Russia & Germany

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 8, 27 August 1914, Page 5

Russia & Germany

RUSSIAN SUCCESSES IN EASTERN PRUSSIA. St. Petersburg, August 26. It is officially stated that the Russians haTC occupied Angerburg, a tow* 30 miles south-west of Gumbinnen.

The Germans; in, East Prussia are retreating by forced marches. Part of the army is concentrating at Ko«nigsburg, . having abandoned a previ-jusly-4'ortiiied position on the River Angerrap without firing a shot. Tho road is strewn with cartridges, shells, nid knapsacks. The Russians fought successful and sanguinary engagements north of Xeiderburg (a town in East Prussia, 24 miles south of Koenigsburg), with Important forces of Germans. In the same region the zUth German Army Corps, consisting of three divisions, occupied *a! fortified position at Frankenau. - The Russians on Sunday and Monday forced the entrenchments and attacked the fortifications, using hand grenades and bayonets.

The Russians on Monday morning anveloped the left flank of the Germans, who fled, abandoning several eaunoi) and quickfirers.

The Russian advance in Germany is designed to avoid difficult groups of lakes and marshes and narrow iortiiied passages which will impede the Germans in the event of retreat. The Russians are converging upon Friedland (a town 26 miles southoast of Koenigsburg) and Eylau (in the same region). They already control the junction of several German strategical railways, and when they penetrate a little further will command the whole of East Prussia. (At Eylau on February Bth, 1807, Napoleon fought an indecisive battle with the Russians, and on June 14th of the same year decisively defeated them at Friedland. the peace of Tilsit following.)

A "BALACLAVA" CHARGE.

St. Petersburg, August 26

A central feature of the fighting; at Gumbinnen was a Russian "Balaclava charge." The Germans hold a, village, from which they were pouring a murderous fire. The Hors© Guards were ordered to silence the guns. The first squadron rode straight at the battery, which, firing point blank, mowed down the Russians. The second squadron followed, and would have shared the same "ate had not a third squauron charged the flank, sabred Tlie gunners, and routed tha Germans. An eye-witness states that they ran like rabbits. Officers and men discarded tfieir swords and helmets in their anxiety to escape the Nizhni Hussars, who are famous swordsmen. The Russian casualties included representatives of the best-known families in the Empire.

GERMAN FORCES NUMBER SCOjOOO.

(Received 9.15 a.m.) New York. August 26

Count Benastoff announced that the German forces against Russia consisted of about 800,000 men, or twelve German Army corps and eiglit Austrian.