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

96 HISTORY OF THE WAR.

Von Hindenburg’s plan involved two lines of attack. One was from Mitau junction along the railway and road to Riga—a movement exactly parallel to . the attack on Dvinsk by von Morgen from Novo Alexandrovsk. The other was an advance across the Dvina from a base on the railway MitauNeehut, so as to turn the defence of Riga in the south-east. The scheme was a classic one, for it had been Napoleon’s favourite manceuvre—a turning movement followed, when the enemy was nonplussed and distracted, by a sharp frontal assault.

Six weeks before von Below had won Friedrichstadt on the Dvina, but had not made a landing on the farther shore. Presently Lindau was taken, also on the left bank, nearly opposite Lennevaden. It was now the enemy’s object to win points on the same bank nearer Riga. Already the railway from Riga to Dvinsk was under the fire of his big guns, which handicapped reserves in reaching the city. By 19th October he had taken Borkovitz, where a small affluent enters the Dvina, and by the 24th had pushed northwards to the vicinity of Kekken, which lies east of where the little rivér Brze enters the main stream opposite Dahlen island. He had now set the Russian command a difficult problem. He was only ten miles from Riga, and had one of its chief lines of communication under fire. If he intended to cross the river he had the choice of two good points, one near Borkovitz and one at Kekken. At both places islands split the broad stream into comparatively easy and narrow channels.

At the same time von Hindenburg pressed hard with his centre from Mitau. He crossed the Eckau, and his left wing crossed the Aa north of Mitau and