
and the others in an easterly direction, pursued by the Germans, who
advanced far from the border.
The German government appointed Count von Merveldt as governor of the
Russian province of Suwalki and other points occupied by them.
The University of Koenigsberg on September 18 conferred upon General von
Hindenburg honorary doctors' degrees from all four of the departments of
philosophy, theology, law and medicine, in recognition of his success
against the Russian invader.
AUSTRIA STRUGGLING FOR EXISTENCE
In Galicia, however, Russian successes continued. The important fortress
of Mikolajoff, 25 miles south of Lemberg, was captured and this cleared
away every Austrian stronghold east of Przemysl, which was then invested
by the Russians.
Austria was now struggling for her very existence as a monarchy.
Following the crushing defeats administered to the Austrian troops and
with the Czar's forces sweeping Galicia, Vienna was hurriedly fortified.
All reports indicated that the large Austrian force, nearly 1,000,
men in all, opposing the main Russian invasion had proved ineffective.
Help from Germany did not arrive in time. Official dispatches reported
the main Austrian army retreating, pursued and harassed by the Russians.
The other important Austrian army was surrounded near Lublin.
While the Muscovite host went smashing through Galicia, chasing the
Austrian army before it, the Russian staff belittled the retreat from
East Prussia, saying that the Russian army was merely falling back on
a new defensive position. The German artillery had been getting in its
deadly work and the pressure on Koenigsberg was soon to be relieved.
There were many reports at this time of a popular demand in Austria that
an end be made to the struggle. Peace talk was a marked feature of the
sixth week of the war, but there were no definite results in any part of
the immense theater of war.
The third week of September found the Germans, greatly reinforced,
making a strong resistance to Russian progress, with the aid of the
heavy German artillery. The shattered Austrian armies, under Generals
von Auffenberg and Dankl, were making desperate endeavors to concentrate
in the vicinity of Rawaruska, but were apparently surrounded by the
Russians, who continued to capture Austrian prisoners by the thousand.
Fears were entertained for Cracow, one of the strongest fortresses in
Austria, if not in Europe, which seemed likely soon to fall into the
hands of Russia.
It was stated in Rome, and said to be admitted in Vienna, that the
Archduke Frederick, commanding the Austrian forces in Galicia, had
lost 120,000 men, or one-fourth of his entire army. German troops were
reported marching south toward Poland to assist the Austrians.
The Russian successes in Galicia gave them command of the Galician
oil-fields, upon which Germany largely depended for her supply of
gasoline, which is a prime necessary in modern war.
RUSSIANS AT PRZEMYSL
On September 21 the Russians began the bombardment of Przemysl, having
previously occupied Grodek and Mosciska, west of Lemberg. The shattered
second Austrian army was evidently incapable of staying the Russian
advance, and took refuge in Przemysl. A part of this Galician stronghold
was soon captured by the Russians, forcing the Austrians to take refuge
in the eastern forts, where the entire garrison was concentrated at the
end of September, preparing to make a final resistance. The situation of
the garrison was critical, as it was entirely surrounded by the enemy.
On September 21 also the Russian troops took by storm the fortifications
of Jaroslav, on the river San, and captured many guns.
The German offensive from East Prussia was apparently halted October
by the almost impassable condition of the Russian roads in the north.
Germany was said to have at this time thirty army corps of the line and
the first reserve prepared to operate against Russia and to resist the
Russian advance upon Cracow.
The German main defenses against Russia extended in a general line from
Koenigsberg to Danzig, thence south along the Vistula to the great
fortress of Thorn. From there the fortified line swung to the southwest
to Posen, thence south to Breslau, the main fortress along the Oder, and
from there to Cracow.
Early in October the Russian invasion of Hungary began. The Russian
armies continued to sweep through Galicia and that province was reported
clear of Austrian troops. The German successes claimed against the Czar
farther north included victories at Krasnik and Zamoso, in Russian
Poland; Insterburg and Tannenburg, in East Prussia.
ESTIMATE OF AUSTRIAN LOSSES
A Russian estimate places the Austrian losses in Galicia at 300,
in killed, wounded and prisoners, or nearly one-third of their total
forces. They also lost, it was claimed at Petrograd, 1,000 guns, more
than two-thirds of their available artillery.
The Russian newspaper correspondents described horrible scenes on the
battlefields abandoned by the Austro-German forces in Galicia.
"Streams," said one eyewitness, "were choked full with slain men,
trodden down in the headlong flight till the waters were dammed and
overflowing the banks. Piles of dead are awaiting burial or burning.
Hundreds of acres are sown with bodies and littered with weapons and
battle debris, while wounded and riderless horses are careering madly
over the abandoned country. The trophies captured comprise much German
equipment. An ammunition train captured at Janow (eleven miles northwest
of Lemberg) was German, while the guns taken included thirty-six of
heavy caliber bearing Emperor William's initials and belonging to the
German Sixth army corps.
"The line of retreat of the Austro-German forces was blocked with debris
of every kind--valuable military supplies, telephone and telegraph
installations, light railway and other stores, bridging material--in
fact, everything needed by a modern army was flung away in flight. Over
1,000 wagons with commissariat supplies alone were captured."
