BULGAR OFFENSIVE IN DOBRUDJA ARRESTED

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 218, 12 September 1916, Page 5

BULGAR OFFENSIVE IN DOBRUDJA ARRESTED

RUSSIAN FLEET'S BOMBARDMENT CRUSHES RIGHT WING.

ENEMY COMPELLED TO EVACUATE DOBRIC. VARNA CAUGHT BETWXTEN TWO FIRES. (New Zealand Press Association.—Copyright) [Australian and M.Z. Cable Association.] (Received 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, September 11. A Bucharest telegram states the enemy attacked Silistria with many 12in and 16iin guns, and in a few hours destroyed the forts. The garrison retired in good order. The Bulgarian offensive on the Dobrudja has been arrested. The Russian fleet's formidable bombardment of Balchik crushed the Bulgarian right, causing the evacuation of Dobric, in the Southern Dobrudja, ten miles from the Bulgarian frontier. The Bulgarians reported the evacuation of Varna in consequence of tlie Russian advance along the coast cutting the Varna-Dobnidja railway, coupled with the fleet's bombardment, taking Varna between two firer. Yon Mackens-an has swung his centre forward upon Turtukai and Silistria, while his wing faced south-east on a line based on Dobric and the coastal town of BaJtchik. A week ago the flanking force took Baltchik and moved up to the Dobric. whence the Rumanians, who were only in skirmishing force, retired. The fact that the invaders havo already had to surrender the town is significant, for it shows that the Rumanians and their Russian allies have overcome the difficulties of communication in the Dobrudja. The distance from the point wlicre the Russians crossed the Danube to the Bulgarian frontier is over ISO The only important railway in the province is that leading from the port of Coustanza, on the. Black Sea. coast, westward to Bucharest- This line traverses the most narrow portion of tho province about Salf-way between the Bcssarabian and Bulgarian frontiers. Keui is fully 77 miks due north of this railway, but tlie Russians on the southward march would have to cover a much greater distance than this. The main road leads away to the eastward from the point where the Russians entered Dobrudja, and does not take a turn tn the Fouth until it reaches Tultcha, over 25 miles south-east of Reni, where it strikes away to Constanza. about 70 niiles due south. This represents only a little over half of the Russians' journey, but it is difficult to say what course they are likely to follow after reaching the railway. The Bulgarian invasion of Dobrudja is apparently being made for two reasons. In the first place, it may attract Rumanian troops, who might otherwise be used in connection with the Transylvania campaign, and, in the second place, it will allow the Bulgarians to meet the Russian advance on Rumanian territory. But the Russo-Rumanian progress near the coast-line offers a direct flanking menace to Mackenson's advance, while the rapid evacuation of both Dobric and Varna indicates that the strength of the flanking force is very considerable, perhaps sufficient to make Mackenscn pause in his projected drive on Bucharest.