HISTORY OF THE RETREAT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 4002, 7 August 1915, Page 5

HISTORY OF THE RETREAT.

RUSSIAN COMMUNICATIONS THREATENED. DESPERATE BATTLES AT EVERY STEP. MAGNIFICENT VALOUR OF OUR ALLIES. (Received August 6, 11.50 p.in.) PETROGRAD, August 6. The situation at Warsaw on August 3 was complicated by a third German menace in the shape of the crossing oi the "Vis--1 wla threatening the Brest line of communication. General von Wovrsch crossed the river on two pontoon bridges at Maciejovice, meeting no serious resistance until. Saturday, when he was thrown hack heavily to the river with a loss of 800 prisoners. The Germans, still retaining the bridgehead, fought stubbornly, pouring in reinforcements with such speed that four divisions-were across the Vistula on Sunday afternoon and forced the Russians to retire on Carwolm. General von Woyrsch’s offensive was pushed with desperaiTon and proved the most serious attack menacing Warsaw. The Russians communications wore excellent, hut, after three months of constant fighting it was becoming difficult to 1 hrow large masses of reserves when so many points were attacked simultaneously. 'Eye witnesses marvel that human beings could live in the hell which the German artillery were creating in Poland and yet Hie Russian soldiers fought. Later the enemy’s guns in full blast made a block rush to the attack, dealing blows as terrible as unexpected. Righting all day lug on Tuesday on a 35 mile front against General Mackeuseu's and the Archduke’s packed batteries, alter Hie trenches were destroyed, the Russians took refuge in the shell pits and, when night came, charged**General Maokensends phalanx and drove it to headlong flight.' It is a pity such a noble victory was onlv a stage in a retreat. The machinery of the Warsaw factories has been brought to Moscow. Great German cavalry raids from Courland upon the War-saw-Petrograd.railway are now expected. General Dimetrieff has resumed command of his former army defending Ivangorod. The troops engaged in the latest irruption arrived from Era'll ce three days ago and, with fresh troops and unlimited shells, the Germans are slowly pushing back *the Russians, though at a terrible cost. Even at this late hour, the might hold out, but each day brings reports of fresh Divisions supporting the enemy. s' The country beyond Mpssarive is only suitable for rearguard actions. 1 Ihe streets of Y\ arsaw are packed with dense crowds and the stations are besieged. Official: In view of the general situation, the troops west of AV-arsaw were ordered to fall back from the fight on the Vistula. The troops, at 5" o’clock in the morning of the. sth, withdrew without being attacked and crossed the Vistula. ’ They blew up all the bridges. In the direction of Riga the enemy retreated in haste from Missa to Ekau abandoning large quantities om munitions. The enemy advanced slightly east of Ponieves. The enemy assumed the offensive on the Ogtrelenka-Rozani front towards Ostoff with considerable force - Tilere was an extremely desperate battle on August 4' on the Oje sector, where the enemy crossed the river at several points', t . We repulsed attacks south of the Bionic road, west of War-

saw... ■ ■ • Oil August 4 the enemy advanced to our entanglements, whore the,' were .stop'LV end suffered enormous losses. We were not molested ip r'evossiV<*'the Vistula at Ivangorod. We drove back H e Germans between the Vistula and the Jsug>on the evening of August. 3. inflicting enormous losses^.. We were tliu s rN .en a bled to occupy a better front on the left }.»» nk of th e Bug and also h i the direction of Via dim ivi worynski,