step by step, finally
gave the position to the attackers. The few Russians still left on
419 could not hold out after the loss of 412. They retired northward
on to Height 269, but subsequently followed the general retreat
of the line. Still farther north, almost at the right flank of
Dmitrieff's line, the Austrians effected a crossing of the Dunajec
opposite Otfinow, thus breaking the connection between the West
Galician Army of Dmitrieff, and the neighboring Russian Army on the
Nida--the left wing of the northern groups commanded by Alexeieff.

Just below Tarnow, however, the Russians still held out; losing the
three hills had not quite broken their defense on the Biala. The
right wing of Von Mackensen's army, which had smashed the Russian
front around Gorlice, rapidly moved east in an almost straight line
to reach the Dukla Pass and cut off the retreat of the Russian
troops stationed south of the range between Zboro and Nagy Polena,
in northwest Hungary. The left wing, on the other hand, advanced
in a northeasterly direction, ever widening the breach made in
the enemy's domain. This clever move brought the Germans to the
rear of Tarnow and onto the lines of communications of the Russians
holding it. It also prevented reenforcements from reaching the
truncated end of Dmitrieff's right--or what had been his right--wing.
By pushing on to Dembica and Rzeszow, along which route assistance
could otherwise have been sent to the Russians, Von Mackensen opened
a wide triangle into Western Galicia, by drawing an almost horizontal
line from Gorlice to Radymno, between Jaroslav and Przemysl, and
from there perpendicular down to the Uzsok Pass.

From Uzsok to the Lupkow westward stood the Second Austro-Hungarian
Army under Boehm-Ermolli on the north of the Carpathians. To his left,
southwest of the Magora of Malastow, and adjoining the formidable
Germanic array facing the Dunajec-Biala line lay the Third
Austro-Hungarian Army under General Boroyevitch von Bojna. These
two armies, it will be remembered, took part in the first offensive
in January, and had been there ever since. Both of these armies now
began to advance into the triangle, and the brilliant simplicity
of Von Mackensen's geometrical strategy becomes clear. Let one
imagine Galicia as a big stone jar with a narrow neck lying on
the table before him, neck pointing toward the left hand, and he
will obtain an approximately accurate idea of the topographical
conditions.