ing the Aa at Mitau and establishing their positions
to the east of that city, they were unable then, and in fact during
the following months, to approach closer to Riga at that point, so
that a salient was formed west of Riga, which at its widest point was
over twenty miles distant from this point. Just south of Mitau, the
south side of this salient bent almost straight to the east for a
distance of thirty miles until it reached Uexkuell on the Dvina, about
twenty miles southeast of Riga. From there the line followed almost
exactly the east bank of the Dvina, passing through the important
towns of Friedrichstadt and Jacobstadt, from where it bent due south,
gradually drawing away to the west of the Dvina River and passing west
and southwest of Dvinsk at a distance of about ten miles. All along
this line considerable fighting took place throughout September, 1915,
as has already been narrated.

During September 21-22, 1915, this fighting was especially severe west
and southwest of Dvinsk, where the Germans were making unsuccessfully
desperate efforts to break the Russian lines and get within striking
distance of Dvinsk. However, although they managed to maintain their
own lines against all Russian attacks and to gather in some 5,000
prisoners, they could not break the Russian defensive.

The Russian forces at this point were led by General Russky, among
whose commanders was Radko Dmitrieff, of Balkan War fame. Both of
these generals are to be counted among the greatest Russian leaders
and they were especially expert in everything that pertained to
fortresses and their defense. As wonderful as the German military
machine had proven itself, as severe as their often repeated
offensives were, as superior as their supply of artillery and
munitions was both in quality and quantity, Russky and Dmitrieff
proved a good match for them all. The possession of Dvinsk at that
particular moment would have meant an almost inestimable advantage to
the Germans, just as its loss would have been apt to mean the complete
rout of the Russians. For once the line broken to a sufficiently great
width at that point, all the Russian forces having their basis on
Petrograd, Smolensk, and Moscow might have been turned completely.

This supreme importance of Dvinsk was understood equally well by both
sides. On the part of the Germans this understanding resulted in
unceasing attacks by all available means and forces, while the
Russians on their par