CHARGE OF DESPAIR

New Zealand Times, Volume XLI, Issue 9256, 25 January 1916, Page 2

CHARGE OF DESPAIR

RUTHLESS AUSTRIAN SACRIFICES

“■NO USE RUNNING; WE DIE

HERE.”

'M. Zoltan Eranyo, a prominent Hungarian author, who is serving with the forces at the Russian front as A.D.C. to a brigade commander, describes an attack on the Russian' linos in a Budapest journal.. The description is the more interesting as it gives an insight into the ruthless manner in which the Austrian commanders sacrifice their soldiers and waste their man-power out of pure personal ambition. I quote ' from the article as it appeared in the Budapest paper. One morning a young but greyhaired cavalry officer dropped into the hut called the brigade headquartersHe planted himself before the colonel, and reported: . • •. “ First-Ouieutenant Count Alvis von Estorhazy, I humbly report the dispatch of to-day’s dispositions.” Tho colonel then proceeded to read the instructions, which were to attack the Russians, of unknown strength, defending the village of Siemikovce, and to take the position at all costs. The last words were underlined. Ah hour’s artillery preparation was to precede the attack. TO BE TAKEN AT ALE COSTS. “You cannot expect me to do wonders with these ragged battalions,” he said. Esterhazy pointed by way of answer to the underlined passage.

“Well,” said the colonel,' “my con-science-■will be clear to-morrow.” *

The battalion commanders creep into the dug-out, stand beside each other, and salute' briskly. •'

“Servus Strohoffer!” “ Servus Lukacs!” . \ ■. -

They put their heads together at ttye opening, and the colonel,' emphasising every word, reads the order to them. “You understand thoroughly? You, Strohoffer, have a dng-but prepared for me "where '• you are at present, for, I wish to move ahead .also > to ,the edge of the wood. Till half-past one!’’ The time-passed very slowly, and the artillery preparation was slow to begin, I looked at my watch every now and then. Ten-thirty—eleven—'twelve. Wo were much depressed. Not even cigar had a soothing effect, and to talk was a burden. The news of .the attack had reached the men, for suddenly all of them began writing on; the pink-coloured field-service card, an in-, stinctive act invariable' before attacks. A general attack against fortified positions I ■ . - ;

At. midday: an artillery captain appeared.

' “Sauptmantt Preischutz!” he roared into his beard, and with a'picturesque gesture he informed us that he was to .prepare the attack with four field gnus., ; .

, wouldn’t last long,” we . told each other. “It’s ten past twelve now; in threequarters of an'hour the music will begin/’ The colonel is impatient and excited. “See what those foojs are doing. Why don’t they open: flref It is a quarter past one.” WHY THE GUNS DO NOT BEGUN. Still more delays. The colonel, looks at his watch again. It is ten minutes to two. He calls' to the artillery captain :

“What’s going on there, - caiftain; are you never going to firo? In ton minutes we must" begin- the attache The artillery chptain murmurs something between' his teeth about the fog, that he cannot, see and accofnpanies ft with, something like a grumble about being' unnecessarily hurried- The colonel shouts to the telephonist: ■ ' .“Report to the division that I am going to attack Without; artillery preparation. If the "worst comes we can

(ill die there,” We descended very slowly on the steep hillside among bushes and old pines. At the oottom of the hill Captain Strbhoffer was already waiting for us. ■Ho lifted hie arm as high as no could } and when he saw that they were all looking he suddenly pulled it down. This was the signal. The whole line as far :as one could see for the fog began to move ahead, stooping and creeping; though the at this point went up hill, there was no danger of the enemy's discovering us. We must have moved along lor another five minutes to reach the top ot the .hill, At this juncture; fe '"’ shots were fired, but before wo could discover that the enemy was aware of our movements the bullets were whistling around usi in masses. One heard the usual remarks; “A near .shavel” or (I My God, lam hitl oi "‘Lie down, ‘.captain; here is good cover!” But the captain went ahead in the fog, and'with his two arms and his magnetic influence ho drew the line along with him. .FORWARD INTO. THE TRAP.

The officers, shouted continually; "Forward! Forward! Forward!” but by this time we had reached the wire fences, and this time it was '“Lie down!” The captain and the 'rest of us - lay down as flat on the ;ground, as possible, and the men began cutting the wire without waiting for orders. I could hear the noise of the big scissors for a while, lint u was quite clear that tho four machine guns, which must have been directed on the fegees beforehand, wero working .havoc among the men, . The captain shouted* “Forward!" and three of us, the . captain, the, telephonist, ‘ and myself, began to mpve ahead, but: the rest- did not ‘ move. A thick line oL men lay under the'wire fence, and as they ■ -persistent.iy declined to move it scorned evident that they were dead. A little further back we heard others hurrahing, a dozen of our men also rushed in tile direction, from ..which- the bullets capio. and' tor', a ■ second' I fitought wo were also rushing, to our dopm.. 1 lost my •breath and felt a deep sting in my side‘and 'could run no. further. 1 tell headlong on the ground, end the captain followed, pressing his head to the ■earth* ' ■ ■ , , , . , He shouted back to tlie telephonist, “Report that I am just going to attach.'' ' -■ The telephonist follows the instruction, repeats jt very loudly, and then looks at us. They are terrible moments. ■ , . • _ • ‘The General orders us to return to the original positions.” he says. The colonel looks at him m amazement.,: i , 5 ... - .... “Are you mad? I get within -t feet distance of the position, and now they want to return? Why have 1 sacrificed all these-men?” , ; The teleplionist repeats, his words, but the General seems to hold another view, and repeats the order. The captain gets up and. shouts’ furiously to the half-a-dozen men with whom he had been going to storm hundreds ot the enemy to return in the direction of tho woods. ‘Thfey 'also got up and began to run, but again tho colonel called out ; , , “No use running, you fools! vie die here!” And the torn little group—hire whipped dogs— crept bark slowly to the" original position, where the artillery captain was'(dill working away at his guns.. . .'