DEFENDERS WITHOUT FOOD OR AMMUNITION

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 70, 23 March 1915, Page 5

DEFENDERS WITHOUT FOOD OR AMMUNITION

DRIVEN FROM OUTER LINE OF DEFENCES.

RUSSIANS FORCE DEFENDERS BACK TO MAIN FORTRESS

LINE. (Received 12.25 p.m.) PETROGRAD. March 22. There were great rejoicings in the capital at the announcement of the fall Of Przemysl, and cheering crowds filled the streets. The Czar attended a Tc Dcum service at the Grand Duke Nicholas' headquarters. The prisoners state that food was completely exhausted and the defenders jrere practically without ammunition. Prior to the capitulation the Russians occupied the village of Krassitchine, en the western front, driving the garrison to the line forts on the whole circumference of the fortress. STORY OF THE SIEGE. The fall of Przemysl will have an important bearing upon the Galician campaign, for. in addition to liberating the armies engaged in its reduction, it will clear the road from Poland to the Carpathians and give the Russians possession of the third line of railway leading from Southern Poland to the Carpathians. Przemysl forms one of the trinity of forts, Lcmberg, Przpm.vsl and Cracow, designed by the Austrians to guard the railways that pass through the Carpathians, and its fall gives the Russians absolute possession of the Valley of the San and the whole of Eastern Galicia, while it will enable the march upon Cracow to be prosecuted with greater vigour. The fight for Przemysl has been a great one. and the siege will always lie associated "with the name of Kadko Dimitrieft, the Bulgar general, who joined the Russian stair at the outbreak of the war, and who was responsible for the main operations against the fortress. It has been argued that since Liege, Kamur and Antwerp were hammered into submission after a few days' bombardment the Russian operations against Przemysl have shown lack of enterprise and small strength of attack. But the position is not parallel, and Przemysl is rather to compared to Verdun, which, after nearly eight months of war. is atill inviolate. The Belgian defences were fixed, their ranges could lie taken to a foot, and they could be destroyed seriatim by the giant guns of the Ger- j Mans at ranges which render™ them immune from fire, their destruction being thus a matter of mathematical certainty. Verdun and Przcinvsl, On the other hand, have been defended by extensive field fortifications, mobile batteries, whose positions could not be located with absolute accuracy. keeping the enemy at a distance. At Przemysl a chain of villages ■urrounding the town was fortilicd, deep entrenchments were dug, and from their | •helter the Austrian garrison put up just such a fight as have the combatants | ii the siege battle of the Aisr.c. > SIIiG OF STEEL ROUND THE FORTRESS. j The sice ni Przemysl began early in September, and as far back as September X 3, its fall was prematurely announced The operations against the fortress formed part of the great attack upon Galicia which the Grand Duke Nicholas initiated as Boon a≤ his urmv was mobilised. I.embcrg. most easterly ill the chain of great fortresses, surrendered on Sept. 3. and .Jaroslav. on the San. an outpost fortress 'f Przemysl. was reduced a few days later, the Russians making an enormous haul of guns, munitions and provision*. Then the siege of Przemysl began in grim earnest. On September "21 the garrison general, yon Kusmanek. took the extreme step of ordering all who had not sufficient provisions for three months to leave the town, the rivil population of which was 50.001). while thy garrison numbered 30.000. On that date the roads to the south-west were tiie only ones open, but it was impossible to get further supplies in. By October 1 the town I •as completely isolated and an intermittent bombardment of tiie outer fort* I l»as in progress. J

WHEN THE SIEGE WAS RAISES. Then came the combined Austro-German advance on October 13 and 14, which drove the Russians north-east as a result of the weakening of the forces for the campaign in Poland. Jaroslav had to be evacuated for the moment. On October 20 the Russians were compelled to raise the siege of Przemysl. There were great rejoicings in Austria and Germany, but the military authorities realised that the respite was probably of short duration, and they hurried up huge reserves of stores and munitions, maintaining the garrison at its old strength of thirty thousand. Hardly had the townspeople realised the raising of the siege before the Russians began to apply the pressure again, and a new siege was quickly established, and after a few weeks' freedom the gsirrison was Again defending itself. The whole Austro-Cierman invasion of roland was crumbling, and Przemysl was the first to feel the effect of Russia's mastery. CAPTURING THE OUTPOST VILLAGES. The siege was conducted in sueli manner as to reduce the garrison with the minimum of loss to the attac-kors. The fortress was masked, and the operations in Ualicia went on almost unimpeded by its resistance, hut naturally progress was retarded by the break in the rail and road transportation in the beleaguered area. Heavy guns were brought up by the Russians, and the systeniati.- reduction of the fortress was begun. The Russians had first to take the outpost villages, and these, strongly entrenched and defended, both by guns of position and mobile batteries, put up a stout resistance. The isolation'of Przemysl was complete, its onli' means of communication being the wireless station and the tireless efforts of the aviators, who flew out daily with dispatches. Xo further supplies could be sent in, and though vast quantities of ammunition had been stored up in the arsenal, these were gradually depleted in returning the fire of the Russian guns. MAIN FORTRESS BROUGHT UNDER RUSSIAN GUNS. A .week ago onp of the outpost villages was captured, and apparently the Russians have since us?<l this as a base for the reduction of the other advanced defences, while for several days they have been within artillery rajige of the permanent fortifications. 'The reply to the bombardment »f these depleted the stock of munitions, and when the oncoming ring of ttee , . came within striking range of the main defences the exhausted and foodless garrison had either to capitulate or be battered into submission. During the progress of the siege the garrison made many vain sorties in their attempts to find a weak spot in the Russian linr. Kacli of tlie-w was driven back with heavy losses to the garrison, the la.it attempt, made at the end of last week, ending in a large number of the enemy being killed, and four thoiiiMuid falling into the hands of the Russians.