the passage of the Lomnica, and pressed on towards Halicz and
Jezupol, while Gerok entered Stanislau
The task of the Southern Army, to roll up the hostile line in front of Pflanzer's army by an attack eastwards, was more than fulfilled when it had reached the line Halicz-Stanislau. The right wing of the Russian IX. Army had indeed been in retreat since June 9.
Pflanzer-Baltin's army had been forced back behind the Pruth by the Russian counter-offensive in the middle of May, and only at Kolomea did it continue to hold a position somewhat in the nature of a bridge-head on the N. bank. Its line ran from Delatyn, which it enclosed N.E. of Pasieczna to the Perehinsko area, where it touched Linsingen's right. On May 21 the Russians had stopped their advance and entrenched themselves along their whole front: they had some 1 1 inf. and 8 cav. divs. as against 8 Austro-Hungarian inf. and 5 cav. divs., with 5 independent brigades. On June I they delivered an unsuccessful attack against Pflanzer's left-wing corps under Field-Marshal-Lt. Count Schonburg; and next day they turned against the neighbouring corps, the XIII., S. of Nadworna, which also held its ground. On the 3rd, however, the Russian 2nd Rifle Div. managed to force a passage to the S. bank of the Pruth at Sadzawka, but was thrown back to the Pruth next day, after heavy fighting, by the hastily reenforced Eastern Group under Field-Marshal-Lt. von Czibulka.
In view of the change which had meantime taken place in the situation on the German Southern Army front, the Russians seemed determined to press forward in the direction of Delatyn, in order to secure a fresh success against the VII. Army and to put a stop to the Southern Army's progress. During the whole of the 5th they assailed the 5th Inf. Div. and Czibulka's group with the utmost violence, and forced the latter back to the line Mlodiatyn-Peczeni- czyn. By the evening, however, the Austro-Hungarian troops, reen- forced by some battalions from the neighbouring groups and by the 8th and loth Cav. Divs , succeeded in driving them back to the line Kniazdw'or-Mlodiatyn, and in holding this line until the 6th.
At noon on the 4th Pflanzer-Baltin, hearing that the Russian XI. Army was withdrawing on its whole front, issued orders to Count Schonburg, in command of his left-wing group, and to Gen. Baron von Rhemen, commanding the XIII. Corps, to assume the offensive, which would also relieve Czibulka's hard-pressed troops. Schonburg was to advance eastwards with his main body on Bohorod- czany, and with his right wing on Solotwina, while Rhemen was directed on Nadworna and Krasna. By the evening Schonburg had succeeded in getting forward to the heights S.E. of Maniawa, and to the line Kryczka-Jablonka-Majdan-Krasna. His advance came to a standstill on the 5th, but by then the flank attack of the South- ern Army had begun to make itself felt. During the 6th the Russian attacks on Rhemen's and Czibulka's front entirely ceased, and in front of Schonburg's group rearward movements suggested that the Russian front was about to be withdrawn.
On the yth Pflanzer-Baltin assumed the offensive all along the line. The Russians were thrown back again over the Pruth at Sadzawka, and the 3&th Div. pursued them on to the far bank. The XIII. Corps got well beyond Nadworna, while Schonburg con- tinued his attack in an easterly direction, and by nightfall stood on the Bystrycza Nadwornianska at Grabowice. Marschall's corps took Zablotow, and Korda's XI. Corps and the 5th and 6th Cav. Divs. crossed the Pruth below the confluence of the Czeremosz. On the 8th Schonburg reached the Ottynia area, while Rhemen, Czibulka and Krautwald (III. Corps) reached the line Chlebiczyn- Korszow Kamionka Wk. Gwozdziecand the area E. of Wolczkowce. The right wing was advancing victoriously beyond the Pruth be- tween Czernowitz and Sniatyn.
The gth saw further successes; the centre and left wing forced the Russians back from the line of heights N.E. of Ottynia and Obertyn and S.W. of Horodenka. At this date Field-Marshal Lt. von Kaiser assumed command in place of Gen. von Marschall, who had been appointed to a command in the Southern Army.
Meantime, howeyer, events on the Southern Army's front had taken an unfavourable turn, which had its repercussion on the operations of the VII. Army. Gerok's corps and the German 5th Cav. Div. had to be detached from the right of the Southern Army to its left, which was in a perilous position. This transfer, together with the fact that Schonburg and Rhemen were pushing eastwards, could not fail to create a gap in the area of Stanislau which would involve considerable danger to the inner wings of the Southern and VII. Armies if the Russians became aware of it in time. The direction of the VII. Army's advance, therefore, had to be changed from E. to N. Schonburg and Rhemen were to move to the Mariampol-Nizniow area, Czibulka to Potok Zloty, Krautwald to Czernelica, Kaiser to the adjoining Zaleszczycki area, while Korda was to attack in the direction of Toporoutz.
The Russians had meantime resolved on a counter-offensive against the Southern Army. Bothmer's advance in the Zurawno area, the possible loss of the Mikolajow bridge-head, and an advance by the Southern Army in the direction of Lcmberg, would have a serious influence on the Russian situation, both in the battle of Przemysl and on the Lower Dniester.
