FIGHTING IN THE BALKANS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15170, 9 December 1912, Page 9

FIGHTING IN THE BALKANS

BATTLE OF LULE BURGAS

FLIGHT OF THE TURKS.

AVAR CORRESPONDENT'S FLIGHT.

[FROM OCII OWN CORRESrO-VDEXT.]

Stdset, December *. Ax account of the second groat battle, of the Balkan war has been telegraphed to the ♦Sydney Morning Herald from Fremantle, where the R.M.S. Malwa, with the English mail up to November 8, arrived yesterday. The battle was fought some distance to the south of Kirk Kilisse. over the long lino from Lule Burgas, on tho west, to Aiza, on the east. Between these two is Chorlu, where the Turkish regiments havo been concentrating all the time, and where the fleeing troops from Kirk Kilisse were rallied. Out of the vague scattered details it is at last possiblo to say that the Bulgarians first attacked and '• defeated. the Turkish western wing at Lule Burgas, and afterwards drove in tho Turkish centre at Chorlu. But in the raeantimo tho Turks had been doing much better at tho othor end of their lines. They had attacked and driven back tho eastern wing of the Bulgarians, and it was not until the rest of tho Turkish line had been cleared from tho country that it occupied that the Bulgarians began to turn tho tables on tho eastern wing. The second battle really comprised thro© battles; all the fully-detailed descriptions so far received refer to the two smaller engagements—those on tho west and in tho centre. This part of the battle was fought out on a barren rolling plain, baro of trees, typical "downs" country by all accounts. It was after two days' fighting against overwhelming odds that tho Turkish first division on tho western wing of their army gave way. Practically they had not been supplied with ammunition, arid tho men had not been supplied with food. Tho commander of this wing of tho army> Abdullah, had had a piece ot stale bread for his only food all day. When it was reported to him after dark that tho extreme left had given way, ho sent his fetv remaining cavalry to stop tho retreat. Instead of stopping it, they joined it. Mr. Donohoe, tho war correspondent of the Chronicle, thus describes what followed: " The wretched commander of tho Turkish forces," ho says, "fully recognising tho hopelessness of the situation on tho extreme loft, gave the order for the retreat. And ho himself mounted his horse, discarding his overcoat and hat, and, leaving his staff to take care of themselves, attended by two orderlies, joined also in the retreat. In the darkness of tho night the Turkish commander pursued his way towards a small village 10 miles to the south-east, in tho vain hop© of yet saving tho army by stemming the retreat of the centre. It is difficult to conceal ill rows. Abdullah may havo been actuated bv the best possible intentions, but his departure was the worst possiblo step. It brought disaster. I

A General Stampede.

"In the darkness of the wintry morning the whole army broke away, and made a concerted bolt for the road leading to the rear. My own part in tb'.j stampede," continues Mr, Donohoe, " began in the open Thrace Weldt, near Sakizkoj. Having informed the Turkish censors that I refused any longer to abide by the stupid and vexatious press regulations, one of which demanded that messages should be written in Turkish, I early broke away from the correspondents' concentration camp." Mr. Donohoe started to motor to Rodosto to send the first telegram about the battle. ' After dark the motor sank in a mud hole, and Mr. Donohoe, with his chauffeur and dragoman, was left stranded on the open country beside it. What followed may be told in a condensed form in his own words: "Five soldiers who had wandered in our direction proved very friendly," he says. " For a loaf of bread they consented to mount guard throughout the night. Suddenly a long moaning sound fell on our ears. It was like tho sound of waves beating on a far distant shore. Tho murmur grew nearer, and presently a long straggling lino of soldiers appeared in sight. It was the advance guard of the retreating army. Some dragged themselves painfully along; many, unable to crawl further, cast themselves on the ground. For perhaps an hour the retreat was carried out in good order; but subsequently pressed by the mass behind, the vanguard lost semblance of an organised army. "•My own position became more perilous each moment. The motor car became involved in the midst of tho main stream of tho retreating Turks, which flowed in a long uneven line across the plain as far as tho eye could sec. Those of the rabble who could get near the car begged bread, which, alas, I was not in a position to supply. To these succeeded soldiers with ugly gaping wounds, their faces swollen and "distorted with pain. They jumped at the conclusion that I was a. doctor, and implored me to dress their injuries. As far as my small of lint and bandages would go, I applied first aid. The more seriously wounded came next, limping forward, usually with gaping shell wounds in tho upper part of the body. Seventy-five per cent, of the wounded whom we saw had" been hit by shrapnel.

Imprisoned Motor Car.

