. Their
attack was repulsed, but an artillery duel continued until late in the
day.

In the morning German aviators dropped thirty bombs on Lutsk. Light
and heavy German artillery opened a violent fire on the Russian
trenches in the Niemen sector, northeast of Novo Grodek. Under cover
of this fire German forces crossed the Niemen and occupied the woods
east of the village of Guessitschi.

On the Dvina front German artillery bombarded Russian positions
southeast of Riga and the bridgehead above Uxkull. North of Illuxt the
Germans attempted to move forward, but were thrown back by Russian
gunfire.

CHAPTER XXVI

ADVANCE AGAINST LEMBERG AND KOVEL

Late that day, June 29, 1916, General Lechitsky captured Kolomea, the
important railway junction for the possession of which the battle had
been raging furiously for days past. This was a severe blow to the
Central Powers. It meant a serious danger to the remainder of General
Pflanzer's army and likewise threatened the safety of General von
Bothmer's forces to the north.

Still the Russian advances continued. On the last day of June their
left wing drove back the retreating Austro-Hungarians over a front
situated south of the Dniester and occupied many places south of
Kolomea.

Northwest of Kolomea, Russian troops, after a violent engagement,
drove back their opponents in the direction of the heights near the
village of Brezova, and as the result of a brilliant attack, took part
of the heights.

The number of prisoners taken by General Lechitsky during the last
days of June, 1916, was 305 officers and 14,574 men. Four guns and
thirty machine guns were captured. The total number of prisoners taken
from June 4 to June 30, 1916, inclusive, was claimed to have reached
the immense total of 217,000 officers and men.

During June, in the region south of Griciaty, 158 officers and 2,307
men, as well as cannon and nineteen machine guns, fell into the hands
of the Central Powers.

In the region of the Lipa Austrian artillery continued to bombard the
Russian front with heavy artillery and field artillery. Desperate
attacks made by newly arrived German troops were, however, repulsed
with heavy losses to the attacking forces.

Near Thumacz an attack of cavalry, who charged six deep along a front
of three kilometers, was successfully repulsed by Austro-Hungarian
troops.

German forces drove back Russian troops south of Ugrinow, west of
Tortschin, and near Sokal.

A