WAR CORRESPONDENT'S STORY.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 262, 5 November 1912, Page 5

WAR CORRESPONDENT'S STORY.

IRREVOCABLE DISASTER TO

THE TURKS,

(Received Nov. 4, 9.40 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 4

Mr Donohoe, the -Chronicle's war -correspondent, who was with tho Turks.at Chorlu, and who was one of tbe two English correspondents caught in the stampede, says that irrevocable disaster has befallen the Turks, followed by confusion and rout unparalleled since Moscow, the most complete military disaster'since Mukden, and the greatest debacle since Sedan. Forty thousand Turks have fallen, while Abdullah narrowly escaped the fate of 75 per cent, of his artillery, who were taken captive. The men melted like snow before the summer sun. The disintegration was soon general, and the demoralisation -complete. Handfuls of the army found their way back to Chorlu, the Bulgarian artillery cruelly harassing and wiow-ing them down in thousands. -Terrible .scenes burned themselves into the memory throughout the terrible fighting. The superiority of the Bulgarian artillery was pronounced, and the Turks were unable to withstand the murderous fire, and withdrew slowly: The Turkish gunners were dead and tho majority of the horses killed by the afternoon. The Turks were shelled at LuJeburgas, but the civilians previously fled; therefore the non-combatants' loss was insignificant. The Bulgarians launched an. infantry attack and stormed the town at the bayonet point. The greater part of the Turks

CABLE SEWS. !

[BY JELECTBIO IELEGRAPH —COPYRIGISX. J

had withdrawn, but therrea r guard was caught like a rat in a trap. The fourth corps, though foodless for two days, stubbornly resisted and died to a; man. At the railway station four .miles from Luleburgas the Bulgarians were checked for a couple of hours. Here the Turkish cavalry were concentrated, under Salih Pasha and Feude Pasha. As the Bulgars approached they were exposed' to an unexpected raking fire from batteries posted on the hills round the station. The shrapnel tore through the ranks, and then Salih's cavalry, dashing from their concealment, swept like a tornado upon the exposed infantry. The Bulgarians turned and the cavalry rode them down, causing extraordinary havoc. Elatedly the Turks pursued, when suddenly the Bulgarian machine guns opened _fire, tumbling Turks and horses in a mangled mass. Few who entered the charge returned. Meanwhile the Bulgarian heavy artillery caused the Turkish garrison to retreat, but few reached the hills. , The Turkish artillery then concentrated their fire upon the town of Luleburgas. Houses were destroyed and many Bulgarians were killed' in the ruins. The Bulgarians got their artillery into position, «.nd a duel commenced. The Turkish positions were badly chosen, lacking cover, and they had no trenches for the supporting infantry.

The only ray of hope lay in Mukhtar's -..effort to rrelieve the pressure by turning the Bulgarians' left. Abdullah was unable to accede to the second corps' appeal for help at Bunarhissax, -where the ammunition was exhausted, nor could the centre comply with his request to hold the ground. At three, o'clock on Thursday a general sauve qua peut occurred, _ and everything was abandoned in til© stampede across the Thracian veldt. ' Seventy-five per cent, of the wounded wez-eiirijured'ihy the shrapnel. Out of two battalions which arrived at Luleburgas oh the day of the battle only six soldiers were alive .at sundown. The second corps caught six Bulgarian spies, who were court-martialled and shot.

The Turks lost heavily, but their severe' bombardment caused the Bul- • garians temporarily to evacuate - Luluburgasv Towards ithe evening the (Bulgarians' advance became more rapid. The .infantry pushed~f orward -with incrediblespeed and the, artillery took up their positions as coolly as •though in peace manoeuvres. They iJknew the range to a . nicety and the marksmanship was -superb .and mur r Tderous. The Turks were poorly supplied with ammunition, most of which was expended on the morning iof the:fight. ."Many-gunners stood to ttheir guns, unable to : reply, and j awaited the death which came .swiftly. The whole of the Turkish rfront was harassed by the terrible fire. As time progressed it 'became simply a carnage, men falling in hundreds. The appalling shell fire destroyed the morale of the troops., .and night fell •upon foodless and sleepless men, for the Bulgarians seemed endowed with relentless energy. The dead cumbered the ground. 'Doctors were-few, :and there were no ambulances. The ■greater portion of the wounded tperished during :the bitter cold night. The retreat for perhaps an hour m ras orderly, btst pressure from the rear reduced the vanguard to a rout. Two 'hours afteri sunrise the Bulgarians learned >what had happen©!! t© Abdullah's army, and started in prarsuit. They occupied Sakzjog without a shot being fired in defence.