Forty-five thousand Austro-German prisoners were reported to have
arrived at Lublin. Russian correspondents with the armies in Galicia
asserted that German troops were interspersed with Austrian troops in
the intrenchments in order to raise the morale of the Austrians. One
correspondent declared that while the Austrians often took flight the
Germans were ready, to the last man, to perish.
ON THE FIRING LINE IN RUSSIAN POLAND--VIVID DESCRIPTION BY AN AMERICAN
EYEWITNESS
The first American permitted to witness actual battles near the eastern
frontier of Germany was Karl H. von Wiegand, who wrote as follows from
the firing line near East Wirballen, Russian Poland, October 9:
"The German artillery today beat back, in a bloody, ghastly smear of
men, the Russian advance.
"Yesterday I saw an infantry engagement. Today it was mostly an
artillery encounter. The infantry attack is the more ghastly, but the
artillery the more awe-inspiring. This was the fifth day of constant
fighting and still the German trenches hold.
"Today's battle opened at dawn. With two staff officers assigned as my
chaperons, I had been attached overnight to the field headquarters. I
slept well, exhausted by the excitement of my first sight of modern war,
but when dawn once again revealed the two long lines of the Russian and
German positions the Russian guns began to hurl their loads of shrapnel
at the German trenches.
"We had breakfast calmly enough despite the din of guns. Then we went
to one of the German batteries on the left center. They were already
in action, though it was only 6 o'clock. The men got the range
from observers a little in advance, cunningly masked, and slowly,
methodically, and enthusiastically fed the guns with their loads of
death.
"The Russians didn't have our range. All of their shells flew screaming
1,000 yards to our left. Through my glasses I watched them strike.
The effect on the hillock was exactly as though a geyser had suddenly
spurted up. A vast cloud of dirt and stones and grass spouted up, and
when the debris cleared away a great hole showed.
RUSSIANS TRY NEW RANGE
"While we watched the Russians seemed to tire of shooting holes in an
inoffensive hill. They began to try chance shots to the right and to the
left. It wasn't many minutes before I realized that, standing near a
battery, the execution of which must have been noted on the Russian
side, I had a fine chance of experiencing shrapnel bursting overhead. It
was a queer sensation to peer through field glasses and see the Russian
shells veer a few hundred feet to the right. I saw one strike a
windmill, shattering the long arms and crumpling it over in a slow
burning heap. Then we beat a retreat, further toward the center.
"We had been standing behind a slight declivity. I hadn't caught a
glimpse of the enemy. Shells were the only things that apprised us
of the Russian nearness. But as we passed out on an open field,
considerably out of range of the field guns, I could see occasional
flashes that bespoke field pieces, a mile or so away.
RUSSIAN INFANTRY CHARGES
"Back behind us, on the extreme left, I was told the Russians were
attacking the German trenches by an infantry charge, the German field
telephone service having apprised the commanders along the front. With
glasses we could see a faint line of what must have been the Russian
infantry rushing across the open fields.
"We passed on to the center, going slightly to the rear for horses. As
we arrived at the right wing we witnessed the last of a Russian infantry
advance at that end. The wave of Russians had swept nearly to the German
trenches, situated between two sections of field artillery, and there
had been repulsed. Russians were smeared across in front of these pits,
dead, dying, or wounded--cut down by the terrible spray of German
machine guns.
"I got up to the trenches as the German fire slackened because of the
lack of targets. The Russians had gone back. Strewn in the trenches
were countless empty shells, the bullets of which had, as it looked to
inexpert eyes, slain thousands. As a matter of fact, there were hundreds
of dead in the field ahead.
GUN BARRELS SIZZLING HOT
"German infantrymen spat on their rapid firers as we reached the trench
and delightedly called our attention to the sizzle that told how hot the
barrels were from the firing.
"The men stretched their cramped limbs, helped a few wounded to the
rear, and waited for breakfast. It was not long forthcoming. Small lines
of men struggling along tinder steaming buckets came hurrying up to the
accompaniment of cheers and shouts. They bore soup that the men in the
trenches gulped down ravenously. Meanwhile men with the white brassard
and the red Geneva cross were busy out in the open, lending succor to
the Russian wounded. The battle seemed to have come to a sudden halt.
"But even as I was getting soup, the artillery fusillade broke forth
again. From 9 o'clock to noon the Russians hurled their heavy shells at
the German trenches and the German guns. The German batteries replied
slowly.
"There was mighty little fuss and feathers about this business of
dealing death from guns. The crews at each piece laughed among
themselves, but there were none of the picturesque shouts of command,
the indiscriminate blowing of bugles, and the flashy waving of battle
flags that the word battle usually conjures up. It was merely a deadly
business of killing.
"Over to the right, a scant 300 yards away, the Russians had apparently
succeeded in getting the range. As I watched through the glasses I saw
shrapnel burst over the battery there and watched a noncommissioned
soldier fall with three of his comrades. I was told that one had been
killed and three wounded. The Red Cross crew came up and bore away the
four--the dead and the live--and before they were gone the gun was
speaking away with four fresh men working it.
