d the defenses of
Loetzen had in the meantime also begun to retreat toward the east.
German troops, consisting chiefly of reserves of the Landwehr and
Landsturm which up to this time had been held back within the German
fortified line, now advanced to attack the yielding army, whose
long marching column could be observed by the German flyers. While
General von Eichhorn's troops, coming from the neighborhood of
Tilsit and making their way through snow and ice, were advancing
upon Suwalki and Sejny, and the German right wing was fighting its
way through Grajewo, toward Augustowo, the center of the troops of
General von Buelow for several days fought the Russians in furious
battle in the vicinity of Lyck. From all sides the Germans were
closing in. To protect the withdrawal of this main army to Suwalki
and Augustowo, the Russians endeavored by all means to hold the
narrows of the lakes before Lyck, where they were favored by the
nature of the ground and aided by strong defensive works, for the
most part well provided with wire entanglements. The best of the
Russian troops, Siberian regiments, here fought with great energy
under a determined leadership, and the Russians, in fact, at some
places took the offensive. By the 12th of February, 1915, however,
the Germans had taken these positions and the Russians had withdrawn
to the narrow passages among the lakes before Lyck. The battles
around this town were carried on under the eye of the German Emperor.
The German soldiers were still occupied in hunting through the
houses for scattered Russians as the emperor stepped from his motor
car. He was received with hurrahs, and the soldiers surrounded
him, singing "Deutschland, Deutschland ueber Alles." The emperor,
standing amid the blackened ruins of burned homes, delivered a
short address to the soldiers gathered about him, giving special
recognition to Infantry Regiment No. 33, an East Prussian unit
which had especially distinguished itself and suffered great losses.
On the same day the Germans advanced beyond Lyck, and by the 15th
of February no Russian remained on German soil.

* * * * *

CHAPTER XXXVIII

TIGHTENING OF THE NET--REPORT OF THE BOOTY

The Russian right, retiring to avoid envelopment, sought the natural
line of retreat along the railway to Kovno. In executing this movement
it turned toward the northeast, and exceeding in speed of movement
the corps to the south of it, the Twe