THE ROUT OF THE TURKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15142, 5 November 1912, Page 7

THE ROUT OF THE TURKS.

AN IRREVOCABLE DISASTER

"GREATEST DEBACLE SINCE

SEDAN."

LOSS OF 40,000 SOLDIERS.

"MEN MELT LIKE SNOW."

A TERRIBLE ARTILLERY FIRE

TURKS MOWED DOWN IN

THOUSANDS.

(Received November A, 11.5 p.m.) London, November 4.

Mr. Donohue, the Daily Chronicle's correspondent, who .is with the Turks at' Chorlu, is one of the two English ; correspondents who were caught in the stampede after the battle of Lule ■Burgas. He says :— ' ".An irrevocable' disaster has befallen the Turks, followed by confusion and rout, which has been unparalleled since th<9 retreat of Napoledri's army from Moscow in 1812. It is the most complete military disaster since Mukden (in the Russo-Japanese war): the greatest debacle since the surrender of Sedan by the French to the Germans in 1870. Enormous Losses. . "Forty thousand Turks have fallen, while Abdullah Pasha narrowly escaped the fate of 75 per cent, of his artillery force, who were made captives. " 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 mowing them down in thousands. "Terrible scenes, which burned themselves on the memory, occurred during the engagement. Terrible Artillery Fire. "Throughout all the terrible fighting the superiority of the Bulgarian artillery was pronounced. The Turks were unable to withstand the murderous fire, and withdrew slowly. The gunners were dead and the majority of the horses killed by the afternoon. " The Turks were shelled at Lule Burgas. The civilians had previously fled, and therefore the noncombatants' loss was insignificant. "The Bulgarians launched infantry 1 attacks and stormed ,the town at the bayonet's point. " The greater portion of the Turks were withdrawn, but the rearguard were caught like rats in a trap.?' Check to the Bulgarians.

Mr. Donohue, in continuing his narrative, states that the fourth corps, although without food for two days, stubbornly resisted, and died to a man.

At the railway station, four miles from Lule • Burgas, the Bulgarians were checked for a couple of hours. Here the Turkish cavalry was concentrated under Salih Pasha and Feud Pasha.

As the Bulgarians approached, they were exposed to an unexpected and raking fire from batteries posted on the hills around the station.

Shrapnel tore gaps in the ranks of the Bulgarians,, and then Salih Pasha's cavalry dashing from their place of concealment, swept like a tornado upon the exposed infantry. The Bulgarians turned, and the cavalry rode them down, causing extraordinary havoc. Work of Bulgarian Machine Guns. In their elation the Turks pursued the enemy, when suddenly the Bulgarian machine guns opened fire, tumbling' Turks tod horses into a .mangled mass,.

A few who had entered upon the charge returned

Meanwhile the Bulgarians' heavy artillery caused the Turkish garrison to retreat, but a few reached the hills.

The Turkish artillery was then concentrated on the town of Lule Burgas. Many houses were destroyed, and a large number of Bulgarians were killed in the ruins.

The Bulgarians then got . their artillery into position and a duel commenced.

The Turkish position was badly chosen, and was lacking in cover, whilst there were no trenches for supporting the infantry; A Severe Bombardment. The Turks lost heavily, but their severe bombardment caused the Bulgarians to temporarily evacuate Lule Burgas.

Towards evening the Bulgarians' advance became more rapid. The infantry pushed forward at. an incredible speed, and the artillery took up positions as coolly as if they were taking part in peace manoeuvres, and knew their range to a nicety. Their marksmanship was superb, and their fire murderous! Turks Short of Ammunition. The Turks were poorly supplied with ammunition, most of which had been expended in the morning's 'fight. Many gunners who stood to their guns were unable to reply to the enemy's fire, and they, awaited death, which came swiftly. !

The Turkish front was harassed by a terrible fire, which as time progressed became simply carnage, men falling in hundreds.

The appalling shell fire destroyed the morale of the Turks.

▲ Foodless and Sleepless Army.

Night fell upon foodless and sleepless men, for the Bulgarians seemed endowed with relentless energy. The dead cumbered the ground. Doctors were few, whilst there were no ambulances. ■ The greater portion of the wounded perished during the bitter cold night.

The retreat, for perhaps an hour, was orderly, but pressure from the rear induced rout in the vanguard.

Two hours after sunrise the Bulgarians learned what ha"d happened to Abdullah Pasha's army, and started in pursuit. They then occupied SakzjoK without a shot being fired in defence. The Only Chance Fails. The Turks' only ray of hope, Mr. .Donohue states, lay in Mukhtar Pasha's effort to relieve the pressure by turning the Bulgarians'. left. Abdullah Pasha was unable to accede to the second corps' appeal for help at Bunar Hissar, where the ammunition was exhausted, nor could the centre company comply with his request to hold their ground. A Heavy Shrapnel Fire. At three o'clock on Thursday the general sauve qui peut took place, and everything was, abandoned. . In the. stampede across the Thracian Veldt 75. per cent., of the men were wounded or injured by the shrapnel fire. Two Battalions Destroyed. Out of two battalions which arrived at Lule Burgas on the day of the battle, only six men were alive at sundown. The second corps caught six Bulgarian spies and court-martialled and shot them-.