THE STRUGGLE IN GALICIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 3195, 9 June 1915, Page 32

THE STRUGGLE IN GALICIA.

PETROGRAD, June 5.

Official; We gained further successes on the left bank of the San, particularly westward of Rubnik, and continue to drive back the enemy, who are in disorderly retreat. The enemy on the right bank of the San continue to attack. In the Wisznia Valley fighting continues. We have inflicted enormous losses on the enemy at Krukience, between Przemysl and the Dniester, driving him back. Our troops between the Rivers Tisteica and Stryj are hampering the enemy’s progress. We have fallen back on the Dniester bridge head. The enemy on Wednesday night attempted to rush our entrenchments, but were repulsed, abandoning heaps of bodies outside the trenches. Counter-attacking at night, we took 700 prisoners, including several officers, and captured some machine guns.

AN OFFICIAL REVIEW.

PETROGRAD, June 6,

Our ships exchanged shots with a large German naval force in the Gulf of Riga.

The Russian offensive on the Lower San has developed successfully. We forced the Fourteenth Austrian Army Corps lo fall back upon the fortified positions between the Leng and the San. Fighting for these positions was .continued on Friday, when we took 1000 prisoners. Large German reserves on the left bank of the Leng made three furious attacks, but all were repulsed. The enemy on the 3rd inst. captured the village of Staryawa, on the left bank of the Wisloda. Our counter-attack dislodged the enemy from the village, but they are maintaining themselves on the neighbouring heights. The enemy continued their attacks on the 3rd against our bridge-heads on the Dniester, between Tysmenica and Stryj. At the Mikolajew railway attacks were repulsed with bayonets and hand grenades. Fighting continues.

GERMAN SAVAGERY,

PETROGRAD, June 4.

A chaplain with the 3rd Russian Army in retreat from West Galicia narrates that many German regiments took no prisoners, but bayoneted both the wounded and the doctors attending them.

On one occasion the Germans entered a burning wood, whence a Russian battalion had retired, and all were surrounded by flames. On another occasion the German cavalry, on capturing them, took a Russian company into an open space, and the whole regiment held a competition in cutting them down and butchering them to the last man.

A German airman bombed children gathered around a road ikon, and many wore killed. Austrians often vainly protested against the German barbarities. The chaplain adds: ‘‘German patrols in several villages in the Pratezk district took every hundredth inhabitant from house to house amongst the ruins and

threatened to shoot them with revolvers unless the inmates delivered all the provisions to the last loaf.”

RUSSIANS’ DESPERATE RESISTANCE.

AMSTERDAM. June 4,

The correspondent of the Lokal Anzeiger in Galicia, telegraphing on Wednesday, said that the greatest importance attaches to the events on the Dniester, north of Stryj. The enemy, he says, are still holding out tenaciously north-east of Sambor, where they have a sevenfold line of defences. There is an equally desperate resistance against part of Mackensen’s force, which is moving from the Vistula to the San corner, hoping to influence the battle in Middle Galicia.

GERMANS IN COURLAND

PETROGRAD, June 4

The Russians southward of Libau have deprived the Germans of a land base by cutting off Libau from Newmenid. Other Russian detachments have enclosed Libau, and the Germans’ only outlet is seaward.

GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT,

AMSTERDAM, June 5.

A German official report states : After fighting we reached the villages at Przemysl. The booty has not yet been surveyed. General von Marwitz stormed the heights' 1 on both sides of MystatvczeLinsingen, and is about to cross the Lower Stryj, north-eastward of the town of Stryj. LONDON, June 6.

The Cologne Gazette states that the Kaiser arrived at the Austrian headquarters on the 4th inst., and congratulated the Archduke Frederick on the captureof Przemysl.

FIGHTING IN THE CAUCASUS,

PETROGRAD, June 6.

Official : In the Caucasus we repulsed a Turkish attack, killing 400, in the region of Meli Azghert, and also a simultaneous attack from Ayld Jeraz. Our cavalry penetrated to Ayld Jeraz and sabred seme hundreds of Kurds.

RAID ON COASTAL TOWNS

DAMAGE NOT MATERIAL

LONDON, June 5.

Official : Hostile airships last night visited the east and south-east coasts of England. Bombs were dropped at various places, but little material damage was done, and the casualties were very few. The Admiralty states that the fatalities due to Monday night’s air raid are one man, one woman, and four children. COPENHAGEN, June 4.

A gigantic new Zeppelin made a trial trip between Sweden and DenirfSrk. It is heavily armoured, and supplied with three reservoirs for poisonous gases.