the two German wings. The Russians apparently gained an inkling of the
big move that was impending about the time the advance against their
wings was under way. The first news of the opening of the battle came
to the public in a Russian official announcement of the 9th of
February, 1915, to the effect that on the 7th the Germans had
undertaken the offensive with considerable force in the
Goldap-Johannisburg sector. The northern group of Germans began its
movement somewhat later from the direction of Tilsit.

Extensive preparations had been made by the German leaders to meet the
difficulties of a winter campaign under unfavorable weather
conditions. Thousands of sleighs and hundreds of thousands of sleigh
runners (on which to drag cannon and wagons), held in readiness, were
a part of these preparations for a rapid advance. Deep snow covered
the plain, and the lakes were thickly covered with ice. On the 5th of
February, 1915, a fresh snowstorm set in, accompanied by an icy wind,
which heaped the snow in deep drifts and made tremendously difficult
travel on the roads and railways, completely shutting off motor
traffic.

The Germans on the south, in order to come into contact with the main
Russian forces, had to cross the Johannisburg Forest and the Pisseck
River, which flows out of the southernmost of the chain of lakes. The
attacking columns made their way through the snow-clad forests with
all possible speed, forcing their way through barriers of felled trees
and driving the Russians from the river crossings.

Throughout the 8th of February, 1915, the marching columns moved
through whirling snow clouds, the Germans driving their men forward
relentlessly, so that, in spite of the drifted snow which filled the
roads, certain troops covered on this day a distance of forty
kilometers. The Germans under General von Falck took Snopken by
storm; those under General von Litzmann crossed the Pisseck near
Wrobeln. The immediate objectives of these columns were Johannisburg
and Biala, where strong Russian forces were posted.

On the 9th the southern column, under Von Litzmann, was attacked on
its right flank by Russians coming from Kolna, to the south of them.
The German troops repelled the attack, taking 2,500 prisoners, eight
cannon, and twelve machine guns. General Saleck took Johannisburg, and
Biala was cleared of the Russians. The advance of these southern
columns continued rapidly toward Lyck.

The German left wing at