RIGA ENGAGEMENT.

Evening Star, Issue 15892, 26 August 1915, Page 3

RIGA ENGAGEMENT.

SKILFUL RUSSIAN DIRECTION GERMANS LEARN A LESSON. liondon 'Times/and Sydney ‘Sun’ Service*. LONDON, August 24. The Times’s ’ correspondent at Petrograd states that Admiral Kannino’s despatches regarding the repulse of the German navy at the Gulf of Riga are not yet available. .Only scanty details have been given out. These show that the Russian operations were conducted with remarkable skill. The Russian navy inflicted enormous loss upon the enemy at a cheap cost to themselves. The Russians do not stint their recognition of the valuable services rendered by the British submarines. The opinion in naval and military circles is that the Germans, will not venture to repeat in the immediate future an incursion into the Gulf of , Riga, though. the danger of a naval raid is not permanently excluded. Evidently the Germans consider the moral effects of such a demonstration would-help' to induce Russia, to conclude a premature' peace.. The ‘Novoe Vxemya’ states that three large transports, filled with, troops, approached the shore at Reman under cover of the German-squadron.. The Russians them with a terrific artillery fire, to which the Germans replied, the duel continued for 4wo hours, when the last transport ■■■was sunk. The few crowded bouts remaining - were soon smashtxl to i pieces, 'The German squadron, unable to approach near Pernau, managed to destf°y Solne houses by. long-range guns. Tno Germans also made a descent upon Ginach, two lighters crammed with troops trying to land, but the Russian artillery sank them. GERMAN RETICENCE. AMSTERDAM, August 25. ■A semi-official Berlin report states : No large German warship was sunk or damaged at Riga, and no landing was attempted at Pernau. We successfully bombarded- the port and land batteries, and sank a steamer and six sailing vessels. The ships which the Russians claim to have captured were sunk by us in order to blockade the channel. LAND OPERATIONS. ENEMY’S SLACKENED PROGRESS. PETEOGRAD, August 25. A communique states : There have been alternating successes on the Jacobstadt- ' Dvinsk line. ' We held the enemy’s offensive between Kovno and Yilna and between the Bobr and the Nnrew. We have fallen back from the general position on the left bank of the_ Boor, leading to the evacuation of Ossowiec, which we blew up and razed. We stopped some attacks east of Bielsk, facilitating our occupation of a new position. We stopped the enemy’s offensive on theright bank of the Bug in the direction of Kovel, AMSTERDAM, August 24. A German communique states : Prince Leopold, near the Forest of Bialowieska, took prisoner 4,500 Russians. We stormed on the south-west front of Brest-Litovsk some heights near Kopytow. Our troops are advancing through a marshy district north-east of Ylodava, pursuing 'the enemy., ITALIAN FRONT. AMSTERDAM, August 24. An Austrian 'communique savs : W r e destroyed an Italian coast battery near Golavetto. Wo repulsed with heavy enemy losses five attacks near San Martini; also an attack against the -Tolmirib bridgehead. ' ' ° IN FRANCE. PARIS. August 25. A communique states : There is incessant fighting in the Argonne. Seven of our aeroplanes dropped 80 projectiles on the railway stations of Tergnier and Noyon, and several fires broke out at Tergnier. ZEEBRUGCE BOMBARDMENT, AMSTERDAM, August 24. A German communique states : The British fleet on Monday fired 70 shots at Zeebrugge. We had one killed and six wounded. _ The shells injured three Belgian inhabitants. No material damage was done. PRINCES QUARREL. AMSTERDAM, August 24. The Kaiser has conferred the Order of Merit upon Prince Ruprocht of Bavaria. This is regarded as an effort to moliify him after his quarrel with the German Crown Prince because the latter had re-ceived-reinforcements intended for Prince Ruprecht, when he was hard pressed in the Argonne.