. General Selivanoff surrounded the forts with a wide circle of
counterdefenses, which were so strongly fortified that the garrison
would have found it an almost hopeless task to attempt a rush through
the enemy's lines. The Austrian artillery was naturally well
acquainted with the range of every point and position that lay within
reach of their guns; and Selivanoff wisely offered them little
opportunity for effective practice. Considering it too expensive to
attack by the overland route, he worked his way gradually toward the
forts by means of underground operations. To sap a position is slow
work, but much more economical in the expenditure of lives and
munitions. The weakness of Przemysl lay in the fact that its garrison
was far too large for its needs, and that provisions were running
short. In the early part of the campaign the Germanic armies operating
in the San region had drawn freely on Przemysl for supplies, and
before these could be adequately replaced the Russians had again
forged an iron ring around the place. The Russian commander, moreover,
was aware that a coming scarcity threatened the town, and that he had
only to bide his time to starve it into submission. Whilst he was
simply waiting and ever strengthening his lines, the Austrians found
it incumbent on them to assume the offensive. Several desperate
sorties were made by the garrison to break through the wall, only to
end in complete disaster. General Herman von Kusmanek, the commander
in chief of the fortress, organized a special force, composed largely
of Hungarians, for "sortie duty," under the command of a Hungarian,
General von Tamassy. These sorties had been carried out during
November and December, 1914, especially during the latter month, when
the Austro-German armies were pouring across the mountains. So
critical was the Russian position at the time that the relief of
Przemysl was hourly expected. According to an officer of General
Selivanoffs staff, "The Austrians in the fortress were already
conversing with the Austrians on the Carpathians by means of their
searchlights. The guns of Przemysl could be heard by the Austrian
field artillery. The situation was serious, and General Selivanoff
took prompt measures. He brought up fresh troops to the point of
danger and drove the sortie detachments back to the fortress." It is
stated from the Austrian side that one of the sortie detachments had
succeeded in breaking through the Russian lines and mar