in the north-eastern offensive of the Central Powers that year (see EASTERN FRONT CAMPAIGNS).
On the completion of the regrouping of Mackensen's group of armies, which now consisted of the Austro-Hungarian IV. Army, the German XI. Army, the German Army of the Bug and the Austro-Hungarian I. Army, the Central Powers had resumed the offensive along the whole front from the Bug to the Pilica. Mackenscn, with three of the armies, was to direct the attack between the Vistula and the Bug. The main body of the I. Army was to cooperate in this attack on the eastern flank by delivering an assault in the direction of Vladimir Volinski, while the remainder of the army was to provide cover along the Bug up to the N. wing of the II. Army. The II. Army and the Southern Army were to cover the attack on the Upper Bug and the Zlota Lipa, and were themselves to attack only if this became necessary for the protection of the neighbouring armies or if the Russians showed signs of any dislocation of their forces. Woyrsch was to fall in with the IV. Army's offensive between the Vistula and the Pilica and, if occasion arose, to attack across the Vistula. Forcing the Dniester, the VII. Army was to push forward E. of the Strypa towards Czortkow and Buczacz, and to let its cavalry attack in force E. of the Sereth.
Battles of Sokal, July 15-24, and Krasnostaw, July i6-g. On July 15 at n A.M. Mackensen's attack began. On the very first day Puhallo's army made its approach all along the Bug, which, in spite of the high water-level, was forced on the i6th by a division of the I. Corps N. of Sokal. By that time the Army of the Bug had obtained possession of the positions between Terebin and Grabowiec, and Arz's Corps, on the right wing of the XI. Army, had stormed the very obstinately defended positions at Skierbieszow. The Guard Corps and the XXII. Res. Corps won the heights to the S.W. of Krasnostaw. The IV. Army was working steadily up to the Russians' strong main position. In spite of the dogged resistance of the Russians the Guard of the XI. Army succeeded in taking Krasnostaw in the next few days, and in pushing on to the heights N. of the Zolkiewka. The I. Army meanwhile had taken Sokal, which was stormed by its I. Corps, and had constructed a bridge-head on the E. bank of the Bug. Farther N., Szurmay's group gained the right bank of the Bug at Zdzary, and, on the S. wing, portions of the II. Corps the E. bank at Krystynopol.
Mackensen's right flank now appeared to be adequately protected, but for the present the attack on Vladimir Volinski was impracticable, on account of the Russian counter-attacks which soon developed and the limited strength of the I. Army. West of the Vistula, Woyrsch and the army group of Kovess, which had been placed under him, had on the i6th begun an attack which led on the following day to the battle of Sienno of which the object was to break through the Russian lines.
On the i8th this attack ended in a complete victory. The Russian IV. Army evacuated its positions along Woyrsch's whole front, and retired to new defensive positions behind the Jlzanka and S.W. of Radom. But here again the Russians were unable to stand against the powerful forward push, and were thrown back beyond Zwolen by the right wing after heavy fighting. While Kovess on the 2oth was occupying Radom and advancing victoriously along the E. bank of the Pilica, the front N. of Zwolen was successfully pierced over a stretch of 2 km., and the Russians were driven back to the Vistula and to a kind of bridge-head position S.W. of Ivangorod. But on the same evening Woyrsch broke through these positions also, E. of Zalasy and at Czarnolas, and took possession of the heights at Janowiec. All attacks launched by the Russians from the fortress zone at Ivangorod proved fruitless. Farther N. the Russian II. Army, being pursued by the German IX. Army, fell back on Grojec and Blonie and the defences of Novo Gcorgievsk.
The successful battles of the XI. Army, the obstinate attacks by the IV. Army, and, not least, Woyrsch's menacing position on the left bank of the Vistula, induced the Russians, although they had obtained all the reinforcements available, to retreat on the ipth. Pursued by the Army of the Bug, the IV. and the
XI. Armies, they once more took a firm footing in new and well- prepared positions on the heights N. of Grubieszow, Rozana, Gardzienice, and N. of the Chodel, thus covering the railway line Ivangorod-Lublin-Chelm. In the days that followed they made all possible efforts, reenforced by the XIII. Rifle Div., to drive the Austro-Hungarian forces at Sokal back across the Bug, but all their attacks, vigorous as they were, failed. All their assaults against the fronts of the XI. Army and the Army of the Bug whose right wing had gained ground beyond Grubieszow towards the N. were also unsuccessful, and they were driven back from the heights N. of the Chodel by the IV. Army along a front of about 40 kilometres.
The general effect of these successes on the allied attack was to bring about a short pause in the fighting. The Russians had established themselves in strong positions, and brought up fresh forces. It seemed equally urgent to overhaul the allied forces, and fresh preparations were also necessary before the renewal of the attack. While the pause lasted the allies strengthened their positions against new Russian counter-attacks.
Within the next few days the right wing of the Army of the Bug pushed forward up to the carriage road running from Horodlo to Wojslawice. The Russians renewed their embittered attacks on the bridge-head at Sokal, but without [any success whatever. Certain portions of the I. Army succeeded in taking the obstinately defended height of Gora Sokal. The II. Army was able to establish its 32nd Infantry Div. to the E. of Kami- onka Strumillowa on the right bank of the Bug.
Meanwhile Woyrsch's army was making due preparations for the crossing of the Vistula. Kovess's group, the XII. Corps and the yth and gih Cavalry Divs. remained beside the Vistula from Janowiec to the Pilica estuary, while the Landwehr Corps with the Bredow Div. moved behind the left wing of the army. Aided by the self-sacrificing efforts of the Austro- Hungarian and German pioneers, who suffered many losses through the heavy artillery fire, the Landwehr Corps and the Bredow Div. crossed the river on the 28th in five places between Kobylnica and Tarnow, fighting fiercely, and established them- selves at Maciejowice on the opposite bank.
Battles of Chelm (Kholm) and Lublin: Capture of Ivangorod and Warsaw (July 2^-Aug. 4). On the 2gth the offensive was resumed on Mackensen's whole front. The main blow on Biskupice was to be delivered by the XI. Army, on whose right the Army of the Bug was to continue the attack on Chelm. The IV. Army was to cooperate with the attacking group of the XI. Army by pushing its strong right wing through to Lublin.
The assault, led by Gen. von Emmich, broke through the Russian front in the battle of Biskupice (July 29-30), and an advance was made to beyond Olesniki, where the right bank of the Wieprz and the bridge of the railway leading to Chelm were taken. North of Krasnostaw the Guard Corps joined in the battle, but without winning any immediate success. The IV. Army was for the time being able to come only as far as the Russian wire entanglements.
In consequence of the reviving offensive, and also probably of the ever-increasing pressure of the German armies on the Bobr-Narew front, the Russians once more evacuated their positions E. of the Vistula early on the 3oth, their only stand against the pursuit being made at Grubieszow. The XVII. Corps of the IV. Army, after overcoming the seven-fold wire entangle- ments, made five successive assaults on the Russians during the night of the 3oth. In the afternoon the cavalry of the XVII. and IX. Corps rode into Lublin unopposed. The XIV. Corps advanced to the heights N. and N.E. of the town, and the IX., X. and VIII. Corps captured the heights S. of Snopkow and approached the road running through Markuszow Konskowola and Nowo Aleksandrya. On the following day these successes were everywhere extended by violent fighting. In the IV. Army the German 4yth Res. Div. at Kurow flung itself across the road named above, and the left army wing reached Nowo Aleksandrya.
On Aug. i the Russians continued their retreat step by step, losing heavily. They also left the Bug below Krylow. In the
