A SECRET CONCENTRATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 240, 7 October 1916, Page 5

A SECRET CONCENTRATION.

CROSSING OF THE DANUBE.

HOW IT WAS EFFECTED.

A HAZARBOtS EXPERIMENT.

(Australian and X.Z. Cable Association.)

LONDON, October 6

Mr. Hilaire Belloc points out that the Rumanians surprised General Mackensen by unexpectedly crossing the Danube marshes, utilising a belt of sandbanks amid the marshes. The sandbanks form a natural causeway uniting the villages of Fomigil and Floranda. Bucharest is only an hour's journey by r*H, and tho Rumanians were able secretly to pile up munition stores. It -was a hazardous experiment, but the approach to the Danube was masked by a belt of marshy •woodland. Thus General Mackensen was ignorant of the concentration until the Rumanians crossed the Danube by means of the islands, and held the bridgehead near Rabovo. The Bulgarians realising the effect of the. news of General Mackensen's danger might have upon Greece and neutrals published a lying communique claiming to have dispersed fifteen Rumanian battalions afßahovo.

Meanwhile there is excellent news of General Sarrail's offensive, continues Mr. Belloc. The British are threatening the enemy's railway.communications between Rupel and Seres. The Serbians on the right, the French in the centre, and the Russians on the left, have continued the advance, which is within five miles of Monastir, before which the Bulgarians occupy a line of defences. After tho Bulgarian counter-attacks had been broken the Serbian-advance assumed the character of a pursuit. The Allies have already regained over 40 square miles of Serbian territory.