hich saw the most fighting during this period were
many which had been mentioned a great many times before. Again and
again there appeared in the official records such names as: Lake
Sventen, Krevno, Lake Miadziol, Ostroff, Lake Narotch, Smorgon, Dahlen
Island, and many others.

The net result of all the fighting during May, 1916, was that both
sides lost considerable in men and material. Both Russians and
Germans, however, had succeeded in maintaining their respective lines
in practically the same position in which they had been at the
beginning of May.

CHAPTER XX

THE GREAT RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE

During the first two days of June, 1916, a lull occurred at almost all
important points of the eastern front. Only one or two engagements of
extremely minor importance between scouting parties were reported. In
the light of future events this remarkable condition might well be
called ominous, especially if one connects with it a decided increase
in Russian aeroplane activity, which resulted in two strong attacks on
June 1, 1916, against points on the Vilna-Minsk and Sarny-Kovel
railways.

On June 2, 1916, a more or less surprising increase in the strength of
the Russian artillery fire was noticed, especially along the
Bessarabian and Volhynian fronts and in the Ikva sector. So strong did
this fire become that the official Austrian statement covering that
day says that at several places the artillery duels "assumed the
character of artillery battles."

More and more the extent and violence of the Russian artillery attack
increased. The next day, June 3, 1916, Russian artillery displayed the
greatest activity all along the southern half of the eastern front,
and covered the Dniester, Strypa, and Ikva sectors, as well as the gap
between the last two rivers, northwest of Tarnopol, and the entire
Volhynian front. Near Olyka in the region of the three Volhynian
fortresses of Rovno, Dubno, and Lutsk, the Russian gunfire was
especially intense along a front of about seventeen miles. That this
unusually strong artillery activity increased the alarm of the
Austro-Hungarian commanders may readily be seen from the concluding
sentence of that day's official Austrian statement, which read:
"Everywhere there are signs of an impending infantry attack."

The storm began to break the next day, June 4, 1916. That it was
entirely unexpected, was not likely, for this new Russian offensive
coincided with the Austro-Hungarian offensi