A FIERCE ENCOUNTER.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 183, 2 August 1913, Page 5

A FIERCE ENCOUNTER.

BATTLE OF KRESNA PASS. BULGARS MOWN DOWN. FEARFUL BAYONET' COMBATS. EIGHT THOUSAND SLAIN. .By Cable. T Pr_ss Association.—Copyright,) (Received 11.15 a.m.) LONDON, August 1. The: "Daily Telegraph's" war correspondent telegraphs that Sunday's battle betvveen the Greeks and the Bulgars at Kresna Pas s was really a series of struggles for tbe possession of isolated mountain peak. At one spot two opposing) companies ran short of ammunition and bombarded each other with stones at 15 yards acros. a narrow gully, until the Greek 'Tapidanans" worsted the Bulgarians. Suddenly at 5 o'clock the Bulgarian bugles sounded, and disclosed a great line of fresh troops numbering 12,000. Their bayonet attack was a crucial test for the morale of the Greeks, but they remained steady, pumping magazine after magazine into the charging Bulgarians. Whole sections of Bulgarians were swept away, but other sections charged on and dozens of bloody bayonet combats resulted. The weary, unwatered and unfed Greeks' line was driven back, but a thousand infantrymen in reserve enabled the Greek centre to re-form. The armies exchanged bullets on the mountain slopes at a hundred yards' range. Further Greek reinforcements with machine guns enfiladed the Bulgarians' right, end everywhere the Bulgar line broke. The Greeks, too weary to pursue, lay down and slept on the battlefield. Tbe Sixth Division alone lost 1.300 out of 10,00?!. and the total Greek loss was '2,500. The Bulgarians probably lost 6.000. Several Greeks r-aptnred on Sunday were found with their eyes gouged out and the ears and noses cut off. one man still alive.