tionate number of machine
guns. In general throughout the entire fighting in this territory the
Russian losses by capture were astonishingly high. Of course, the
Germans, too, lost men in this manner; but being in the offensive they
suffered less, while the Russians, continually forced to fall back,
often found it impossible to withdraw advanced formations in time.
Further to the north the Russians had reached the border along the
Warsaw-Danzig railroad. An attempt to cross and take Soldau, however,
miscarried, and on November 18 they fell back for the time being on
Mlawa.

By this time the Russian defense had stiffened. Von Mackensen was now
well fifty miles within Russian territory. But for the next few weeks
the Bzura was used with great success as a natural line of defense by
the Russians.

From the 18th to the 30th of November, 1914, the fighting continued
without pause along the entire line. In the north of the central group
it centered around Plock, in the center of the same group around the
important railroad junction Lowitz, and in the south once more around
Lodz. One day would bring some advantages to the Russians, the next day
to the Germans. Much of this fighting assumed the character of trench
warfare, though, naturally, not to the extent that this had taken place
on the western front. By December 1, 1914, the troops under Von
Mackensen fighting around Lodz and Lowitz claimed to have captured a
total of 80,000 men, 70 guns, 160 munition wagons, and 150 machine guns.
Still further down south the Austro-German group had much the same kind
of work to do. The fighting there centered first around Czestechowa, and
later around Novo Radowsk.

About the end of November, 1914, it looked for a time as if the Russians
were gaining the upper hand. After they had fallen back to the Bzura,
Von Hindenburg directed, with part of his left wing, an attack against
Lodz from the north. Success of this move would mean grave danger to the
entire central group of the Russians, the Warta Army. It threatened not
only its right wing, but would also bring German forces in the back of
its center and cut off its retreat to Warsaw. The Russian commander
recognized the danger, and immediately began to throw strong
reenforcements toward Lodz from Warsaw. To meet these Von Hindenburg
formed a line from Lowitz through Strykow to Brzeziny. A Russian success
would mean immediate withdrawal of these forces from their attack
against Lodz, a