n May 27, 1915, when
Irmanow's Caucasian Corps stormed Sieniava and captured something like
7,000 men, six big guns, and six pieces of field artillery. Von
Mackensen resumed the offensive on May 24, by advancing due east of
Jaroslav, capturing Drohojow, Ostrov, Vysocko, Makovisko and Vietlin
all in one day. Radymno was occupied by the Austro-Hungarians under
General Arz von Straussenburg, still further narrowing the circle and
compelling the Russians to fall beyond the San. On the twenty-fifth
the Austrians followed them over, captured the bridgehead of Zagrody,
the village of Nienovice and the Heights of Horodysko, while Von
Mackensen's troops farther north captured Height 241. South of the
village of Naklo, between Przemysl and Mosciska, a hill 650 feet high
was violently attacked; it commanded the only line of retreat from the
fortress still left open. To the south of the town the Russian
counteroffensive tried to outflank the Austrian troops which had
approached close to the fortress and the railroad to Lemberg. With the
assistance of strong reenforcements the Russians were able to check
the advance here and make 2,200 prisoners, besides capturing
ammunitions and machine guns.

CHAPTER XLVI

RECAPTURE OF PRZEMYSL

The counteroffensive ended--of necessity--on May 24, 1915. The
Russians could still offer an effective resistance between Krukienice
and Mosciska, but the pressure of continuous attack against their
positions around Hussakow grew fiercer every hour. The enemy was
knocking at the outer ring of the forts; from the west the heaviest
cannons were pouring shot and shell with such violence that the fall
of Przemysl could no longer be prevented. Most of the troops had
already been withdrawn, as well as the supplies and munitions; only a
small garrison remained behind to man the guns of the forts to the
last moment; the little avenue to safety on the east was still open.

On May 30, 1915, the Austrian batteries began their deadly work on the
Grodek line near Medyka. The exit was under fire; since May 17,
Przemysl had been invested from three sides, and the fourth was all
but closed. From the northern side, guarded by the Bavarians under
General Kneusel, twenty-one centimeter Krupp howitzers bombarded the
Russian positions round Korienice and Mackovice, drawing ever nearer
the forts commanding the road and railway to Radymno. The Tenth
Austro-Hungarian Army Corps, approaching from Krasiczyn, endeavored