In looking, therefore, for a key to the object
of any particular movement, the first step must be a close study
of this railroad situation.
We find from Riga to the fortress of Rovno there is a continuous
line of railroad, running generally north and south and passing
through Dvinsk, Vilna, Lida, Rovno, and thence down through Poland
to Lemberg. Every effort of the Russian armies in the succeeding
chapters will be made to keep to the westward of and parallel to
this line, and for a very good reason.
Feeding into this great north and south artery are the branch lines
from Petrograd to Dvinsk; from Moscow to the junction at Baranovitschi;
from Kiev to Sarny. Aside from these three important branch lines,
there are a few other single-track offshoots, but from a military
point of view they are of no importance.
This line was the main objective (short of capturing Riga itself)
of the German operations. This line proves especially vital to
the Russians, for nowhere east of it is there another such line
which could be used for the same purpose.
If, in the campaigns to be described, this railroad falls into Russian
hands, it gives every facility for strengthening or reenforcing any
part of the Russian front where German pressure becomes excessive. It
is, in addition, a solution to the difficult problem of transportation
of supplies. To use a military term, it gives the Russian army a
mobility not possessed by the enemy because of a lack of similar
facilities.
Pages:
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370