PROGRESS OF THE BUKOWINIAN CONQUEST
On June 21, 1916, the Russians gained another important victory by the
capture of the city of Radautz, in the southern Bukowina, eleven miles
southwest of the Sereth River, and less than ten miles west of the
Rumanian frontier. This river Sereth must not be confused with a river
of the same name further to the north in Galicia. The latter is a
tributary of the Dniester, while the Bukowinian Sereth is a tributary
of the Danube, which latter it joins near the city of Galatz, in
Rumania, after flowing in a southeasterly direction through this
country for almost two hundred miles.
The fall of Radautz was an important success for various reasons. In
the first place, it brought the Russian advance that much nearer to
the Carpathian Mountains. In the second place, it gave the invading
armies full control of an important railway running in a northwesterly
direction through the Bukowina. This railway was of special
importance, because it is the northern continuation of one of the
principal railroad lines of Rumania which, during its course in the
latter country, runs along the west bank of the Sereth River.
In Galicia, General von Bothmer's army successfully resisted strong
Russian attacks along the Hajvoronka-Bobulinze line, north of
Przevloka.
Without cessation the furious fighting in the Kolki-Sokal sector on
the Styr River continued. There General von Linsingen's German
reenforcements had strengthened the Austro-Hungarian resistance to
such an extent that it held against all Russian attempts to break
through their line in their advance toward Kovel.
The same condition existed on the Sokal-Linievka line, where the
Russian forces had been trying for the best part of a week to force a
crossing of the Stokhod River, the only natural obstacle between them
and Kovel. Further south, west of Lutsk, from the southern sector of
the Turiya River down to the Galician border near the town of
Gorochoff, the Teutonic forces likewise succeeded in resisting the
Russian advance. This increased resistance of the Teutonic forces
found expression, also, in a considerable decrease in the number of
prisoners taken by the Russians.
Along the northern half of the front, Field Marshal von Hindenburg
renewed his attacks south of Dvinsk. South of Lake Vishnieff, near
Dubatovka, German troops, after intense artillery preparation, stormed
a portion of the Russian trenches, but could not maintain their new
positions against repeated ferocious counterattacks carried out by
Russian reenforcements. Near Krevo, the Germans forced a crossing over
the River Krevlianka, but were again thrown back to its west bank by
valiant Russian artillery attacks.
The Russian advance in the Bukowina progressed rapidly on June 22,
1916. Three important railroad towns fell into their hands, on that
day, of the left wing of the Russian army, Gurahumora in the south,
Straza in the center, and Vidnitz in the northwest. Gurahumora lies
fifty miles south of Czernowitz, and is situated on the only railway
in the southern part of the crownland. The town is ten miles from the
Russian border. Straza lies a few miles east of the western terminal
of the Radautz-Frasin railway. Its fall indicates a Russian advance of
eighteen miles since the capture of Radautz. Vidnitz is on the
Galician border, a few miles south of Kuty, and twenty-five miles
southwest of Czernowitz.
In spite of these successes, however, it became clear by this time that
the Russian attempt to cut off the Austrian army fighting in the
Bukowina had miscarried. Each day yielded a smaller number of prisoners
than the preceding day. The main part of the Austro-Hungarian forces had
safely reached the foot-hills of the Carpathians, while other parts
farther to the north had succeeded in joining the army of General von
Bothmer.
In Galicia and Volhynia the Teutonic forces continued to resist
successfully all Russian attempts to advance, even though there was
not the slightest let-up in the violence of the Russian attack.
Along many other points of the front, more or less important
engagements took place, especially so along the Oginsky Canal, where
the Russians suffered heavy losses. Von Hindenburg's troops in the
north also were active again, both in the Lake district south of
Dvinsk, and along the Dvina sector from Dvinsk to Riga.
Once more a Russian success was reported in the Bukowina on June 23,
1916. West of Sniatyn the Russian troops advanced to the Rybnitza
River, occupying the heights along its banks. Still further west,
about twenty miles south of the Pruth River, the town of Kuty, well up
in the Carpathian Mountains, was captured. Kuty is about forty miles
west of Czernowitz, just across the Galician border and only twenty
miles almost due south from the important railroad center Kolomea,
itself about one-third the distance from Czernowitz to Lemberg on the
main railway between these two cities.
A slight success was also gained on the Rovno-Dubno-Brody-Lemberg
railway. A few miles northeast of Brody, just east of the
Galician-Russian border, near the village of Radziviloff, Russian
troops gained a footing in the Austro-Hungarian trenches and captured
a few hundred prisoners. Later that day, however, a concentrated
artillery bombardment forced them to give up this advantage and to
retire to their own trenches.
