Nelson's history of the war. Vol. XI., The struggle for the Dvina, and the great invasion of Serbia

92 HISTORY OF THE WAR.

and batter down the defence by sheer weight of guns and men.

Ruzsky’s defence of Dvinsk was like Sarrail’s defence of Verdun. He was determined that the great guns should not be brought too near, and he flung his lines west of the town in an arc, of which the radius was not less than twelve miles. The points Schlossberg, Novo Alexandrovsk, and Drysviaty may be taken as defining that sector. The first big attack was made on 25th September.

Sept. 25 The German airmen dropped bombs on © 72° Dvinsk, and the German artillery kept up for hours a hurricane of fire upon the advanced Russian trenches. On the front due west some progress was made. After the artillery preparation, assisted by asphyxiating shells, the enemy infantry attacked in mass and pushed along the Novo Alexandrovsk road to within eight miles of the city. But von Hindenburg was held on the more important routes—the road from the north, the railways from Mitau and Vilna, and the great road from the south. He failed to take Schlossberg, he was checked west of Lake Sventen and in the wide marshes beside the Vilna railway, and he was not allowed to approach the narrows between Lakes Drysviaty and Obole, through which ran the southern highroad.

On the same day the Riga front was violently bombarded, and an attempt was made to advance along the coast road from Kemmern, between the Aa and the sea. It never had a chance of success. The Russian Fleet with their guns swept the ribbon of hard land, and what must have been a comparatively small Russian force held the pass in the neigh-