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Show oo UrIHtKlJoolANo Offensive Extends Along a Front of 275 Miles Into Galicia, Petrograd, June C, 12 o'clock midnight, mid-night, via London,, 7 30 p. m The sudden blow struck by the Russians along tho entlro Galician front of 275 miles from Prlpot to Rumania is In the unanimous opinion of the military critics crit-ics hero a brilliant beginning of the long-awaited Russian offensive The condition of the roads now is perfect, and with a plentiful supply of ammunition ammuni-tion tho Russian advance is expected to develop swiftly. The movement derives significance from the fact that it is not an isolated attack against any one portion of the Austrian lines, but a carefully co-ordinated movement embracing tho whole front. The movement is under the able leadership of General Brusslloff, who conducted tho brilliant campaign In the Carpathians in 1914 and who is generally conceded to be one of the best strategists of the Russian staff. The forces opposing the Russian ad-vanco ad-vanco aro estimated at forty Austrian Infantry divisions and from ten to fif-teon fif-teon Austrian cavalry divisions, assist ed by, at the most, two divisions of Germans. This brings the total Teutonic Teu-tonic forces operating on this front up to 600,000 men. No details of tho Russian Rus-sian attack are yet at hand, but it was preceded as usual by a vigorous artillery artil-lery bombardment, after which tho Russians moved forward along the whole Hue, capturing first line Austrian Austri-an positions. The Initiative belongs entirely to the Russians, and the Aus-trians, Aus-trians, evidently taken by surprise, fell back without being able to start a counter offensive Aside from its military and strategic Importance for this front, the Russian movement undoubtedly wil have a powerful effect upon the military situation sit-uation elsewhere, decreasing Austrian Austri-an pressure on the Italian front from the necessity of bringing reinforcements reinforce-ments to this theater, while it also Is expected to influence the situation In the Balkans oo |
