BULGARIANS FLEEING BEFORE ALLIED ADVANCE

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 867, 20 November 1916, Page 7

BULGARIANS FLEEING BEFORE ALLIED ADVANCE

QUIET ON THE ANCRE

GERMANS CONCENTRATING AGAINST THE BRITISH

HOW THE FOOD PROBLEM MIGHT BE SOLVED The Allies entered Monastir yesterday, the third anniversary of its capture by the Serbians from the Turks in the Balkan Wars. The fall of the town was the result of a concerted movement by the Allies, Serbian, French, and Russian armies closing it on it from three sides. Desperate enemy counter-attacks on the Serbians in the Cerna Loop were repulsed, and the Bulgarians are now fleeing to the northward in disorder, leaving great quantities of booty. The new food regulations in Great Britain have had but a small effect on prices. Mr J. L. Garvin says that France has so far borne the brunt of the war, and that Britain's turn to carry the burden has arrived. He asserts that the Germans are thinning their lines on other fronts in order to concentrate against the British.

ALLIES MARCH INTO MONASTIR.

STRONGHOLD OF SOUTHERN SERBIA TAKEN. NOTABLE ANNIVERSARY IN NATION'S HISTORY. High Commissioner's Cable. LONDON, November 19 (3.5 p.m.). The Allies entered Monastir this morning, on the anniversary of the capture of the town from the Turks by the Serbs in the second Balkan War, of 1913. Monastir was captured from the Turks by the Serbs on November 19, 1913, tluring the second stage of the war in Macedonia. The Greeks anil Serbs had been acting in conjunction against the Turks, and after a heavy defeat the Turks evacuated the town and hurriedly retreated, leaving many guns and much war material. Monastir lies just to the north of the boundary between Greek and Serbian Macedonia, and is the principal frontier stronghold of New Serbia —that, territory taken from Turkey after the war of ISM.'i. It commands the main line of communication running north through Uskub to Belgrade.

HOW THE MAIN ATTACK STARTED.

ALLIED ARMIES CLOSE IN ON ALL SIDES. By Cahle. — Press Association. — Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. SALONICA, November 17. The attaek towards Monastir began at noon on Tuesday, the whole line advancing. The first assault failed, owing to the enemy's machine guns. The French, on re-attacking, captured 2000 yards of trenches at Bnkri, and held on against German counter-attacks. There was a heavy fog at night, in which a French patrol discovered that the enemy had withdrawn from the trenches. The Serbian advance in the Cerna Loop rounded up over 1100 Germans, Avho blame the Bulgarians for letting the Serbians reach the rear. The Germans and Bulgarians at daybreak had retired five miles on the line of the Bistritza River, three miles from Monastir. The Allies, following on, reached the line of the Viro River on Wednesday, and their outposts came in contact with the enemy in the evening. The Russians, advancing quickly from Peristoriad, captured the village of Lujetz, and on Thursday reported that they had carried the town of Bistritza.

BULGARIAN COUNTER ATTACKS REPULSED. —*

ENEMY RETREATS NORTH IN DISORDER. A. and X.Z Cable Association and Batter. (Received November 20, 10.55 a.m.) LONDON, November 19. A French communique 1 states:—The Allied troops entered Monastir this morning. Desperate Bulgarian counter-attacks in the Cerna Loop were repulsed by the Serbs. The enemy is retreating in disorder to the northward.