mans attempted a series of counterattacks
which, however, yielded no tangible results. All in all, the day's
fighting made little change in the respective positions and the losses
in men were about evenly divided.

The violence and energy with which the Russian attacks during March
were executed may readily be seen from reports of special
correspondents, who were behind the German lines at that period.
Their collective testimony also tends to confirm the German claims
that very large Russian forces were used and that their losses were
immense.

"From Riga to the Rumanian border," says one of these eye-witnesses,
"thundered the crashing of guns.... About seventy miles northeast of
Mitau, a chain of lakes runs through the wooded, swampy country,
narrow, long bodies of water follow the course of Mjadsjolke River, a
natural trench in a region that is otherwise a very difficult
territory by nature. In the south the chain is closed by Lake Narotch,
a large secluded body of water of some thirty-five square miles,
through which now runs the front. In the north of this chain of lakes,
near the village of Postavy, a thundering of guns commenced on the
morning of March 18, 1916, such as the eastern front had hardly ever
heard before. Russian drum fire! From out of the woods, across the ice
and snow water of the swamps, line after line came storming against
the German trenches.... On the same day, farther south, between Lakes
Narotch and Vishnieff another Russian attack was launched.... The
losses of the Russians are immense. More than 5,000 dead and wounded
must be lying before our positions only about ten miles wide. During
the night a lull came. But with the break of dawn the drum fire broke
out once more, and again the waves of infantry rolled up against our
positions.... During the night from March 19 to March 20, 1916, the
drum fire of the Russian guns increased to veritable fury. As if the
entire supply of ammunition collected throughout the winter months
were to be used up all at once, shells continuously shrieked and
howled through the darkness: 50,000 hits were counted in one single
sector...."

Another correspondent writes: "The numbers of the Russians are
immense. They have about sixty infantry divisions ready. Their losses
are in proportion and were estimated on a front of about ninety miles
to have been near to 80,000 men. For instance, against one German
cavalry brigade there were thrown seven regiments with a ve