THE GERMAN STAND ON THE STOKHOD
General Von Linsingen saw himself forced to abandon on July 6, 1916, a
corner of the German lines protruding toward Czartorysk on account of
the superior pressure on its sides near Kostiukovka and west of Kolki,
and new lines of defense were selected along the Stokhod. On both
sides of Sokal, Russian attacks broke down with heavy losses. West and
southwest of Lutsk the situation remained unchanged that day.
Against the front of Field Marshal von Hindenburg, the Russians
continued their operations. They attacked with strong forces south of
Lake Narotch, but after fierce fighting were repulsed. Northeast of
Smorgon and at other points they were easily repulsed.
The fighting in the vicinity of Kolomea was extended. A strong Russian
advance west of the town was checked by a counterattack. Southeast of
Tlumach German and Austro-Hungarian troops broke up with artillery and
infantry fire an attack over a front of one and a half kilometers by a
large force of Russian cavalry.
The number of prisoners the Russians took on July 4 and 5, 1916,
during the fighting which still continued on west of the line of the
Styr and below the town of Kolki, totals more than 300 officers and
7,415 men, mostly unwounded. The Russians also captured six guns,
twenty-three machine guns, two searchlights, several thousand rifles,
eleven bomb throwers, and seventy-three ammunition lights.
The Russians repulsed violent German attacks near Gruziatyn. On the
right bank of the Dniester, in the region of Jidatcheff and Hotzizrz,
there also was desperate fighting.
There was a lively artillery duel in many sectors of the front north
of the Pinsk Marshes. East of Baranovitchy, the Austro-Hungarian
forces launched several desperate counterattacks which were repulsed
by the Russians. Several times the Austrians opened gusts of fire with
their heavy and light guns against the region of the village of
Labuzy, east of Baranovitchy. Under cover of this fire, the Austrians
delivered two violent counterattacks. The Russians drove the
Austro-Hungarians back on both occasions, bringing to bear on them the
fire of their artillery, machine guns, and rifles.
During the repulse of repeated attacks made on July 7, 1916, south of
Lake Narotch, the Germans captured two officers and 210 men. They
repelled weak advances at other points.
Repeated efforts by strong Russian forces against the front from
Tzirin to the southeast of Gorodische and on both sides of the Darovo
ended in complete failure. The dead lying before the German positions
numbered thousands. In addition to these the Russians lost a
considerable number of prisoners.
Austro-Hungarian troops fighting along the bend of the Styr, opposed
for four weeks past to hostile forces which have increased from
threefold to fivefold superiority, found it necessary to withdraw
their advanced lines which were exposed to a double outflanking
movement. Assisted by the cooperation of German troops west of Kolki
and by the Polish Legion near Kaloda, the movement was executed
undisturbed by the Russians.
In the region of the lower Styr, west of the Czartorysk sector, the
Russians were closely pressing the Austrians. After the battle they
occupied the Gorodok-Manevichi station on the Okonsk-Zagorovka-Gruziatyn
line. In combats seventy-five officers in the zone of the railway were
taken with 2,000 men, and also in the Gruziatyn region.
Following the capture of the village of Grady, and after a hot bayonet
encounter, the village of Dolzyca, on the main road between Kolki and
Manevichi, and village of Gruziatyn were taken. The number of German
and Austrian prisoners continued to increase.
In the region of Optevo a great number of Austrians were sabered
during pursuit by the Russians after a cavalry charge. More than 600
men, five cannon, six machine guns, and three machine gun detachments,
with complete equipment, were captured.
East of Monasterzyska (Galicia), the Russians took possession of the
village of Gregorov, carrying off more than 1,000 prisoners. There
were artillery duels at many points. Russian troops continued to press
back the Austrians. In southeastern Galicia, between Delatyn and
Sadzovka, a Russian attack in strong force was defeated by Alpine
Territorials.
In the Bukowina, in successful engagements, Austrian troops brought in
500 prisoners and four machine guns.
On July 8, 1916, the Russians fighting against the army group of
Prince Leopold of Bavaria, repeated several times their strong
attacks. The attacks again broke down, with heavy losses for the
Russians. In the fighting of the last few days the Germans captured
two officers and 631 men.
The Russian offensive on the lower Stokhod continued. South of the
Sarny-Kovel railway the villages of Goulevitchi and Kachova were
occupied after fighting. Farther south there were fires everywhere in
the region of the villages of Arsenovitchi, Janovka, and Douchtch.
In southern Galicia, General Lechitsky occupied Delatyn after very
violent fighting. Delatyn is a railway junction of great importance.
Depots of war material, steel shields, grenades, cartridges, iron, and
wire abandoned by the Austrians have been captured at many points.
On the northern section of the front, apart from fruitless Russian
attacks in the region of Skobowa, east of Gorodische, nothing of
importance occurred on July 9, 1916.
The Russians advancing toward the Stokhod line were repulsed
everywhere. Their attacks west and southwest of Lutsk were
unsuccessful. German aeroplane squadrons made a successful attack on
Russian shelters east of the Stokhod.
