The Austrian fortress of Przemysl fell on March 22, 1915,
after an investment and siege which lasted, with one short
interruption, for nearly four months. This important event was
celebrated by a Te Deum of thanksgiving in the presence of the
Czar and the General Staff. The importance to the Russians of
the capitulation of Przemysl is suggested by the fact that
about 120,000 prisoners were reported taken when the Austrians
yielded. Until this was effected the Russians could not
venture upon a serious invasion of Hungary, and the investing
troops who were then freed were more numerous than the
defenders.
[By the Correspondent of The London Times.]
PETROGRAD, March 22.
The Minister of War has informed me that he has just received a telegram
from the Grand Duke Nicholas announcing the fall of Przemysl.
The fall of Przemysl marks the most important event of the Russian
campaign this year. It finally and irrevocably consolidates the position
of the Russians in Galicia. The Austro-German armies are deprived of the
incentive hitherto held out to them of relieving the isolated remnant of
their former dominion. The besieging army will be freed for other
purposes. From information previously published the garrison aggregated
about 25,000 men, hence the investing forces, which must always be at
least four times as great as the garrison, represent not less than
100,000 men. From all the information lately received from both Russian
and neutral sources, the position of the Austro-German armies in the
Carpathians has become distinctly critical. The reinforcements for the
gallant troops of General Brusiloff, General Radko Dmitrieff, and other
commanders are bound to exercise an enormous influence on the future
course of the campaign in the Carpathians.
All honor and credit are given by the Russians to the garrison of
Przemysl and General Kusmanek. Russian officers ever had the highest
opinion of the personality of the commandant. I heard from those who
fought under General Radko Dmitrieff in the early stages of the Galician
campaign that when our troops, after sweeping away the resistance at
Lwow and Jaroslau, loudly knocked at the doors of the fortress of
Przemysl, they met with a stern rebuff. In reply to the summons of the
Russians to surrender the keys the commandant wrote a curt and dignified
note remarking that he considered it beyond his own dignity or the
dignity of the Russian General to discuss the surrender of the fortress
before it had exhausted all its powers of resistance. During the second
invasion of Poland by the Austro-German armies the enemy's lines swept
up to and just beyond Przemysl, interrupting the investment of the
fortress. The wave of the Austrian invasion began to subside at the end
of the first week in November. Only then could we begin the siege of the
mighty fortress, which proved successful after the lapse of four months.
The first Russian attempt to storm Przemysl without previous
bombardment, which followed immediately upon the commandant's refusal to
surrender, resulted in very great loss of life to no purpose. Thereafter
it was decided to abstain from further attempts to take the fortress
until our siege guns could be placed and a preliminary bombardment could
sufficiently facilitate the task of the besiegers. Meanwhile, although
the fortress and town were duly invested, our lines were somewhat remote
from the outlying forts, and the peasants of adjacent villages were, it
is said, able to pass freely to and from the town of Przemysl--a fact
which would enable the inhabitants to obtain supplies. From all
accounts neither the garrison nor the inhabitants were reduced to very
great straits for food. The announcement made at the time of the first
investment of the fortress that provisions and supplies would easily
last till May was, however, obviously exaggerated.
I understand that heavy siege guns were ready to be conveyed to Przemysl
at the end of January, but that the Russian military authorities decided
to postpone their departure in view of the determined attempts made by
the Austro-German forces to pierce the Russian lines in the Carpathians
in order to relieve the fortress, which, if successful, might have
endangered the safety of the siege material. Owing to this fact the
bombardment of Przemysl began only about a fortnight ago, when the
Austro-German offensive had so far weakened as to satisfy the Russian
authorities that there was no further danger from this quarter.
The concluding stages of the siege have been related in the dispatches
from the Field Headquarters during the past week. The capture of the
dominating heights in the eastern sector followed close upon the first
bombardment. The final desperate sortie led by General Kusmanek at the
head of the Twenty-third Division of the Honved precipitated the end.
The remnants of the garrison were unable to man the works extending to a
thirty-mile periphery.
The loss of the western approaches left General Kusmanek no alternative
but to surrender. He had exhausted his ammunition and used up his
effectives. His messages for help were either intercepted or unanswered.
The assailants broke down the last resistance. The most important
strategical point in the whole of Galicia is now in Russian hands.