THE GALICIAN CAMPAIGN.

Otago Witness, Issue 3197, 23 June 1915, Page 20

THE GALICIAN CAMPAIGN.

LONDON, June 18. Reuter’s Petrotfrad correspondent, referring to the culmination of the Galician forces advancing along the San towards Lemberg, says that it is hardly an exaggeration to describe the earlier fighting, though it cost tens of thousands of lives, as mere outpost affairs compared with what is to come. The Russians had none the worst of the exchange. The fighting at Mos= ciska served the purpose of delaying the German advance, pending the final concentration upon positions further eastwards. The decisive battle is likely to be fought at Grodek, where the Russians will benefit by the Lake Country. RUSSIA OFFICIAL REPORT. PETROGRAD, June 18. Official : Very severe engagements in Galicia were continued on the 15th inst. between the San and the town of Lubaczow and the vicinity of the village of Krakowice. The enemy was thrown back in disorder between the Dsmenitza and Stryj Rivers. Our notable captures above Zurano on the 14th included 202 officers, 8544 soldiers, six guns, 21 machine guns, cassons, and ammunition. We annihilated an enemy force which crossed the Dniester above Nizniow, and checked another which crossed below. Fighting continues. We pressed the enemy between Pruth and the Dniester on the 16th. AN EYE-WITNESS’S ACCOUNT. LONDON, June 18. A Russian eye-witness, covering the period from May 3 to May 18, says ; “Germany’s counter-stroke to the Russian advance in the Carpathians was carefully prepared. It was the biggest effort yet made to bolster up Austria. The attacks throughout were principally confined to intense artillery work. Whole areas were covered with shells till trenches and men were levelled out of existence. After pounding out the troops by artillery the Germans advanced in close formation, but in almost every case the infantry attacks were abortive. Nearly all our regiments suffered great losses by shell fire. tc m,,airmen delivered intermittent violent bombardments, and our hospitals were removed towards the rear. At one advanced bandaging point, German soldiers, raging drunk, burst in and bayoneted the doctor. Nine shells fell on a hospital at another point, and one struck the operating room and wounded a lady doctor.

“ Some of the German troops engaged against our Third Army were reserve divisions from the neighbourhood of Verdun. The Austrians kept up a ceaseless, futile cannonade. They hardly placed one Russian battery, and their progress in rangefinding was long and expensive. It was a different story when the Germans undertook the initiative. Tlife difference in accuracy between the Austrians and Germans was soon clear, and the Russian regiments suffered terribly. The right wing of the Russian advance in the Carpathians was outflanked, and had to come backward. Half a corps rectified its position without serious loss, but the other division had the greatest difficulty in fighting its way through, and lost heavily. “ The Germans scored a big success in technique, and they wiped out a good number of lives. Still, the Russians are firmer, and more men are pouring in. During the retreat towards the San the enemy airmen were übiquitous. At one time 30 flew over the lines. Three were brought down and the occupants killed.” AN AUSTRIAN REPORT. AMSTERDAM, June 18. An Austrian official report states : On the Lemberg road at Ermolli we repulsed strong rearguard attacks, and stormed at midnight the west part of Grodek. We cleared out the enemy on the west bank of the Wereszyca, south of Grodek. RIOTS AT MOSCOW. LONDON,, June 17 The mill workers in Moscow, enraged by stories of German barbarities and gas attacks, raided the houses of the mill managers of German origin. Rioting ensued, great damage being done.