to develop the offensive against the Bobr River and assist in the encirclement of Osowiec. The capture of the fortresses of the Narew line (Osowiec, Łomża, Różan) was entrusted to the 8th Army. However, part of the Russian troops south of Augustow managed to avoid encirclement. The Siberian Riflemen withdrew across the Bobr River and destroyed the bridges, stopping the pursuit in this way. The 64th and 84th Infantry Divisions of the XXVI Army Corps retreated “due to a telegram sent by the mentally ill Chief of Staff, General Budberg, that the troops should retreat to Osowiec” (from the testimony of Infantry General Aleksandr Gerngross). At Augustow, the corps suffered heavy losses, artillery parks, carts, divisional infirmaries, two light and mortar batteries were abandoned, but the infantry broke out of the already closing ring. This was also the merit of the fighters of the XX Army Corps, who chained three German divisions to themselves on the way to Grodno. But for the group of General Bulgakov, the path to salvation was closed, and the retreating neighboring corps were never sent by Thadeus von Sivers on a counteroffensive to break through the ring from the outside. The 31st German division occupied Lipsk on February 18, and Bartniki on February 19 with minimal losses (2 killed, 6 wounded, while 13 Russian officers and 1,285 soldiers were taken prisoner). On this day, the 80th reserve and 4th cavalry divisions started a battle on the Bobr River, closing at Kolnica with the 75th, 76th and 78th reserve divisions advancing from the north through Lipsk. On February 20, the German divisions continued to compress the encirclement. On the night of February 21, Bulgakov decided on a new breakthrough attempt, taking advantage of a snowstorm. The Russian columns stormed the hastily prepared German positions near Lipina and Wołkusze. At the beginning of the battle, the commander of the German 65th Infantry Brigade, Major General E. von Estorff, fell, then the commander of the 31st Field Artillery Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel R. Kollmann, died. The commander of the 131st Infantry Regiment, Colonel K. Fisher, was seriously wounded. In a fierce battle, German batteries almost point-blank shot at waves of attackers. All Russian attacks were repulsed, after the capture of Kurianka by the 76th reserve division, the Russian group was divided into several pockets of resistance, 5,600 men, led by a general, surrendered. During February 22, the encircled units