June 15, 1916 
L A N D & WATER 
depend has been struck from Olyka westward against 
Lutsk. 
Let us see how far this plan has developed. 
In order to do tliis we must first tabulate the com- 
muniques sent us by our Ally, compared with con- 
temporary connnunitiues sent us by the enemy. When 
we have them before us in their order, and only then, 
can we know how the affair is progressing. 
The Story of the Advance 
The first notice of the advance is telegraphed from the 
Russian War Ofhce on Monday, June 5th, and deals with 
the lighting of Sunday, June 4th. Immediately after- 
wards there reaches; London a corresponding com- 
munique from the War Office at Vienna. Putting the 
two communiques side by side what we get is this : 
After an artillery jireparation developed along the whole 
line (which we learn, later, began on Saturday the 
3rd, late afternoon) from the marshes of the Pripet 
to the Roumanian frontier, the Russian Infantry attacked 
upon so many sections of that line as to make this lirst 
stage of their offensive almost general. But the Austrians 
felt specially strong pressure in the region north-west of 
Tarnopol and on the southernmost end of the line, or 
near the southernmost end. Of the e.xtent and nature 
of the first advance that day, Sunday, June 4th, we are 
told nothing, but the Russians had counted by evening 
13,000 prisoners. 
Next day, Monday, the extent of the nature of advance 
was also denied us, though it was evidently progressing. 
The Austrians continued to note a general pressure along 
the whole fighting front of over 200 miles, but the only 
definite piece of news is the Russian statement of prisoners 
and guns. They tell us that up to the Monday evening 
they had counted 480 oflicers and 25,000 men, 27 guns 
and about 30 machine guns. 
The third batch of communiques deals with the great 
action on Tuesday, Jime 6th. By the evening of that 
day the Russians count 900 officers, over 40,000 rank and 
tile and 77 guns, 134 machine guns and a great number 
of search lights, field kitchens, stacks of arms, reserves of 
ammunition, and material generally. They further 
inform us that certain of the enemy's batteries were 
captured intact. While from Vienna we learn that in the 
course of that day a retirement was ordered of the 
Austrian troops in front of Lutsk. The retirement, the 
Austrians also tell us, was undertaken dehberately and 
was not interfered with by the enemy's pursuit. Mean- 
while, on the extreme north of the line, just before the 
marshes begin, on the low hill of Rafalovka, the Austrians 
tell us that the Russians were held. We are also told in a 
more general fashion that the other Russian wing to the 
south was generally held, and the impression is conveyed 
that at this southern part of the line, the Russian left 
centre, the Russians were stopped at the Hne of the Strypa. 
The next set of communiques refers to the fighting of 
Wednesday, June 7th, the fourth day of the great action. 
On that day the Russians tell us that they reached, but 
did not pass the whole line of the Strypa, counted 11,000 
of the rank and iile as prisoners, but only 56 officers— at 
least that is the form in \vhich the telegram reached Lon- 
don—and further large stores of arms, field kitchens, etc., 
and material in general, while the Austrians tell us that 
on this same day they established themselves on the 
Stry as a defensive line and on the Strypa. 
Meanwhile, it is on that same day, Wednesday that 
the Russian occupation of Lutsk is ofiicially mentioned 
though the date of it is referred to as Tuesday. The state- 
ment presumably signifies that the first units of cavalry 
following up the Austrian retirement entered Lutsk on 
the Tuesday evening, and that the town was occupied as a 
whole during the following day. 
With regard to the action "of the Thursday the news 
becomes more detailed, and we arc beginning to see the 
thing as a whole. In the course of that dav the Lower 
Styr below Lutsk was crossed by the Russians. They 
appear to have crossed in front of Rafalovka in the 
extreme north, and they certainly crossed at the extremely 
important railway bridge, Rojichtche, a short day's 
march north of Lutsk. The Russians report on the 
same day the first captures of German prisoners and the 
capture of a certain though small number of heavy guns, 
tanks of asphyxiating gas, and balloons packed "for re- 
moval. Nothing appears to have been done on that day 
in the extreme soutli where the Russians were holding 
the railhead of Okna north of Czernowitz. A little 
further north on the I'^ussian left centre an important 
development was recorded. Tlu; Russians here crossed 
the Strypa line, which thenceforward was no longer 
available as a defensive line for the enemy, and certain 
of their units, presumably cavalry, reached the left bank 
of the next river westward, the Zlota. By the even- 
ing of that day, Thursday, the fifth day of the battle, 
the Russians counted 64,714 of the enemy rank and file 
in their hands, and 1.143 ofiicers. 
On the Friday a large quantity of war material was 
captured. We are not told upon what sector. The 
number of prisoners returned for that day was small. 
The next day, Saturday, in common with greatly in- 
creased masses of war material the Russians counted 409 
officers and 35,100 soldiers taken prisoners as well as 30 
more field guns, but only 13 machine guns, and what is 
oddest of all at first sight, only five trench mortars. On 
the same day certain German units appeared at the impor- 
tant bridge-head of Rojichtche, and helped the Austrians 
to try and take it back. The Germans also here lost 
2,000 prisoners and two guns. On the same day the 
Russians entered Dubno and what is apparently a cavalry 
force got round to Demidovka, seizing Mlynov on the way 
—-the importance of this will be apparent in a moment. 
On the same day upon the Russian left there was a 
very heavy and successful blow struck in the neighbour- 
hood of Czernowitz, covering the whole country in front 
of Okna and permitting a rapid Russian advance up the 
further southern bank of the Dniester, so that this 
formidable obstacle was turned right up to the Bridge 
of Zaleszczyki at F. 
That is exceedingly important, for if the Russians can 
turn the Lower Dniester line as a whole, the Buko\-ina 
is theirs. 
Lastly, we have the news, reachinj,; London on Tuesday 
and referring to the fighting of Sunday. It is very im- 
perfect because storms had interfered with telegraphic 
communication in the night between the southern front 
and the capital, but it informs us that the number of 
prisoners captured to date, or at least the number to date, 
was 114,700, of whom 1,700 were officers. We were 
further told by both sides that there was sharp counter- 
attacking by the enemy a few miles north-west of 
II 
MAKStlES of PITfSK.: 
Pezetaysl ' 
<^ ^ r ■ Sunday Jcute If ^ 
Kolonti 
CKrnowitzT' 
; «« ICWM 
