EASTERN THEATRE

Southland Times, Issue 17662, 21 February 1916, Page 5

EASTERN THEATRE

F AXili, FRONTAL ATTACK SUCCEEDS. SIBERIAN FLYING COLUMN. DOES WONDERFUL WORE. (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright) PETEOGRAD, February IS. The Russian advance on Brzeroum was conducted by three routes, and its downfall was due to a frontal attack. Tho first fort was taken on Monday. The Russians on the following evening impetuously rushed the entire first line of forts, which fell in less than 36 hours’ fighting. The majority of the forts were taken at the bayonet point. Earlier in the advance a special striking column of Siberians seized the Duzladagli Ridges. Then they were lost sight of for a week.. Evidently they made across country to circumvent the enemy, and ultimately they took the Karagubek and Tafta forts, the manner in which their capture was executed necessitating hard fighting. The Siberians then swept southward like a cyclone behind Deveboyun, and within 31 hours were masters of seven forts; thus opening a free passage to tho Russian forces along the shortest route, via Koprkeui and llussankala. SATISFACTION, BUT NO FLAGWAVING. GRAND DUEL'S MASTERLY STRATEGY. LONDON, February IS. Though the tidings of the fall of Erzeroum were received without flag-waving in the Entente countries there was a strong undercurrent of elation. Tho victory is regarded as the greatest triumph the Allies have secured for 12 months. The newspapers in France, Russia, and Italy consider tho victory means the collapse of the grandiose German-Turk-ish schemes eastward, especially regarding the Euphrates and Suez. Tho latest messages from Petrograd attribute tho victory to the Grand Duke Nicholas’s masterly strategy' and to General Vumenitch’s brilliant fighting powers, which crown his earlier defeat of the’ Turks at Ardahan, where he frustrated Enver Pasha’s wild dash to Invade Transcaucasia. After tho Turkish centre was broken on January 7 tho Russians. by a dashing pursuit along the llassankala road, threatened to rush the impenetrable Deveboyun position, whereof the forts were 6000 ft above sea level. 'Hie Turks desperately attempted to check the onset by a sally into the Pasin Plain. but were defeated and driven back, to the torts. Phe failure of the sally convinced tho Turks that the Russians were pushing masses of men and guns from llassankala. As a matter of fact, Nicholas’s prime attack was elsewhere. An independent Russian column, operating southwards in the direction of -Melazghert. cut off all Turkish reinforcements, and headed them towards Bitlis. Tin’s operation also was a blind. Nicholas’s real attack was revealed when a special column of Siberians seized tho Dumladagh Ridges, to the rear of the Karagubek and Tafta foils, which are north-eastwards of Erzeroum. UNCONQUERABLE SIBERIANS. THE GRAND DUKE’S NEXT TASK. LONDON, February IS. The Siberians rushed two forts, taking prisoner M 52 men and many guns. The Turks then lost sight of the Siberians for some days owing to a blizzard around Dumladagh. and were next suddenly surprised by a rush of Siberians against the rear of the Deveboyun forts. The whole of their principal defences faced eastward. There was a terrible lardment, followed by infantry as-

saults and desperate hand-to-hand fighting in the half-battered fortifications, but the Siberians were victorious, reducing a fortress of 800 guns In a few hours in midwinter, under terrible weather conditions —a task which seemed impossible for the hardiest troops. The Siberians are not men necessarily born in Siberia, but picked men of the quality of the Guards who are sent to do soldiering on the confines of the Empire. Grand Duke Nicholas’s task is now to intercept the remnants of the defenders, what are apparently retreating to a plateau to the westward, so as to present them joining a third army. GERMANY PEBTUBBED. PARIS, February IS. Advices from SchafQiausen (Switzerland, near Lake Constance) state that the fall of Erzeroum has created an enormous impression in Germany, coupled with uneasiness as to its effect on Constantinople. COST GBATUL ATIONS PBOM THE KINO. LONDON, February 18. Received February 19, 3.30 p.m. The King sent the following message to the Czar: Heartiest congratulations upon the splendid achievements of your gallant troops at Erzeroum after such hard fighting, which I trust will have far-reaching effects. TURKS wxr.il BLAME GERMANY POB PREVENTING BEZNPOBCEMENTS. ROME, February IS. Received February 19, 3.30 p.m. It is expected that the Turks will hold the Germans responsible in consequence of the German officers at the last War Council refusing to detach troops from the central theatres, despite Enver Pasha's urgent demand. At tlie War Council earlier in the month there was a lively dispute between Enver Pasha and the Gorman generals. After the Turkish defeat in the Caucasus Enver Pasha vigorously insisted as Turkey had not asked for the German army’s help that Turkey ought to bo loft free to defend her own territory and demanded that part of the Turkish army in Thrace and Bulgaria should be transferred to the Caucasus. "We have been fighting nearly a year and a half while the Bulgarians have only just started. They alone should help the Central Powers against Salonika seeing wo alone bore the brunt of the Dardanelles." Despite Enver’s protests the German general insisted on keeping the Turks in Thrace. NAIVE TURKISH COMMUNIQUE. ROME, February 18. Received February 19, 3.30 p.m. The Turkish communique naively dotelares that there is no news of importance from the Caucasus. THE CAUSE OP THE PALI. RACK OP RAPID TRANSPORTATION. LONDON. February IS. Received February 19, 3,30 p.m. The Cologne Gazette attributes the fall of Erzeroum to Turkey’s failure to build railways and create a fleet. It was impossible to march up reinforcements speedily in the dentil of winter. The Russian offensive was commenced weeks previously with superior forces. TUBS ATTEMPT A STAND BIG BATTLE REPORTED BUDAPEST!-!, February IS. Received February 20, 5.5 p.m. The Turks are making a desperate rally west of Eerzeroum, where a big battle is beginning.

