The Russians have lost the island of Oesel, which commands
the mouth of the Gulf of Riga. On Friday week German trans- ports, protected by a large German fleet, approached the north of OeseL The enemy landed and quickly drove the Russians south- eastwards. Some of the garrison escaped across a mole to the neighbouring Moon Island. Others held out in the Sworbe Penin- sula, in the south-west of Oesel. But by Wednesday the whole island was in the possession of the enemy, who claims three thousand five hundred prisoners. The German Fleet has now free access to the Gulf of Riga, and can bombard the Livonian coast to the north-east of Riga. German and Russian destroyers fought an action last Sunday in the Svolo Sound between Oesel and Dago, the smaller island to the north of it. Each side lost one destroyer, and the enemy withdrew. We discuss elsewhere the new situation in the Baltic which these events have produced.
Previous page
