tillery officer, General von Gallwitz,
was placed in command of this army with orders to protect the right
flank of the German armies attacking in Mazurian Land, and to prevent
the expected Russian attempt at invasion in his own sector of the
front.

While the "winter battle" was raging to the east of him, Von Gallwitz
in the characteristic German fashion of defense by a strong offensive
moved forward up the right bank of the Vistula to Plozk. A cavalry
division and regiments of the Guard at Sierpe and Racionz, February
12-18, 1915, won well-earned laurels for themselves by driving
an enemy of superior strength before them. At Dobrin, according
to German report, they took 2,500 prisoners.

General von Gallwitz's plan, however, was of more ambitious scope.
It was his intention, by encircling the Russians in the territory
before him from both wings, to sweep clear of enemies the entire
stretch of country in the Polish triangle between the Vistula and
the Orczy rivers. The right wing of his troops that had come down
the bank of the Vistula was to swing to the eastward in behind the
Russians. German troops which had arrived at Willenberg inside
of the East Prussian boundary, one of the German concentration
points on the line of railroad lying behind their front, on the
other hand, received orders to descend the valley of the Orczy
and to come in behind the Russian right flank from the east. These
troops, making a wide detour, swept past Przasnysz on the east,
and swinging round to the south of the city attacked the Russians
holding the place from this direction. The Germans had understood
that only small Russian forces were in the city. Anticipating the
German movement, however, a Russian division, as the Germans learned
later, had hastened to Przasnysz. The Russians also had collected
large forces on the Narew, and were hurrying them toward Przasnysz
on roads covering a wide front. Two full Russian corps from this
line were flung upon the German left wing.

The forces of Von Gallwitz which had carried out the encircling
movement from the east and south of Przasnysz now found themselves
caught between two Russian armies. However, they were unwilling to
relinquish the booty which they had planned to seize. A part of the
German forces was disposed in a half circle as a defense against the
Russians coming up from the south, and a division of reserves, February
24, stormed Przasnysz. The German Great Headquarters announced