Near the villages of Svidniki, Starly Mossor and Novy Mossor, on the
left bank of the Stokhod, lively fighting was in progress. The
Russians took German prisoners at three points. Between Kiselin and
Zubilno the Austrians attempted a surprise attack, but it was repulsed
with heavy loss.
The total number of prisoners taken by General Kaledine, from July 4
to July 8, 1916, was 341 officers and 9,145 unwounded soldiers. He
also captured ten pieces of artillery, forty-eight machine guns,
sixteen bomb throwers, 7,930 rifles, and depots of engineering
materials. These figures were supposed to be added to those given
previously, which included 300 officers, 12,000 men and forty-five
pieces of artillery.
On the Galician front there was a particularly intense artillery
action on both banks of the Dniester.
From the coast to Pinsk no events of special importance occurred
during July 10, 1916.
The Russians made futile attacks with very strong forces at several
points against the German line along the Stokhod River, notably near
Czereviscze, Hulevicze, Korysmi and Janmaka, and on both sides of the
Kovel-Rovno railway.
Near Hulevicze the Germans drove back Russian troops beyond their
position by a strong counterattack, capturing more than 700 prisoners
and three machine guns.
In the Stokhod region the Germans received strong reenforcements and
brought up powerful artillery, enabling them to offer a very stubborn
resistance.
On the Briaza-Fondoul-Moldava front, northwest of Kimpolung, in the
southern Bukowina, considerable Austro-Hungarian forces were thrown
back by Russian troops after violent engagements at various points.
German aeroplanes successfully attacked the railway station at Zamirie
on the Minsk-Baranovitchy railway line, dropping as many as sixty
bombs.
An attempt to cross the Dvina made by weak Russian forces west of
Friedrichstadt on July 11, 1916, and attacks south of Narotch Lake
were frustrated.
Russian detachments which attempted to establish themselves on the
left bank of the Stokhod River, near Janowka, were attacked. Not a
single man of these detachments got away from the southern bank. At
this point and on the Kovel-Rovno railroad the Germans took more than
800 prisoners. The booty taken on the Stokhod during the two days,
apart from a number of officers and 1,932 men, included twelve machine
guns. The German aerial squadron continued their activity in attacks
east of the Stokhod. A Russian captive balloon was shot down.
Russian artillery dispersed Germans who were attempting to bring
artillery against the Ikakul works. Near the village of Grouchivka,
north of Hulevicze, the Germans made their appearance on the right
bank of the river, but later were ejected therefrom.
In the sector of the Tscherkassy farm, south of Krevo, the Germans,
supported by violent artillery fire, took the offensive, but were
repulsed by Russian counterattacks.
On the whole front from Riga to Poliessie, there was intermittent
artillery fire, together with rifle fire. German aviators dropped
bombs on the station of Zamirie and the town of Niesvij, where several
houses were set on fire.
German troops, belonging to General von Bothmer's army group, by an
encircling counterattack, carried out near and to the north of Olessa,
northwest of Buczacz, on July 12, 1916, drove back Russian troops
which had pushed forward and took more than 400 prisoners.
On the Stokhod there were violent artillery duels. German aeroplanes
appeared behind the Russian front and dropped many bombs, doing
considerable damage.
Again, on July 13, 1916, the Russians advanced on the Stokhod, near
Zarecz, but were driven back by troops belonging to General von
Linsingen's army, and lost a few hundred men and some machine guns
which fell into the hands of the Germans. Other German detachments
successfully repeated their attacks on the east bank of the Stokhod
River.
German aeroplanes bombarded Lutsk and the railway station at Kivertsk,
northeast of Lutsk.
To the north of the Sarny-Kovel railway the Russians gained a footing
in their opponents' positions on the west bank of the Stokhod. A
surprise attack, made by strong German forces late in the evening,
drove them back again to the opposite bank.
In the region of the lower Lipa, German guns opened a violent fire
against the Russian trenches and inflicted heavy losses.
The town of Polonetchki, northeast of Baranovitchy, was attacked by
German aeroplanes, which threw many bombs and caused considerable
damage.
West of the Strypa the Austro-German forces launched a series of
furious counterattacks, as a result of which the Russians claimed to
have captured over 3,000 prisoners.
West and northwest of Buczacz the Russians made two attacks on a broad
front which were repulsed. During the third assault, however, they
succeeded in penetrating the Austro-Hungarian positions northwest of
Buczacz, but were completely ejected during a most bitter night
battle.
On July 14, 1916, the Germans under cover of a violent fire,
approached the barbed-wire entanglements of the Russians on the
grounds in the region of the River Servitch, a tributary of the
Niemen. They were repulsed by Russian artillery fire.
The same day the Germans opened a violent artillery fire against
Russian lines eastward of Gorodichtche (Baranovitchy sector), after
they assumed the offensive in the region of the village of Skrobowa,
but were repulsed with heavy losses. A little later, after a
continuation of the bombardment, the Germans took the offensive in
massed formation a little farther north of Skrobowa, but were again
repulsed by Russian fire.
After having taken breath the Germans made a fresh attack in the
region of the same village, but the Russian troops repulsed the
Germans with machine-gun and rifle fire. The Russians then made a
counterattack which resulted in the capture of more ground.
