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Show NAVAL BATTLE IS IN PROGRESS IN THE GULF OF RIGA PET HOG RAD. Aug. 20, i:-i London, Aug. 21, 1 a. m.- A German fleet has penetrated the Gulf of Riga and is eu-gatrod eu-gatrod with Russian warships defending the const, according to an official statement state-ment issued tonight at the Russian war office: Thn communication follows: Strong- forces of the German fleet nave pennt rated the Gulf of Riga and fighting with our ships continues. con-tinues. On land, on the whole front from I he west of Riga to the lower Bi-liya, Bi-liya, there has been no essential change. After the occupation M" the 1 o v n o f or t i f i ea t io p. s by t. h e German the remainder of the garrison gar-rison rejoined our f nrees occu py-ing py-ing positions west of the railway from .frinow to Knchedary, South of Kovno- our troops s-riii are on the left bank of the Niemen. Enemy Is Withstood. From Ossowetz, southward, and still further along the whole front of the upper Na rew and t lie Bug, in the course of the ISth and 10th, the Germans made strnne attacks. On the right bank of the Narew northwest of Brest-Litovsk, our troops continue to withstand the enemy. en-emy. Xear Novogeorcievsk, after occupying oc-cupying the left bank of the Wkra, the Germans concentrated all their efforts northwest of the Wkra as far as the Vistula. By a n incessant inces-sant bombardment with a hurricane of projectiles, they almost completely com-pletely destroyed our fortifications. Tn this section on the evening of the 1 th, the Germans surrounded one fort in the region of Wymslow and afterward, despite enormous' losses, directed their columns on the rear of the jjakroezy. This compelled com-pelled our troops on the night of the 19th to retire on the line of the former forts forming the central defense. Tn the course of the following- day. having destroyed by their f ire two of these forts, the Germans, by a series of sanguinary assaults, occupied the ruins, from which they directed their fire against the central defenses. We blew up the bridge over the Xarew and the forts we abandoned in the northern section. |