e: Soli (on the
Vilna-Minsk railroad)-Olshany-Traby-Ivie to a point slightly northeast
of Novogrudok. A German attempt to outflank the retreating Russians
from the north, made on September 23, 1915, at Vileika on the Vilia,
about ten miles north of the railway junction at Molodechno, failed.
During the next day the Germans again forced back the Russian front
eastward for about ten miles, or a one day's march. Along this new
front--Smorgon-Krevo-Vishneff-Sabresina-Mikolaieff, just southeast of
which latter place the historical Beresina joins the Niemen--the
Russians made a firm stand during the rest of September, 1915.

The German advance was stopped, which fact undoubtedly was partly due
to the renewed activity of the Franco-English forces on the west
front, as well as to the absolute necessity of giving a chance to
recuperate to the armies on the east front, which had been fighting
now incessantly for months. September 28, 1915, may be considered
approximately as the date at which the Battle of Vilna ended. After
that date fighting along the eastern front assumed the form of trench
warfare, except in the extreme northern section, and in Volhynia,
eastern Galicia. In the sector, bounded in the north by the Vilia, and
in the south by the Niemen, the Russian front was along a line running
through the towns of Smorgon, Krevo, Vishneff, Sabresina, Mikolaieff.

As a result of the Battle of Vilna and the Russian retreat following
it the Germans captured 70 officers, about 22,000 men, a large number
of cannon and machine guns, and a great quantity of equipment. Along
the entire eastern front the German forces captured men and equipment
during the month of September, 1915, as follows: 421 officers, 95,464
men, 37 cannon, 298 machine guns, and 1 aeroplane.

CHAPTER XXII

THE CAPTURE OF BREST-LITOVSK

The central group under Prince Leopold had hardly entered Warsaw
proper when it continued its advance in an easterly direction toward
Brest-Litovsk after having occupied Warsaw's eastern suburb, Praga. At
the same time other forces completed the investment of Novo
Georgievsk, covering the sector between the Nareff and the Vistula. By
August 10, 1915, the left wing of the central group had reached
Kaluszin and General von Woyrsch's army had become its right wing,
taking the Russian positions just west of Lukoff. On the same day
German aviators threw bombs both at Novo Georgievsk and
Brest-Litovsk. Under heavy fighting a