" The enemy's guns had been drawing nearer and nearer our mud-imprisoned car. and we despaired of escaping. By noon shells were whirling round us, and struck some of the fugitives. The rear reached our car by one o'clock. Shells began falling, varying the ping-ping of rifle bullet?. Up to then our efforts to extricate the motor car failed. At my canesfc appeal the soldiers turned aside from their weary march to help us, but, enfeebled by want of food, they were unablo to move it an inch. Having exhausted their strength, they sank down by the motor, and remained there. Capture now seemed inevitable, and they decided to 'burn the motor, rather than permit it to fall into the hands of the Bulgarians. The chauffeur, a French boy, was overcome with sorrow and despair, and. pulling out his revolver, he declared that ho, would die by the sido of the motor. Each moment we feared being struck down by shrapnel. The moment when the situation was blackest., three span of oxen attached to a waggon hove in eight o'er the crest of the ridge. Three pairs of eager arms unhitched the oxen before the sight of the astonished driver, and attached them to the car. The poor 'brutes strained at the yoke, the auto, bounded forward, and we were free."

SIEGE OF SCUTARI.

LADYBMITH OF. THE BALKANS.

BRAVERY OUTSIDE AND IN.

[from omi owir coniiEseosDEST.j

London, November 1. .Scutari is the Ladysmith of the Balkans. Here, at least, the Turks are putting up a good fight, and the Montenegrins are having no end of trouble. A French correspondent in the town writes :— " On the first outbreak of hostilities the little steamers and sailing boats stopped their trading (in tho frontier, and men of any age from 15 to 60, inspired by the traditions of five centuries, and with the spirit of war in their hearts, have mostly gone to Albania. Only the women remain behind to do the necessary work. Hidden by mists, they traverse the the defiles, and the beds of rivers, barefooted, so that they cannot be heard. They aro busy carrying food to husbands and "sons. It was one of these women who, within the last two days, journeyed across the mountain to carry bread and meat to her three sons. Bashi-Bazouks enrolled in the Turkish army, who was my guide and my guard. At night the inhabitants do not stir outside their houses. Chain-fastened front doors keep out the indiscreet intruder. An agonising silence hangs heavilyover the dead town. When suddenly a dog barks its sound echoes strangely from the hill.

" Scutari sleeps without expectancy between her two great fortresses, Tara'bosch and Tepe. These, with their enoijnous ramparts, their rigid counterscarps and deep entrenchments, from which project no fewer than 60 cannon are like modem fortifications. _ Nearly 15,000 soldiers form the garrison. Every province of Turkey, every country of Islam is represented among them. They are brave, it is true, and they are capable of an astonishing cruelty. " When not fighting, that is to say, when they aro at : home, they show neither joy nor laughter, nor enthusiasm. Squatting or I/ing down, the X thg $?£& HfiS WHS $£

men who fill their hours of idleness with ceaseless telling of beads,' or gazing vacantly at a stone, a tree, or even at the bottom of a glass. "Provisions have failed. Our bread is a mixture -of barley and maize. Meat is scarce and very dear ti fowlsp have reached a prohibitive price. The hotel-keeper who supplies us, a ruffian, half Italian half Turk, makes us pay very dearly, and feeds us on minute dishes, for which he exacts the highest possible price. We have to make up the deficiency of our menu with jam, for there is not a house, however poor, which has not large stocks put by." Outside the Montenegrins are working their guns with wonderful coolness and gallantry. "One thing which we shall not .readily forget," writes a correspondent, "is the magnificent feat which the Montenegrins accomplished in ever getting their guns 400 ft. up the steep hillside of Muritzan. General Martinovitch said to me, with a graphic gesture : ' You can imagine what it Was like. Bain was falling heavily, and the guns were all man-hauled. Is car one of the guns lay a blood-stained shell carrier, which, with its deadly load, •was yesterday on the point of being lifted to the gun-breach when Turkish shrapnel slew one Montenegrin artilleryman and wounded another. Within ten seconds the very shell, ensanguined as it was, crashed into the Tarabo6ch forts, and vengeance having been done, the gunners removed their dead and wounded comrades." 'A Another correspondent says : " The r Mqnß tonegrin guns are numerous and ofitefif-*? calibre. How the soldiers over goffgHigF up and into position is marvcllouß*sp«ch roads or tracks as existed were quit! impracticable, and more than a foot deep in , mire. Yet the soldiers have trudged along \ these heavy roads for miles without a grumble. In order to get their guns into position on the commanding mountain facing Tarabosch the Montenegrins have had to construct a military road for miles, I am told they worked at it night and day for the better part of a fortnight."