s gates, only to be denied by the strength of its defenses and the
resistance of the forces holding it.

Warsaw lies on the Vistula, 625 miles southwest of Petrograd and
miles east of Berlin. It is an important industrial center and its
population is estimated at not far from 900,000.

The great Russian fortress of Kovno was captured by the Germans August
17. More than 400 cannon were taken. The fortress was stormed in spite
of the most stubborn Russian resistance.

The capture of Kovno was the most important German victory in the East
after the taking of Warsaw.

Kovno fell under the eye of General von Hindenburg. The capture of the
fortress was the first personal triumph of the "old man of the
Mazurian lakes" since the great Austro-German campaign in the East was
inaugurated. The six great forts defending the city from the west and
southwest were simply blown to pieces by the incessant pounding of
Germany's great 42-centimeter guns and a host of minor pieces.

The forts were under direct attack for scarcely a week, demonstrating
again the superiority of modern artillery over fort structures built by
man.

Kovno, capital of the Russian province of that name, is on the right
bank of the Niemen. It is a fortress of the first class. The civilian
population of the city is more than 75,000.

The important Russian fortress of Novo Georgievsk, the last halting
place of the Russians in Poland, fell into the hands of the Germans on
August 19, after a most stubborn resistance. The garrison consisted
of 85,000 men and of these over 20,000 were taken prisoners. Over
cannon were captured and a large amount of war ammunition seized.

BATTLE OF THE BAY OF RIGA

Russian naval forces aided by British submarines, in the Gulf of Riga
won a decided victory August 18 over the German fleet which penetrated
the gulf on August 13.

The great German battle cruiser Moltke, one of the finest ships of
its kind afloat, was destroyed in the engagement. The cruiser had
a displacement of 23,000 tons and carried a crew of 1,107 men and
officers. Its main battery consisted of ten 11-inch guns, mounted in
pairs in five turrets. Its secondary battery contained twelve 6-inch
guns. Twelve 24-pounders and four torpedo tubes completed its armament.
The Moltke was 610 feet long over all, with a beam of 96-3/4 feet, and
cost $12,000,000.

With the Moltke three German cruisers and seven torpedo boats, all
unnamed, were destroyed.

The Russians l