. When the quiet was finally broken it appeared that it had
been the lull before the storm. Before taking up again the activities
on this section of the front, it will be necessary to take a glance
toward the northern half of the great arc that enveloped the Warsaw
salient on two sides.

In these early days of July, 1915, considerable uncertainty prevailed
among those who were watching the progress of the campaign in Poland
as to where the heaviest blow of the Teutons would fall, whether from
the south or the north. The decisive stroke came with lightning
suddenness. A tremendous attack was launched in the direction of the
Narew by the army of General von Gallwitz.

A laconic announcement of the German General Staff on July 14, 1915,
bore momentous news, although its modest wording scarcely betrayed the
facts. It read: "Between the Niemen and the Vistula, in the region of
Walwarga, southwest of Kolno, near Przasnysz and south of Mlawa, our
troops have achieved some local successes." The Russian report
referring to the beginning of the same action was equally
noncommittal, though possibly more misleading. This states:
"Considerable enemy forces between the Orczy and the Lidynja adopted
the offensive and the Russians declining a decisive engagement
retreated during the night of the 13th to the second line of their
positions."

On July 15, 1915, the Germans announced that the city of Przasnysz,
for which such hot battles had been fought in February, and which had
since been strongly fortified by the Russians, had been occupied by
them. The German summary of this action given out a few days later
stated that three Russian defensive lines lying one behind the other
northwest and northeast of Przasnysz had been pierced and taken, the
troops at once rushing forward to Dzielin and Lipa, respectively west
and east of the town. Under attack from these two points the Russians
after yielding Przasnysz, on the 14th, retired to their defensive line
Ciechanow-Krasnosielc which had been prepared long beforehand. On the
15th the German troops pressing closer upon the retiring Slavs stormed
this line and broke through it to the south of Zielona on a breadth of
seven kilometers, forcing the Russians again to retire. General von
Gallwitz's troops in this assault were supported by the forces of
General von Scholtz, on their left, who were pressing the Russians
from the direction of Kolno. On July 16, 1915, the Russians were
retreating o