In Volhynia the German counterattacks against General Brussilov's army
extended now along the front of almost eighty miles, stretching from
Kolki on the Styr River to within a few miles of the Galician border
near Gorochoff. Along part of this line, General von Linsingen's
forces advanced on June 23, 1916, to and beyond the line of
Zubilno-Vatyn-Zvinatcze, and repulsed a series of most fierce
counterattacks launched by the Russians which caused the latter
serious losses in killed, wounded, and prisoners. The country covered
by these engagements is extremely difficult, impeded by woods and
swamps, and a great deal of the fighting, therefore, was at close
quarters, especially so near the town of Tortchyn, about fifteen miles
due west of Lutsk. Other equally severe engagements occurred near
Zubilno and southeast of Sviniusky, near the village of Pustonyty.
In the north, the Russians took the offensive in the region of Illuxt,
on the Dvina, and in the region of Vidzy, north of the Disna River.
Although successful in some places, the German resistance was strong
enough to prevent any material gain. German aeroplanes attacked and
bombarded the railway stations at Kolozany, southwest of Molodetchna,
and of Puniniez.
West of Sniatyn, Russian troops, fighting as they advanced, occupied
the villages of Kilikhoff and Toulokhoff on June 24, 1916.
Late on the preceding evening, June 23, 1916, the town of Kimpolung
was taken after intense fighting. Sixty officers and 2,000 men were
made prisoners and seven machine guns were captured. In the railway
station whole trains were captured.
With the capture of the towns of Kimpolung, Kuty and Viznic, the whole
Bukowina was now in the hands of the Russians. So hurried had been the
retirement of the Austro-Hungarian forces that they left behind
eighty-eight empty wagons, seventeen wagons of maize, and about 2,500
tons of anthracite, besides structural material, great reserves of
fodder and other material.
On the Styr, two miles south of Sminy, in the region of Czartorysk,
the Russians, by a sudden attack, took the redoubt of a fort whose
garrison, after a stubborn resistance, were all put to the bayonet.
North of the village of Zatouritzky, the German-Austrian forces
assumed the offensive, but were pushed back by a counterattack, both
sides suffering heavily in the hand-grenade fighting.
North of Poustomyty, southeast of Sviusky (southwest of Lutsk), the
Germans attacked Russian lines, but were received by concentrated
fire, and penetrated as far as the Russian trenches in only a few
points, where the trenches had been virtually destroyed by the
preparatory artillery fire.
German artillery violently bombarded numerous sectors of the Riga
positions. A strong party of Germans attempted to approach Russian
trenches near the western extremity of Lake Babit, but without result.
On the Dvina, between Jacobstadt and Dvinsk, German artillery was also
violently active. German aeroplanes dropped twenty bombs on the
station at Polochany southwest of Molodetchna.
On June 25, 1916, there was again intense artillery fire in many
sectors in the regions of Jacobstadt and Dvinsk.
Along the balance of the front many stubborn engagements were fought
between comparatively small detachments. Thus for instance, in the
region east of Horodyshchy north of Baranovitchy, after a violent
bombardment of the Russian trenches near the Scroboff farm on Sunday
night, the German troops took the offensive, but were repulsed. At the
same time, on the road to Slutsk, a German attempt to approach the
Russian trenches on the Shara River was repulsed by heavy fire.
In the region northwest of Lake Vygonovskoye, at noon the Germans
attacked the farm situated five versts southwest of Lipsk. At first
they were repulsed; but nevertheless they renewed the attack afterward
on a greatly extended front under cover of heavy and light artillery.
Especially heavy fighting again developed along the Kovel sector of
the Styr front. From Kolki to Sokal the Germans bombarded the Russian
trenches with heavy artillery and made many local attacks, most of
which were successfully repulsed.
Repeated attacks in mass formation in the region of Linievka on the
Stokhod, resulted also in some successes to the German troops. West of
Sokal they stormed Russian positions over a length of some 3,000
meters and repulsed all counterattacks.
On the reaches of the Dniester, south of Buczacz, Don Cossacks, having
crossed the river fighting and overthrowing elements of the
Austro-Hungarian advance guards, occupied the villages of Siekerghine
and Petruve, capturing five officers and 350 men. Russian cavalry,
after a fight, occupied positions near Pezoritt, a few miles west of
Kimpolung.
Additional large depots of wood and thirty-one abandoned wagons were
captured at Molit and Frumos stations on the Gurahumora-Rascka
railway.
On the other hand the number of prisoners and the amount of booty
taken by General von Linsingen's army alone in Volhynia since June 16,
1916, increased to sixty-one officers, 11,097 men, two cannon and
fifty-four guns.