Great Struggle in Russia.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 10174, 13 September 1915, Page 5

Great Struggle in Russia.

ENEMY STRIVING FOR DECISIVE BLOW. SPLENDID RUSSIAN SUCCESSES. Received September 13, 8.55 a.m. PETROGRAU, Sept. 12. Official: Summing up the situation the entire Austro-German forces from one side to the other are striving to deliver a decisive blow. A series of German attacks in the direction of Dvinsk were Tepuised. A German aeroplane bombarding the hospital train near Ponemounek was brought down between Smenta and Vilna.

Strong forces of tho enemy opened a vigorous offensive eastward of Wilkomir. The enemy are advancing along tho Dvinsk road and neighbouring roads in that direction. The principal effort with tho assistance of strong field and siege artillery is southward of the Dvinsk road. Simultaneously large forces of the enemy are advancing in the region of Chirvinty, their general direction being Wilkomir. Towards Svienthiany we repulsed repeated attacks. On the Ozery-Skidel front Skidel passed from hand to hand, and finally, alter a brilliant assault by one of our battalions, Skidel remained in our hands. Our cavalry aided by infantry which dislodged the Germans from the trenches southward of Skidel eagerly pursued the enemy. There was a desperate fight on the river Zelwianka, southward of the Niemen. A battery was entirely destroyed, and we thereafter easily stopped attacks. Near Zelva, despite asphyxiating gases, we replied serious assaults, and maintained our positions on the right bank of tho Zelwianka after completely clearing the enemy from whole of this bank. We held up the enemy in the direction of Rozhany and Rovno.

Austrian attacks were resumed on both banks of the Goryn, but we held up the enemy on the right bank, despite poisonous gases, several detachments being destroyed by our fire.

We broke the enemy's obstinate opposition in the Tanopcl region on Saturday. Prisoners state that the newly-formed Sixth "attalion of Chasseurs was entirely destroySSL e cnemy fled - lcav '"S 39 officers and <jyUU men in our hands. A company of motor quick-firers actively helped us. The enemy retreated towards the Dneister. We repelled furious attacks southwards of Tarnopol, and expelled the enemy from Tioust prisonering 800. Enemy spbmarines are reported on the Crimean coast.

A Zeppelin flew over and threw bombs on the Baltic ports. Our seaplanes bombed the German ships a t Windau

AUSTRIANS SUFFER HEAVILY. DELIGHT IN PARIS. Tl„> p • n GENEVA, Sept. 12. The Russian offensive on the Seretii (Eastern Gahcia) ha s reached the Lemnurg Lubno railway, where the Austro-Gcr-mai.s, are vainly resisting the advance nrc • , «r p ETROGRAD, Sept. 11. umciaJ: Wo continued our successes in the Tiembovla and Tchortkoff sectors on lliurnlay and took 500 prisoners. Our troops are advancing on the left tank o. tho Dwina, fighting a 3 they go. I h > enemy, supported by strong artillerv developed a series of attacks in the directions of Skidd and the lower Zelvianka hut, we repulsed the attacks. The Gor mans renewed the offensivs accompanied by severe lire by heavy and light artillerv. Our batteries again repelled the attacks lhe bcrmans greatly increased their fire •ind renewed the attempt to pieroour front, Wit our concntrated artillery repulsed them a third time.

Wo repulsed attacks near Rojang by closo range fire and bayonet charges. The enen y then drove .<i large number of inhabit ai.ts forward, under cover of whom they approached nearer our positions. The enemy bombarded our troops at Krezi.et?. with asphyxiating shells. The Austrians after their great losses at lien-.IKA-la-Tchortkoft' retreated precipit atelv.

In general our armies are calmly confident in themselves and tho initiative in these isolated engagements is gradually passing into our hands.

PARIS. Sept, 11. A communique says: The French papers comment, on tho battles at Trembovla, and point out with enthusiasm to the development of the operations which has brought, about Russian' success, as showing the magnificent resources of morale and material which the Russian army preserve* after a. retreat conducted in such good order.