GEBMAU COMMANDER ITT CONTROL CAPTURE DEFECTED 'WITHOUT HEAVY GUNS KURD’S EAST BAKDASTTY THOUSANDS OP ARMENIAN MASSACRES PETROGRAD, February 19. Received February 20, 5.5 p.m. A German commanded Erzeroum and with an experienced engineer officer had powerfully organised the fortress and used all the resources of modern artillery art in strengthening the position. It is now known that hig Turkish reinforcements, hastening to the aid of Erzeroum, were unable to arrive in time. The greater portion of the garrison escaped. The Russians fought without heavy artillery. Before the evacuation of Erzeroum tire Kurds merciliesly massacred thousands of Armenians. FLEEING TUBES SCABS PRESSED MILAN, February 18. Received February' 20, 5.5 p.m. Newspapers state that the Russians are hard pressing the remnants of fourteen Turkish divisions among the mountains. COMPLETENESS OP THE DEPEAT COUNTRY LITTERED WITH CORPSES HARRYING TEE RETREAT PETROGRAD, February 19. Received February' 20, 5.5 p.m. Communique; Tho completeness of the defeat at Erzeroum is becoming clearer. The fortress and tire surrounding country' are full of the corpses of Turks. The remnants of the army fleeting in disorder in various directions, our pursuit annihilating or taking prisoner the rear columns. RUSSIAN ENTHUSIASM AN INCREDIBLE TRIUMPH ' IMPREGNABLE PORTRESS TAKEN BY THE BAYONET TUBES HOPELESSLY ROUTED PETROGRAD, February 19. Received February 20, 5.5 p.m. The capture of Erzeroum has caused the greatest enthusiasm throughout Russia. Thousands attended Te Deums at the churches, and the populace acclaimed the Grand Duke Nicholas. It is regarded as a triumph of generalship almost incredible to have captured with the bayonet in a few hours Germanised forts which 40 years ago were found impregnable after almost years of assault. Despite five excellent roads westward it is unlikely that the retreating Turks will make any, resistance during the fortnight’s march to tho railhead leading to Constantinople. Possibly the hurried disorderly retreat will enable most to escape, but the rout will have an immense moral effect over a vast area.

The reinforcing corps is now useless. It will arrive without artillery, which was shipped via Trebizond. The Russians arc vigorously pursuing and broke down a Turkish stand ten miles westward of the fortress. The Russians are not likely to be held up anywhere eastward of Slvas (250 miles west of Erzeroum). RUSSIA’S GIGANTIC EFFORT THE BUOWINA ADVANCE MAKING GOOD THE GROUND WON LONDON, February 9. Received February 20, 5.5 p.m. Mr Percival Gibbon, the well-known correspondent, writing from Bucharest, states that the Russian advance in the Bukowina front is a wonderful spectacle. The roads are seeting like torrents, as miles of toiling men and horses drag the vast batteries across valleys and precipitous slopes, making good the ground won by bloody bayonet charges. Along the Bojan road the Russians are incessantly attacking, never slacking the pressure on the trenches which the Austrians are holding across a wide valley,, narrowing towards the Pruth at Zaleszczyki. Fighting beyond the trenches the cavalry came into action. Fighting on the Strypa-Styr line has developed into a serious Russian offensive, prosecuted despite awful losses. DVTNSK AND RIGA SECTORS a m RAIDS FREQUENT GAS LARGELY USED. PETROGRAD, February 19. Received February 20, 5.5 p.m. Communique: Raids by enemy Zeppelins and aeroplanes are more frequent on the Dvinsk and Riga sectors. The Germans sent clouds of asphyxiating gas over our trenches in the Jacobstad district. Our warships destroyed coastal bridges west of Trebizond and destroyed fifteen sailers. ALLIES WILL REACH CONSTANTINOPLE SYDNEY, February i 9. Mr Ash mead Bartlett, in his lecture on the value of Erzeroum, said that the first decisive victory of the war cannot be overestimated. Referring to Gallipoli lie said it was certain that the check was only temporary, we would find ourselves in possession of Constantinople this year or next.