resent in that
region, including also the remnants of those which took part in the
raid against Memel, have attempted no serious resistance anywhere.
Fighting is now in progress near Shavli."

The advance into Courland here announced had been made by the German
troops at high speed. The forces were under the command of General
von Lauenstein. They had begun to move early on the 27th of April,
in three columns. One of these crossed the Niemen at Schmalleningken,
forming the right wing of the troops engaged in the movement. The
columns of the left wing broke out of East Prussia at its northernmost
point, and moved along the dunes of the Baltic. On the second day
of the forward march it was learned by the leaders of the advancing
troops that the Russians had hastily left their position at Skawdwile,
on the main road from Tilsit to Mitau, to escape being surrounded
on their left flank, and had withdrawn to Shavli by way of Heilmy.
On the third day the German right column crossed the Windawski
Canal under the enemy's fire, and on the afternoon of the 30th
of April this column entered Shavli, which had been set on fire
by the Russians.

[Illustration: GERMAN ADVANCE ON RIGA]

The Germans had now crossed at several points the Libau-Dunaburg
railway. They were in Telsche and Trischki. Their cavalry pushed
ahead at full speed with orders to destroy the railways wherever
it found them. On the road to Mitau they captured Russian machine
guns, ammunition wagons, and baggage, and broke up the railway
tracks to the southwest and northwest of Shavli. The Russians who
had been taken by surprise by this movement had apparently only
weak forces in Courland, and these had retired while reenforcements
were being rushed up by railway. The German infantry, upon the
receipt of reports that the Russians were moving up by rail from
Kovno on their right flank, was ordered to stop its advance and
prepare to hold the Dubissa line, taking up a front running a little
east of south. Cavalry moving forward in the center of the German
advance on the 3d of May, 1915, got within two kilometers of Mitau,
going beyond Gruenhof and capturing 2,000 Russians. At Skaisgiry on
the day before 1,000 prisoners had been taken, and Janischki and
Shagory had been occupied far beyond the Libau-Dunaburg railway.
By this time Russian reenforcements were arriving at Mitau in huge
numbers. The German cavalry ultimately fell back after indicting
all possible damage to