The North Otago Times. FRIDAY, JULY 13, 1917. RUSSIA'S MIGHTY THRUST.

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13931, 13 July 1917, Page 4

The North Otago Times. FRIDAY, JULY 13, 1917. RUSSIA'S MIGHTY THRUST.

The.welcomenewsof the Bususiii victory at Halicz, and the capture of that important strategical position recalls maiVy'ficrce and determined struggles for this town. Away back in August 1914, terrific fighting filled the days in the struggle against the Austro-Ger-man lines in Galicia. During the dosing stages of that fateful month, Eussky and Brusiloff, having junctioned.forces, lost no time

111 opening the. attack along the entire front. What is known is that the Russians attacked' with fury and with a disregard for life winch undoubtedly cost them very dearly. Again and again the bayonet charges were pushed home, and individual positions taken and re-taken. At the end of

two! days' desperate fighting, the Austrian front was still unbroken, but ..the battle was decided. To General Brusiloff and his. Corps Commander General Radko Dmit'.reff,;(tlie Bulgarian hero of Lule, Burgas and Kirk Kilissc) belong the honour of the crucial and'bril-liant-operation which determined

the fate of the battle. After forcing 'a crossing of the Zolta Lipa on August 26th, while his right wing made connexion with Russky in the north, Brusiloffs left swung wide to the south as far as the valley of the Dniester itself. It must have been.'an extraordinary march. The country is rough and not only devoid of railways, but almost innocent of roads. On August 30th, the main body of this" Banking force had arrived at Halicz, and on the following day the assault began. It .was a titanic struggle, but by nightfall on 31st August, a breach some kilometres wide had been made in the Austrian position. Once the line had

been pierced, the entire Austrian right gave way, and as the Russian official communique said at the time: "The Austrian army temporarily lost all fighting value,'' For many months the Russians pressed forward, but eventually a combination of German and Aus-

rian forces and the overwhelming upcriority of the enemy's artillery iompelled the Russians to with-

draw, and the stubborn retreat began. As' is welf-kuown, Halicz is the most powerful bridgehead n the Dniester. Lying in the midst , of a.maze of streams, it is, moreover, protected on the south by extreme forests. ■ It had 1 been originally fortified by the Austrians; but the Russians had added three new-lines of works. The attacking iAustro-Germnns arrived in the; neighbourhood of Halicz in the-'first week in June about ten months after they had b'e'en previously hurled out of the positions ori.ffic Dniester. Practically the entire army corps of General Hoffmann was detailed for the siege of the.:;bridgehcad. Eleven heavy Austrian batteries, including one of.the 30,5 cm, howitzers, wore brought against its fortifications. As jhe result of a whole fortnight of. liard and expensive labour, the Aii.stl'o-Gcrmans sue'eeeded in ..tak-.,. ingjie two outer lines of the fort-' ress>:< Then the Austrians sent floating" "mines down ' stream .against the wooden 'bridges and thus succeeded in destroying sev-

'oral of 'thorn, i; LargV Russians could no longer be kept on the right oi- southern bank ofthe Dniester, and preparations had to-'bc made for. the '.evacuation of Halicz. retreat of the Russians in the district further north L'ondoi'ecl it certain that this Dniester stronghold ulso would soon have to bo abandoned. .By June 29th, 1915, Halicz Avas again in the possession of the Austrians, and despite the terrific attacks of the Russians for many trying months, the position has defied the Russian forces; The fall of Halicz enabled the Altstro-Germans to. swarill across the Dniester and until now the Russians have not been able to repel the invaders. .The latest success of General Brusiloff is distinctly encouraging, and we may yet. see another Austrian retreat. With the renewal-of .the Russian activity in the centre of ithe Eastern front, backed by powerful artillery, the victorious advance of General Brusiloff should soon bring the Russians near Loinberg, and necessitate the cvaciuition of that town and the further withdrawal of the Austrian lines. That the Russians arc attacking in force is demonstrated by the capture of Halicz, and the whole of j civilisation hopes General Brusiloff and M. Kerensky will swing the full force of the Russian hammer into action and strike the common enemy a death-dealing blow.'