THE BATTLE OF THE STOCHOD

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2824, 15 July 1916, Page 9

THE BATTLE OF THE STOCHOD

ARTILLERY DUEL PROCEEDING GERMAN COUNTER-ATTACK NEAR THE LOWER STRIPA ' AustraJian-New Zealand Cable Aseociation. ... (Rec.-July 14, 8.-10 p.m.) ' PatrOQrad, July 13. A Russian official communique states; "Artillery actions continue on the Stoc. hod; Fighting 'is- proceedvng at various places 11 Galicia. Westward of the Lower Stripa tie enemy is energetically counter-attacking." ■ . ' . GEE MAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE' • London, July 1.1. -. A German'communique states:—"General voii Bothmei - , by an encircling counter-attack''.north' of' Olesiza, north-west of Buszacz,'' drove back the Rus-. sians." GEEMAN LOSSES IN PRISONERS, ' ' London, July 13. Upwards of thirty thousand Germans have been taken'prisoner since the -beginning of the Russian offensive. ' SEVEN GERMAN ARMY CORPS. BROUGHT UP, ' (United Service.) • (Rec. July H, 8.-10 p.m.) ' Petrograd, July-IS. Mr. Hamilton Fyfe, the British war correspondent, says:—"l have been semiofficially assured that seven German army corps have been detached-from other fronts in order to try and stop General Brusiloff's offensive—four from France, and the rest from tho north and central Russrau fronts.'" VIVID BATTLE PICTURE ■ - MAD CHARGES BY GERMAN INFANTRY.

("The Times.") ; \ . . . .. .. .... (Rec. July 14, 5.40 p.m.) Petrogratf.'July 13. Th 6 "Timess" Petrograd correspondent describes the counter-offensive on the Kovel.front:—"lt was 'planned at a special meeting attended by Generals von Linsingen, von. Mackensen, and von Hindenburg. . Tho. concentration of troops" . at various, points, masking unprecedontiedly- violent attacks from the, Zublino-, Zaturce sector, 'was preceded by u most violent, artillery bombardment, which ploughed the Russian first lines; The defenders took "refuge in shell-pits,.nnd .. the first of their assailniits, the 'Austria ns, were allowed to approach within sixty yards, when the Russians volley-fired at point-blank range, until the entire space in-front of the trenches was strewn with corpses. The Austrians fled in disorder, but the German guns greeted them with a tornado of shrapnel, mowing them, down in hundreds,. so the remain d'er frantically dashed to and fro between the two fires, with up'U'ted hands. The Russians savod'Boo of them. "The German infantry then replace d the Austrians, and displayed incredible obstinacy, despite their awful losses, hurling themselves on the Russian bayonets, as though impelled by a savage re ligious estasy. Even those who were mortally wounded pressed forward madly,, yelling: 'To Liisk!' These charges cost the Russians superhuman efforts to repel. The Russians found among the German dead some of their comrades with their throats cut/ and over their mutilated bodies they swore that they would take no prisoners. "There is a fierce struggle along the whole length on both banks of ihe • Stochod. • • The Germans are massing all their available reserves from other fronts, and .are evidently resolved to defend Kovel to the last'.gasp." MILITARY SITUATION REVIEWED Australian-New Zealand Cable Association.. ■ London, July 13. The "Daily Telegraph's" correspondent nt Petrograd says that an explana- ' tory statement by the Russian Staff destiny with the situation.on the Stochod.' states that the battle front stretches for a hundred.mile's, and mostly coincides with the valley of the Stochod. Both banks of the river between the two railways which converge at Kovel are in Russian hands, but further north the , Germans in some place's retain tho eastern bank. There are indications that five additional German corps have been deployed at the Stochod. Of these, three are from France, and-tho remainder from other parts of the Russian front. The fight for Baranovitclii covers a front of thirty or forty miles. The Russians are firmly established on the newly-won ground, but progress is retarded by the strength of tho enemy's lines and the obstinacy of tlie defence. The Russians hold a position within, sis miles of the railway junction, which is strategically almost equal to'Kovel iu importance. ,HIGH REVELS ON THE BRINK OF DISASTER . "WHAT TWO AUSTRIAN ARCHDUKES WERE DOING. London, July 13. The newspaper "Mattino" (published at Naples) has reported that when the offensive began Archdukes Frederick nnd Ferdinand were in the midst '■ of a hair-drunken revel at Lusk, celebrating; the former's birtlnlay. Neither was in a iit condition to conduct operations. The Emperor Francis Joseph refuses an audience to Aruhduke Frederick, holding that he is mainly responsible for the reverses at Lusk on June 4. '. AUSTRIAN GOVERNMENT OF BUKOWINA ADRIFT. (Rec. July 14, 8.25 p.m.) Amsterdam,' July 13 The German newspaper "Berliner Tageblatt" states that an Austrian message announces that owing fo the pressure of military events tho Austrian Bukowinian Administrative Department has been removed from Donia Watra to IColozavar. POLITICAL CRISIS THREATENS BULGARIA FALL OF M. RADOSLAVOFF PREDICTED. ' (Rec. July 11, B.JO p.m.) Amsterdam, July 14. Telegrams from Sofia state M. Ghenadieff nnd his party expect to eause the downfalf of M. Radoslavoff (the Bulgarian Premier) within a week. The M'tu'a- i t.ion is more acute in consequenco of the misery throughout the country. GERMAN OFFICERS MURDERED. , (Router's Telegram.) London, July 13. Renter's Bucharest correspondent reports that recent arrivals from Bulgaria state that a Bulgarian regiment mutinied and murdered the German officers. Another regiment was sent to punish the mutineers, but joined them. MINOR EVENTS IN MESOPOTAMIA ' 1 (Router's Telegram.) (Rec. July U, 8.40 p.m.) London, July 14. Headquarters in Mesopotamia reports minor encounters, in which we pnnishet* artillery and aircraft ineffectually bombarded our lines at '. .Sanna-i-Yat,"

RUSSIAN OPERATIONS IN THE CAUCASUS THE OFFENSIVE WEST OF ERZEEUM. (Kec. July U, 8.10 p.m.) Petrograd, July 13. A Russian official communique statos: "Our offensive westward of the Erzerum meridian is successfully developing. The Turks at several points made futile counter-attacks." ' "Our torpedo boats in tlio Black Sea captured a Turkish steamer, and also a mail steamer and tiro tugboats." '