HUGE GERMAN TRANSPORT DIFFICULTIES. DASTARDLY TREATMENT OF REFUGEES: Received September 13, 9.30 a.m. LONDON, Sept. 12. The Observer's correspondent at Petrog'rad says the Germans are advancing in country burnt and devastated by the retreating Russian army and population. Refugees move eastward in whole parishes headed by priests. Sometimes enemy patrols overtake the refugees, capture the priests, beat the men and carry off the young women.

The Germans, instead of finding food in tho conquered territory, are obliged to draw nearly the whole from Germany. The only aid rendered by the Russians is steadily to reduce the number of Germans who must be fed, clothed and transported. s The main result of the invasion has been to stimulate Russian organisation and power to an unprecedented degree. Organisation is no longer left to the Government. Every man and woman is thinking about organisation, especially munitions.

KAISER REPEATS NAPOLEON'S BLUNDER. THE PROBLEM OF THE RUSSIAN WINTER. (Times and Sydney Sun Services.) Received September 13, 9.0 a.m. LONDON, Sept. 11. Colonel Repington, the Times' military expert, says it is the supreme merit of the Grand Duke Nicholas and his officers that they remained deaf to all threats and entreaties which might have prevented weaker men from withdrawing their unbeaten armies and from declining a decisive battle. The armies are now out of danger, with secure lines of retreat, within a few weeks of the bad season and with wasted country behind them. The Ger-

mans, must decide whether the armies must be sheltered for the winter or perish. In 1812 Napoleon misunderstood the Russians. The Germans to-day are reproducing the misunderstanding. It is on parallel fronts so hateful to the Germans and against successive and well-defended positions that the Germans are faced with the perplexing problem whether to halt till tho spring or embark on a winter campaign, attempting to capture Petrograd and Kiev.

GREAT ENEMY FORCES. LONDON, Sept. 12. Router's Petrograd correspondent says there art* two and a-hnlf million AustroGtrmans on the Russian front—twentyeight Gorman Corps on tlio Baltic-Lithu-ania front, twenty Austro-Gorman in the Piripet region, and twelve Gorman an 1 thirty Austrian in Galieia, including eleven Austrian and nine Gorman cavalry divisions.

The Germans are feverishly restoring Kovrio. Two forts have been constructed on tho eastern side and two continuous linos of concreted trenches between tho inner ana tho outer forts, and guns of the heaviest calibre are being mounted.

HOW ANANIAS TELLS THE TRUTH. GERMAN WIRELESS COMEDY. Received September 13, 10.25 a.m. LONDON, Sept. 12. A French official wireless points out that "the Wolff Agency at four in the afternoon of the Bth denied the official Petrograd statement announcing the defeat of two German divisions, but tho Russian statement was not issued until 11 o'clock in the evening. This premature denial informed Europe of the Russian success eight hours sooner than it would otherwise have been known.

OFFICIAL REPORTS. AMSTERDAM, Sept. 11. A Berlin communique says: Hindenberg. south-east of Fredrichstadt and east of Wilkomirz. prisonered 1050. The enemy aro still offering obstinate resistance between Jesiori and Zelwa, counter-attacking in strong force, and attempted to arrest our advances at Skidel, which could only be taken. Finally, during the night, after fighting with alternating success, we prisonered 2700 in this region. Prince Leopold is fighting with unabated violence, <ind forced the crossing of thr* Zelwianka at some points. Fighting for the railway station at K0630w is proceeding. Von Bothmcr repulsed severe counter-attacks, prisonering 300. 8

An Austrian communique states there was violent fighting westward on the middle Sereth, where the Russians were reinforced. An Austrian communique says:—Deuagno, on the Goryu, is in our hands. Strong Russian forces near 'jGarnopol attempted to enter the Austro-Germpin positions, but were repulsed with heavy losses. Further south we withdrew our Serctih front to the heights eastward of Strypa tcfore .superior forces. Heavy fighting is. preceding on the heights westward of the Lower Sereth. Wo stormed the stubbornly defended village of Alba, westward of Koszow.'

AMSTERDAM, Sept. 11. A Berlin message says: —A naval airship successfully bombarded a Russian Baltic fort and the railways and returned undamaged.

EXHAUSTING HER MANHOOD. COPENHAGEN 1 , Sept. 11. It is estimated in Berlin that the recent alterations in the military law will add 300,000 to the a,rmv iind a fresh alteration is ready if/the additiomal men prove insufficient.