On the 7th the right of the XI. Russian Army reenforced by 2 divisions delivered a series of fierce attacks against Szurmay's group, which were driven back by the 8th to the line Dcrzow-
Bilcze-Medenice. At the same time a similar counter-blow was delivered against Bothmer in the Zurawno area; he held his ground successfully on the 8th, but on the morrow the superiority of the enemy on his front was so overwhelming that he withdrew to his old positions behind the Dniester. Szurmay's group also, attacked on both wings, had again to retire, and was withdrawn to the line Ruda-Tejsarow-Wolica-Letnia Dobrowlany-Hruszow.
Faced with the urgent necessity of assisting his hard-pressed left wing, Gen Linsingen left on his right wing before Stanislau and Halicz only Marschall's group and Hofmann's Corps. Gerok's corps (igth Inf. Div. and 38th Honved Inf. Div.) was entrusted with the defence of the Dniester between Ostrow and Zurawno, while Bothmer, with 1st Inf. Div., the 3rd Guards Div., the 48th Reserve Div., and the 4Oth Honved Inf. Div., counter-attacked from the Salatycze Zurawno area in the direction of Ruda and Zydaczow. Meanwhile Szurmay's group, covered on its left by the 4th Cav. Div., had, without any assistance from other troops, forced back the enemy to Litynia, and assumed the offensive all along its front.
On the nth the 1st Inf. Div. stormed Zurawno, and the 3rd Guard and 4Oth Honved Inf. Div. approached Zydaczow, while Marschall's group repulsed all attacks on Stanislau, and Hofmann's Corps prepared to carry Halicz.
The Russians, however, who had observed all their preparations, were ready with the necessary counter-measures. Reenforced by contingents from the VI. Corps, they made an attempt to break through Szurmay's front along the road to Stryj, but all their attacks failed. On the 4th, reSnforced by two new divisions (33rd and 44th) of the XXI. Corps, they again attacked all along the front, and Szurmay's troops had once more to be withdrawn.
Meanwhile, the VII. Army's offensive northwards had met with great success. On the right wing Korda's corps threw the Russians back over the heights of Brdo Horosdyszcze on to the Bessarabian frontier, while Kaiser's group, despite fierce resistance, took the village of Zaleszczyki and reached the N. bank of the Dniester at Zezawa; the centre stormed the heights S. of Czernelica, while Rhemen and Schonburg on the left wing occupied Jezierzany and the area S. of Tysmienica.
On the 1 2th these two corps crossed the line Tysmienica Tlumacz, and then moved against the fortifications of Nizniow, which were stormed after a short artillery preparation on the I5th. On this date the S. bank of the Dniester was in German-Austrian possession from Mariampol to Kosmierzyn, where units of the I5th Inf. Div. (XIII. Corps) crossed to the N. bank. After a short but violent resistance the Russians were driven back, and the advance was resumed on Potok Zloty.
Korda's corps on the I2th drove the Russians over the frontier, and pursued them by way of Chotin and Wladiczna to beyond Nowosielica. During the pursuit the 6th Cav. Div. encountered hos- tile resistance at Raszkow, which was quickly overcome. As any further penetration over the frontier, however, involved the danger, not only of being as an isolated advance, unsuccessful, but of open- ing too wide a gap in the line near Zaleszczycki, the Austro-German front was withdrawn over the frontier on the I5th.
A favourable influence on the situation on the right wing had been exercised by the break-through achieved by Mackensen's Army Group, after the battle of Przemysl, at Mosciska and Lubaczow.
The Break-through at Mosciska and Lubaczow (June 12-15). After the fall of Przemysl, the armies of Mackensen, Puhallo and Bohm pursued Brussilov's army with rapidly succeeding attacks until June 5. On the heights W. and S.W. of Mosciska, as far as Wielki Bloto on the one hand and on the Middle and Lower Lubac- zowka on the other, Brussilov hoped again to hold up the Austro- German advance. After Mackensen's capture of Starzawa on the 5th the attack came to a standstill before the strong Russian posi- tions. Here, as before Przemysl, the II. Army had recourse to sapping, which by the I2th brought it sufficiently far forward for the assault of the enemy lines.
Mackensen had now assumed command of the IV., XI. and II. Armies; the III. Army had been broken up, its X. and XVII. Corps going to the IV. Army after the fall of Przemysl, and the Beskiden Corps to the II. Army. He determined to make use of the breathing- space for a thorough preparation of the attack. Reserves had to be brought up to strengthen the armies, which in the matter of material also had to be made again fit to take the field by bringing up a suffi- cient store of munitions and by establishing a new base of supplies. Mackensen's Army Group was organized on June 10 as follows: The IV. Army (Archduke Joseph Ferdinand) stood on the front held by it during the Russian counter-offensive; the VIII. and XIV. Corps on the left wing to S. of Tarnagora ; the X. Corps, brought up from the III. Army, extended thence to Stare Miasto, and the IX. Corps from Stare Miasto to the Wislok. S. of that river as far as the heights at the confluence of the Lubaczowka, stood the XVII. Corps, also from the III. Army. The total strength of the Army amounted to 14 inf. and r| cav. divs. From the Lower Lubaczowka to S. of Czerniawa by way of Zapalow, E. of Chotyniec and Star- zawa, the XI. Army held the line. It was composed from N.W. to S.E. of the combined corps, the German X., XXII. and Guard Corps, the Austro-Hungarian VI. and the German XLI. Corps in all 14 inf. divs. The positions of Bohm's II. Army, which ad- joined it, extended from S. of Czerniawa in a circle W. of and S.W.
