ghting, artillery duels,
and minor engagements between advanced outposts. The Russian losses
during the month of November, 1915, as far as they were inflicted by
Austro-Hungarian troops, totaled 78 officers, 12,000 men, and 32
machine guns.

Late in December, 1915, on the 24th, the Russians, disregarding
climatic conditions, once more began an extensive offensive movement
in East Galicia and on the Bessarabian border, with Czernovitz, the
capital of the Austro-Hungarian province of Bukowina, as its
apparent objective. It lasted until January 15, 1916, or
twenty-three days, interrupted only occasionally by a day or two of
slightly decreased activity. Its net result for the Russian army, in
spite of very heavy losses in killed, wounded, and captured, was
only the certainty of having inflicted fairly heavy losses on the
German and Austro-Hungarian troops opposing them. Territory they
could not gain, at least not to a large enough extent to be of any
influence on the further development of events. The severest
fighting during these operations took place near Toporoutz and
Rarawotse on the Bessarabian border. Much of it was at very close
range, and on many days the Russians made three and four, sometimes
even more, successive attacks against one and the same problem.
Especially bitter fighting occurred on January 11, 1916, when one
position was attacked five times during the day and a sixth time as
late as ten o'clock that night.

Coinciding with the Russian attempt to break once more through the
Austro-Hungarian line into the Bukowina, attacks were launched from
time to time at various places on the Dniester, Sereth, and Strypa,
especially in the vicinity of Buczacz. None of these, however, had any
effect, nor were other very occasional attacks west of Rovno and on
the Styr of more avail. During the three weeks of fighting the
Russians, according to official Austro-Hungarian figures, lost over
5,000 men by capture.

[Illustration: The Battle Front In Russia, January 1, 1916.]

After a few days' lull the Russian armies began another battle with
strong forces near Toporoutz and Bojan, east of Czernovitz, on January
18, 1916. The severity of the fighting increased on the next day,
January 19, 1916, and at the same time heavy artillery fire was
directed against many other points along the East Galician front.
Again the Russians suffered severe losses during their repeated
storming attacks against the strongly fortified po