the north, along the Styr, to the west of Kolki, in the
region of the Kovel-Rovno Railway, General von Linsingen's
Austro-German army group successfully resisted Russian attacks at some
points, launched strong counterattacks at other points, but had to
fall back before superior Russian forces at still other points.

In the northern sector of the eastern front, along the Dvina, activity
was restricted to extensive artillery duels during this day.

CHAPTER XXIII

THE GERMAN COUNTEROFFENSIVE BEFORE KOVEL

An extensive offensive movement was developed on June 19, 1916, by
General von Linsingen. The object of this movement apparently was not
only to secure the safety of Kovel, but also to threaten General
Brussilov's army by an enveloping movement which, if it had succeeded,
would not only have pushed the Russian center back beyond Lutsk and
even possibly Dubno, but would also have exposed the entire Russian
forces, fighting in Galicia and the Bukowina, to the danger of being
cut off from the troops battling in Volhynia. This movement developed
in the triangle formed by the Kovel-Rafalovka railroad in the north,
the Kovel-Rozishtchy railroad in the south, and the Styr River between
these two places. The severest fighting in this sector occurred along
the Styr between Kolki and Sokal.

On the other hand Russians scored a decided success in the southern
corner of the Bukowina where a crossing of the Sereth River was
successfully negotiated.

Artillery duels again were fought along the Dvina front as well as
along the Dvina-Vilia sector. In the latter region a number of
engagements took place south of Smorgon, near Kary and Tanoczyn, where
German troops captured some hundreds of Russians as well as four
machine guns and four mine throwers. A Russian aeroplane was compelled
to land west of Kolodont, south of Lake Narotch, while German
aeroplanes successfully bombarded the railroad station at Vileika on
the Molodetchna-Polotsk railway.

With ever increasing fury the battle raged along the Styr River on the
following day, June 20, 1916. Both sides won local successes at
various points, but the outstanding feature of that day's fighting was
the fact that in spite of the most heroic efforts the Russian troops
were unable to advance any farther toward Kovel. Ten miles west of
Kolki the Russians succeeded in cross- [see TN] of Gruziatin, two miles
north of Godomitchy, the small German garrison of which, consisting of