"But the shrapnel kept bursting away over it and soon an orderly came
riding furiously back on his horse, saluted the officers with me, and
shouted as he hurried back to the artillery reserve: 'Six inch shells to
the front; more ammunition.'
"I went back to see the wounded, but the surgeon wouldn't let me. I
expressed to him my wonder at the few wounded. I had seen only a few in
the trenches, and no German dead until I saw the artilleryman killed.
He explained that the losses on the German side were light because
the trenches were well constructed and because there had been no
hand-to-hand, bayonet to bayonet fighting.
ATTACKS BY RUSSIAN INFANTRY
"Yesterday, my first day at Wirballen, I saw the third attempt of the
Russians to carry the German center by storm. Twice on Wednesday their
infantry had advanced under cover of their artillery, only to be
repulsed. Their third effort proved no more successful.
"The preliminaries were well under way, without my appreciating their
significance, until one of my officer escorts explained.
"At a number of points along their line, observable to us, but screened
from the observation of the German trenches in the center, the Russian
infantry came tumbling out, and, rushing forward, took up advanced
positions, awaiting the formation of the new and irregular battle
line. Dozens of light rapid-firers were dragged along by hand. Other
troops--the reserves--took up semi-advanced positions. All the while the
Russian shrapnel was raining over the German trenches.
"Finally came the Russian order to advance. At the word hundreds of
yards of the Russian fighting line leaped, forward, deployed in open
order, and came on. Some of them came into range of the German trench
fire almost at once. These lines began to wilt and thin out.
MEN PAUSE ONLY TO FIRE
"But on they came, all along the line, protected and unprotected alike,
rushing forward with a yell, pausing, firing, and advancing again.
"From the outset of the advance the German artillery, ignoring for the
moment the Russian artillery action, began shelling the onrushing mass
with wonderfully timed shrapnel, which burst low over the advancing
lines and tore sickening gaps.
"But the Russian line never stopped. For the third time in two days
they came tearing on, with no indication of having been affected by the
terrible consequences of the two previous charges. As a spectacle the
whole thing was maddening.
"On came the Slav swarm, into the range of the German trenches, with
wild yells and never a waver. Russian battle flags--the first I had
seen--appeared in the front of the charging ranks. The advance line
thinned and the second line moved up.
"Nearer and nearer they swept toward the German positions. And then came
a new sight. A few seconds later came a new sound. First I saw a sudden,
almost grotesque melting of the advancing line. It was different from
anything that had taken place before. The men literally went down like
dominoes in a row. Those who kept their feet were hurled back as though
by a terrible gust of wind. Almost in the second that I pondered,
puzzled, the staccato rattle of machine guns reached us. My ear answered
the query of my eye.
MACHINE GUN FIRE TELLS
"For the first time the advancing line hesitated, apparently bewildered.
Mounted officers dashed along the line, urging the men forward. Horses
fell with the men. I saw a dozen riderless horses dashing madly through
the lines, adding a new terror. Another horse was obviously running away
with his officer rider. The crucial period for the section of the charge
on which I had riveted my attention probably lasted less than a minute.
To my throbbing brain it seemed an hour. Then, with the withering fire
raking them even as they faltered, the lines broke. Panic ensued. It was
every man for himself. The entire Russian charge turned and went tearing
back to cover and the shelter of the Russian trenches.
"I swept the entire line of the Russian advance with my glasses--as far
as it was visible from our position. The whole advance of the enemy was
in retreat, making for its intrenched position.
DEAD MEN COVER ACRES
"After the assault had failed and the battle had resumed its normal
trend I swept the field with my glasses. The dead were everywhere. They
were not piled up, but were strewn over acres. More horrible than the
sight of the dead, though, were the other pictures brought up by the
glasses. Squirming, tossing, writhing figures everywhere! The wounded!
All who could stumble or crawl were working their way back toward their
own lines or back to the friendly cover of hills or wooded spots.
"After the charge we moved along back of the German lines at a safe
distance and found the hospital corps bringing back the German wounded.
"The artillerymen had resumed their duel and as we came up in the lee of
the outbuildings of a deserted farmhouse a shell struck and fired the
farmhouse immediately in front of us. As we paused to see if the shot
was a chance one, or if the Russian gunners had actually gotten the
range, a regiment of fresh reserves, young men who had just come up from
the west, passed us on their way to get their baptism of fire.
"Their demeanor was more suggestive of a group of college students going
to a football game than the serious business on which they were bent.
They were singing and laughing, and as they went by a noncommissioned
officer inquired rather ruefully whether there were any Russians left
for them.
"Throughout the day we watched the fight waged from the opposing
trenches and by the artillery.
"Suddenly at sundown the fighting ceased as if by mutual agreement. As I
write this I can see occasional flashes of light like the flare of giant
fireflies out over the scene of the Russian charge--the flashes of small
electrical lamps in the hands of the Russian hospital corps.
"I'm glad I don't have to look at what the flashes reveal out there in
the night."