Kovno, Aug (8) 21, 1915

Gospodin General-Leitenant, the German Niemen Offensive against the northern wing of NW Front (5th and 10th Armies) has attained rapid success, and our positions at Kovno are threatened from the flanks.  Front command has chosen to abandon the city and to retreat to Wilna, where the Germans must be stopped.

German cavalry has occupied Kovno on the heels of our retreating troops, and the I Landwehr Corps has crossed the Niemen in the region of Alytus.  You must destabilize the German offensive here by striking at your objectives quickly.  We cannot hold the attackers along the Niemen, but we can distrupt the German plan of an assault on Wilna by forcing the deployment of their second echelon against us here at Kovno.

The manpower and ammunition shortage has become a problem of critical proportions:  none of the divisions on NW Front are at full strength of 12,000 rifles.  The 2nd Finnish counts a mere 6571, and the 104th 2582 - the size of just one pre-war regiment!