Repeated German attempts to advance toward the sector southwest of the
village of Skrobowa were also repulsed by Russian fire.
On the front of the Russian position southeast of Riga the Germans
took the offensive against the Russian sectors near Frantz, northeast
of Pulkarn, but were repulsed by Russian artillery and infantry fire
and by hand-grenade fighting. Russian detachments which attempted to
cross the Dvina, near Lennewaden, northwest of Friedrichstadt, were
repulsed. Numerous bombs were dropped from German aeroplanes on
railway stations on the Smorgon-Molodetchna line.
On the right wing of their Riga positions, the Russians, supported
strongly by artillery on land and sea, made some progress during July
15, 1916, in the region west of Kemmern. On the remainder of the north
front there were some local engagements which, however, did not modify
the general situation.
Troops belonging to the army of Field Marshal Prince Leopold of
Bavaria recaptured some positions in the region of Skrobowa, which had
been lost the previous day. The Russians in turn attempted to regain
this ground by making a number of very strong counterattacks, but were
not successful. In this attempt they lost a few hundred men and six
officers.
Austrian troops dispersed some Russian detachments southwest of
Moldaha. Near Jablonica their patrols captured, by a number of daring
undertakings, a few hundred prisoners.
Near Delatyn, in the Carpathian Mountains, there was increased
activity. Russian advance guards entered Delatyn, but were driven back
to the southern outskirts. Another Russian attack to the southwest of
the town broke down under the Austrian fire.
There also was a renewal of the fighting in the region southwest of
Lutsk, west of Torchin. A number of Russian attacks were repulsed in
this neighborhood.
At other points of the Volhynian front, in the region southeast of
Sviniusky, near Lutsk, the Germans again assumed the offensive and
attacked in massed formations. This resulted in a series of strong
counterattacks, which enabled the Russians to maintain their
positions.
At many points in the region of Ostoff and Goubine, Russian troops
registered local successes by very swiftly executed attacks which
threatened to outflank their opponents, who were, therefore, forced to
retreat in great haste. As a result of this, the Russians captured one
heavy and one light battery as well as numerous cannon which had been
installed in isolated locations. Upward of 3,000 prisoners fell into
their hands.
In Volhynia, on July 16, 1916, to the east and southeast of Svinisuky
village, Russian troops under General Sakharoff broke down the
resistance of the Germans. In battles in the region of Pustomyty, more
than 1,000 Germans and Austrian prisoners have been taken, together
with three machine guns and much other military booty.
In the region of the lower Lipa the successful Russian advance
continued. The Germans were making a stubborn resistance. In battles
in this region the Russians took many prisoners and guns, as well as
fourteen machine guns, a few thousand rifles and other equipment.
The total number of prisoners taken on July 16, 1916, in battles in
Volhynia, was claimed to be 314 officers and 12,637 men. The Russians
also claimed to have captured thirty guns, of which seventeen were
heavy pieces, and a great many machine guns and much other material.
In the direction of Kirliababa, on the frontier of Transylvania,
Russians have occupied a set of new positions.
In the region of Riga, skirmishes on both sides have been successful
for the Russians, and parts of German trenches have been taken,
together with prisoners. Increased fire west and south of Riga and on
the Dvina front preceded Russian enterprises. Near Katarinehof, south
of Riga, considerable Russian forces attacked. Lively fighting
developed here.
On the Riga front artillery engagements continued throughout July 17
and 18, 1916. At Lake Miadziol, Russian infantry and a lake flotilla
made a surprise attack on the Germans in the night. German airmen
manifested great activity from the region south of the Dvina to the
Pinsk Marshes.
On the Stokhod there was artillery fighting at many places.
Russian troops repulsed by artillery fire an attempt on the part of
the Germans to take the offensive north of the Odzer Marsh. Owing to
the heavy rains the Dniester rose almost two and one half meters,
destroying bridges, buttresses and ferry-boats, and considerably
curtailing military operations.
On the Russian left flank, in the region of the Rivers Black and White
Tscheremosche, southwest of Kuty, Russian infantry were advancing
toward the mountain defiles.
Southwest of Delatyn the German troops drove back across the Pruth
Russian detachments which had crossed to the western bank. The Germans
took 300 prisoners.
On July 19, 1916, General Lechitsky's forces, which were advancing
from the Bukowina and southern Galicia toward the passes of the
Carpathians leading to the plains of Hungary, met with strong
opposition in the region of Jablonica, situated at the northern end of
a pass leading through the Carpathians to the important railroad
center of Korosmezo, in Hungary.
Jablonica is about thirty-three miles west of Kuty and fifteen miles
south of Delatyn. It is on the right of the sixty-mile front occupied
by the advancing army of General Lechitsky.
No let-up was noticeable in the battle along the Stokhod, where the
combined forces of the Central Powers seemed to be able to withstand
all Russian attacks. Along the Lipa increased artillery fire was the
order of the day. In Galicia the floods in the Dniester Valley
continued to hamper military operations. Many minor engagements were
fought both in the northern and central sectors of the front.