erman
infantry southeast of Opinozura without achieving any results.
Cossacks and Hussars were mowed down in an instant.

The German advance taking several intermediate places did not halt
until it stood before the fortification of the Narew line itself. As a
result of this stroke the German troops had advanced some forty to
fifty kilometers into hostile territory on a breadth of a hundred and
twenty kilometers and had captured some 10,000 prisoners and much war
material. By the 18th of July, 1915, German trains were running as far
as Ciechanow.

Advances were likewise made by the Germans to the right of the attack
on the Przasnysz positions on both sides of the Mlawa-Ciechanow
Railway, rolling up the Russian positions as far as Plonsk. On the
left progress had also been made and heavy fighting done, but the
German great headquarters pointed out that in times to come history
will assign the important place to the central feature of this great
offensive by General von Gallwitz, that is the enveloping attack at
Przasnysz and the ramming thrust at Zielona.

The report issued by the Russian General Staff on July 19, 1915,
admitted that to the west of Omulev their troops had withdrawn to the
Narew bridgeheads on the 17th. The points of some of the German
columns on this day, in fact, came within the range of the artillery
of the fortress of Novo-Georgievsk and the army of General von Scholtz
reached the line of the Bobr and the Narew between Osowice and
Ostrolenka. The action at Przasnysz had been decisive. It resulted
ultimately in the relinquishing by the Russians of the lines of the
Rawka and Bzura which had been so stubbornly held against the Germans
in the long defense of Warsaw. The troops directly charged here with
defending the capital fell back to the Blonie lines about fifteen
miles from the city.

CHAPTER LVIII

GRAND OFFENSIVE ON THE WARSAW SALIENT

The great stroke at Przasnysz was the most dramatic feature of a grand
offensive all around the German lines that were endeavoring to close
in upon the Russian armies. On July 16, 1915, the Archduke Joseph
struck hard at the Russians on the Krasnik-Lublin road in an endeavor
to carry the fortified positions at Wilkolaz. His men, however, were
thrown back after ten furious assaults. Krasnostav, on the road to
Cholm, was attacked on the same day by the army of General von
Mackensen, and after a series of desperate rear-guard actions had been
fought by t