y way of Sarikamish, the scene of the great Turkish defeat of
the early days of the war, and from Melazghert and Khynysskala.

Erzerum was undoubtedly one of the strongest positions in the Turkish
Empire, although the experience of the war had tended to detract from
previous confidence in the strength of old-style concrete forts when
attacked by concentrated big-gun bombardment. Opinions differ on the
question of whether or not the Erzerum armament had been maintained up
to a modern standard. But as regards the number of its guns, and the
size and number of its individual forts, there are no two opinions.

Its eighteen separate positions encircling the city in two rings,
defended by concrete forts, would, under ordinary conditions, have
made it virtually impregnable. One count mentions as many as 467 big
guns in the outer forts, 374 in the inner forts, and 200 more or less
mobile fieldpieces scattered about the country intervening. Although
this was an early Russian report, issued in the delirium of national
joy that followed the capture of the fortress, and should be
considerably discounted, nevertheless, Erzerum boasted a plentiful
supply of big guns, few if any of which were taken away by the fleeing
Turkish army, although the majority of them were probably rendered
useless at the last moment. According to Entente information, among
these guns were 300 of the very latest pattern Krupp pieces, but on
the other hand, according to German information, the fortress boasted
no guns less than twenty years old. Arguing from the known shortage of
big guns in Turkey and the fact that of late years other fronts have
been of prime importance and have undoubtedly received what fresh
ordnance the army was able to purchase and secure, it does not seem
likely that much modern equipment was found in the Caucasus fortress
by the Russian victors.

Quickly the three Russian forces converged upon Erzerum. Finally,
driving outlying Turkish forces before them, in the second week of
February, 1916, they were in touch with the outer defenses of the
great fortress. It was rumored at this time that both Von der Goltz
and Liman von Sanders, the two high German commanders, lent by the
kaiser to Turkey, were in Erzerum superintending the defense and,
furthermore, that huge Turkish reenforcements were covering the 200
miles from the nearest railway head by forced marches in an effort to
arrive at the fortress and prevent its encircling and isola