of Grodek,
where the level ground would permit the easy transport of heavy
artillery. This position had been fortified with trenches and wire
entanglements. Here also were concentrated the troops withdrawn from
other parts of the line, and four armored trains with quick-firing
guns from the depot at Rovno. General Ivanoff had no intention of
making any decisive stand against the "phalanx"; neither did he think
of risking his armies in a battle for Lemberg. That town was certainly
of great military and political importance--worth a dozen
Przemysls--and worth fighting for. But for that he would need
artillery in enormous quantity. Von Mackensen carried 2,500 guns with
him, as well as siege trains of heavy howitzers. Ivanoff possessed
none of these, and could therefore hope only to fight rear-guard
actions while retiring before Von Mackensen. In any other part of the
Galician line except the center he had little to fear. We left Von
Linsingen forcing the Dniester at Zuravno. He got the bulk of his army
across, the main advance commanded by Von Bothmer, who captured the
northern heights and penetrated the forests near the Stryj-Tarnopol
railway. They were less than fifty miles from Lemberg.

The "retreating" Brussilov suddenly turned round and fell on Von
Bothmer's advance. The fight lasted three days, with the result that
the Austro-Germans were obliged to fall back across the Dniester,
leaving behind 2,000 killed and wounded, besides 17 guns, 78 machine
guns, 348 officers and 15,430 men as prisoners, June 8-10, 1915.

On June 11, 1915, however, the Germans renewed the attack on Zuravno,
recaptured the town, and on June 12 were five miles north of it. By
June 13 they had made ten miles, when Brussilov lashed out again.
Within two days the Germans were back on the Dniester. Von Mackensen
had meanwhile concentrated a new series of heavy batteries around
Jaroslav and formed a new "phalanx" (with reenforcements) west of the
San between Piskorovice and Radymno. Another attempt was preparing to
break through Ivanoff's right wing.

A violent bombardment began on June 12, 1915, and Austro-Hungarian
troops crossed the river and occupied both Sieniava and Piskorovice.
Next day the advance spread along the whole line, extending from
Tarnoviec on the Zlota to the Radymno-Javorov road, pressing north and
eastward against the Russian front. Pivoting on Sieniava, Von
Mackensen swung his right toward Mosciska, which Von Marwitz capture