HOW THE RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE WAS COMMENCED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16583, 5 July 1917, Page 5

HOW THE RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE WAS COMMENCED.

ATTACKS BETWEEN KONIUCHY AND BRZEZANY.

ENEMY'S LINES CARRIED AT MANY POINTS.

Australian and N.Z. Cable. (Received 11 p.m.) PETROGRAD. July 3 The following particulars of the commencement of the new Russian offensive have been supplied authoritatively. A portion of an army corps and a Finland division attacked under violent fire, and took two lines of trenches north of Koniuchy, 45 miles south-west of Tarnopol, afterwards repulsing counter-attacks. Some regiments suffered severely, especially in officers. On the rest of this sector the Russian artillery continues to demolish the enemy's trenches, the enemy replying vigorously.

In the section where the army corps was engaged, Russian troops carried all the trenches on the slopes of Mount Sredniayogoura, east of Koniuchy, which was strongly defended. The Russians occupied Koniuchy and the forest west thereof as far as Korf torrent, and the whole of the trenches south of Koniuchy, capturing many prisoners and machine-guns.

Part of a trans-Amur division, after capturing the western outskirts of the village of Scbibalius and all three lines of trenches in the forest of Lischon, deployed north of the forest, where it entrenched. The enemy was violently bombarding the forest of Brzezany, about 15 miles nearer Tarnopol, but the Russians attacked this forest. Detachments of a division of infantry carried two lines of trenches north-west of Zolnouchi, and a Siberian army corps carried two lines of trenches south-west of Potontory. Other troops captured the whole of the first and part of the second and third lines of trenches east and southeast of Mitchischow.

All the places mentioned in this message lie between Koniuchy, 45 miles south-west of Tarnopol and Brzezany, almost due west of, and 15 miles nearer, TariiopoL The fightmg front was south and a little west of Zloezov, a town on the Tcrnopol-Lemberg railway, on which the Russians are now reported to be advancing.