Slow Retreat

Warsaw still Russian

SEA AND AIR FIGHTS

The sinking by a British submarine of a German transport in the Baltic is regarded as of great importance in connection with the enemy’s operations in Courland, in as much as the vessel was conveying reserves from Germany to Libau “for the assistance of the hard pressed army of Von Below.”

The military critic of the “Navoe Vremrya” emphasises the fact “not because a German regiment was sent to the bottom but because as a result of the English boat’s feat the maritime conveyance of enemy’s reinforcements may either cause or become extremely cautious.”

Whether Voe Bulow’s (or Below’s) forces are “hard-pressed” there is not sufficient evidence to decide but it may be agreed that much less has been achieved than anticipated and if reinforcements by water are stopped a further considerable handicap is undoubtedly imposed upon the German effort.

We learn that the Russians are “strongly holding the entire front from the sea to Bausk against all the enemy’s attempt to advance upon Riga” while the “Times” telegram makes the additional claim that southward, as far as Poniewitz the Germans have been hurled back.” (Bausk, it may be added, lies below and slightly east of Mitau.) The Germans, however, reports a partial retreat of the Russians in the Poniewitz district and this is borne out by the latest message from Petrograd. The Russians have withdrawn to beyond the small river Eker (discoverable on a good map) slightly east of Poniewitz where hard fighting is still going on.

The enemy are undoubtedly suffering heavily in this region but precisely what value to place upon these northern operations, and the size of the forces engaged on either side, is at present difficult. If the enemy are very strong they may cut the Warsaw-Petrograd communications but their principal object is probably to prepare the way for a great flanking movement. The movement, at present, does not appear to have much a chance of success.

Lower down, in the Trana-Niemen theatre, with Kovno and Vilna as the objectives, the enemy has apparently made no further progress but the principal North-of-Warsaw movement is neither of the two to which reference has been made, but that upon the Narew front, where he is endeavouring to advance between Lomza and Ostrolenka.

Petrograd reports stiff battles on the Schkva (a Narew tributary) north-west of these points, stating that the trenches are frequently changing hands and that the struggle has developed into bayonet fighting.

On the left bank of the Narew, North East of Roxan, “where the enemy makes every step at the cost of enormous losses,” we learn that “the desperate battle still rages.” On the lower Narew and on the left bank of the Vistula there has been a partial lull since Sunday evening, when the German forces, which had crossed the Vistula “after an extremely sanguinary action,” took part of the great forest North of Matzeevitze and (this is the Russian admission) “made further considerable progress.”

Elsewhere the enemy do not appear to have achieved very great successes; but, detaching broad facts from confusing details, it seems plain that the general pressure continues and that at critical points, such as the Ivangorod district, the situation is becoming increasingly difficult for the defenders.