The Story of the Great War, Volume 3: History of the European War from Official Sources
History
The Story of the Great War, Volume 3: History of the European War from Official Sources
World War, 1914-1918
The battle of Krasnik was regarded by the Russians as an effective
victory, for it seemed to have halted the advance on Lublin. The army
of Von Mackensen had now also come to a stop about halfway between
Zamosc and Krasnostav, an artillery duel on July 7, 1915, being the
last activity noted on the front of this army for some time.
Their comparative quiet in the region between the Vistula and the Bug
where the main advance of the Teutonic forces on the south had been
under way with great vigor for several weeks until the check at
Krasnik was not interrupted until July 16, 1915. Day after day the
Teutonic headquarters reported "nothing of importance" in this
quarter. When the quiet was finally broken it appeared that it had
been the lull before the storm. Before taking up again the activities
on this section of the front, it will be necessary to take a glance
toward the northern half of the great arc that enveloped the Warsaw
salient on two sides.
In these early days of July, 1915, considerable uncertainty prevailed
among those who were watching the progress of the campaign in Poland
as to where the heaviest blow of the Teutons would fall, whether from
the south or the north. The decisive stroke came with lightning
suddenness. A tremendous attack was launched in the direction of the
Narew by the army of General von Gallwitz.
A laconic announcement of the German General Staff on July 14, 1915,
bore momentous news, although its modest wording scarcely betrayed the
facts. It read: "Between the Niemen and the Vistula, in the region of
Walwarga, southwest of Kolno, near Przasnysz and south of Mlawa, our
troops have achieved some local successes." The Russian report
referring to the beginning of the same action was equally
noncommittal, though possibly more misleading. This states:
"Considerable enemy forces between the Orczy and the Lidynja adopted
the offensive and the Russians declining a decisive engagement
retreated during the night of the 13th to the second line of their
positions."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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