RUSSIA

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144783, 13 September 1915, Page 3

RUSSIA

THE PROBLEM FOR GERMANY. A HALT OR WINTER CAMPAIGN. TIMES AM) SYDNEY SUN SEE VICES. ' (Received Sept. 13, 8 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 12. Colonel Repingtou says that the supremo merit of the Grand Duke Nicholas and his officers was that they remained deaf to all threats and entreaties which might have prevented weaker men from withdrawing unbeaten armies and from declining a decisive battle. The armies are now out of danger with secure lines of retreat. Within a few weeks of the bad season and with a. wasted country behind them the Germans must decide whether, the armies must be sheltered for the winter or perish. In 1812 Napoleon misunderstood the Russians and the Germans to-day are reproducing the misunderstanding. It is the war on parallel fronts so hateful to Germans and against successive welldefended positions, and the Germans.aro faced with the perplexing problem whether to halt til! spring or embark on winter campaign, attempting to capture Potrograd and Kieff. THE RUSSIAN RETREAT. LEAVES NOTHING FOE, GERMANY. (Received Sept. 13, 8.10 a.m.) LONDON., Sopt. 12. The Observer correspondent at Petrograd says that the Gormans are advancing in a country burnt and devastated by the retreating Russian army, and the population of refugees moves eastward in whole parishes, headed by the priests. .Sometimes enemy patrols overtake tho refugees, capture the priests, beat the men, and carry off the young women.

The Germans, instead of finding food in the conquered territory, are obliged to draw nearly the whole from Germany. The only aid rendered by the Russians is steadily toxeduce the number of Germans who must be fed, clothed, and transported. The main result of the invasion has been to stimulate Russian organising power to an unprecedented degree. Organisation is no longer left to the Government. Every man and woman is thinking about organisation, especially for the production of munitions. SOME FURTHER SUCCESSES. RUSSIAN ARMY .CONFIDENT. PETROGRAD, Sopt. 11. Official.—There wore continued successes in the Trembowla and Tchortkoff sectors on Thursday, and we took five thousand prisoners. Our troops are advancing on the left bank of the Dwina, fighting as they go. The enemy, supported by strong artillery, developed a series of attacks in the direction of Skidel and the lower Zclvianka, but we repulsed the attacks. The Germans renewed their offensive, accompanied by a severe fire of heavy and light artillery. and our batteries again repelled the attacks. The Germans greatly increased their fire and renewed their attempt to pierce our front, but our concentrated artillery repulsed them for the third time. We repulsed attacks near Rojang by close-range lire and bayonet charges. The enemy then drove a largo number of inhabitants forward, under cover of whom they approached nearer our positions. The enemy bombarded our troops at Kreznetz with asphyxiating shells. The Austrians, after their losses at Trembowla and Tchortkoff, retreated precipitately. In general, our armies are calmly confident in themselves. The initiative of these isolated engagements is gradually passing into our hands. Near Trembowla the Austrians have been forced to precipitately retreat. We have captured another five thousand prisoners. LONDON, Sept. 12. Router's correspondent at Pbtrograd says there are 2 4 million Austro-Ger-mans on the Russian front, twentyeight German corps in the Baltic and Lithuania, twenty Austro-German corps in the Pripot region, twelve Gorman corps and thirty Austrian corps in Galicia, including eleven Austrian and nine German cavalry divisions. The Germans are feverishly restoring Kovno. Two forts have been constructed on tho eastern, side, with two continuous lines of concreted trenches between the inner and outer forts. Guns of ■ the heaviest calibre are being mounted. GENEVA, Sept. 12. The Russian offensive on tho Sereth has reached the •Lemberg-Dubno railway, where the Austro-Gormans are vainly resisting the advance. PARIS, Sopt. 11. Prcnch papers comment on the battles at Trembowla and point out with enthusiasm the development of the operations which brought about the Rus- ■ sians* success as showing the magnificent resources in morale a'nd material which tho Russian army preserves after a retreat conducted in such good order. GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN REPORTS. BERLIN, Sept. 11. A communique says: General Hindenberg, south-east of Friedrichstadt and east of Wilkomir, took 1050 prisoners. The enemy is still offering an obstinate resistance between Jesiori and Zelwa, making counter-attacks. Strong forces attempted to arrest our advance at Skidel, which could only be taken finally during the night, after fighting with alternate success. Wo took 2700 prisoners in this region. Prince Leopold, fighting with unabated violence, forced a crossing of the Zelwianka at some points. Fighting for the railway station at Kossow is proceeding. General von Bothmer repulsed severe counter-attacks, capturing three hundred prisoners. AMSTERDAM, Sept. 11. A Berlin official message says: A naval airship successfully bombarded a Russian Baltic fort and railways and returned undamaged. PARIS. Sept. 12. An Austrian communique says: j Deuagno, on the Goryn, is in our hands. Strong Russian forces near Tamopol attempted to enter the Austro-German positions, hut were repulsed with heavy losses. Further south we withdrew our Sereth front to the heights eastward .of the Strypa before superior forces. Heavy fighting is proceeding on the heights--westward of tho-Tower Sereth...

We stormed the sHrtjbprnlv-defended village of Alba, westward of ICoszow. AMSTERDAM, Sept. 11. An Austrian’ communique states that there is violent fighting westward of the middle of the Seroth, where the Russians’- were reinforced. FIGHTING IN THE CAUCASUS. PETROGRAD, Sept. 12. A communique states that considerable Turkish forces, favoured by a mist, attacked at daybreak tho mountain of Maharadgh, but were repulnid with great loss. THE BALTIC PROVINCES, SUCCESSFUL RUSSIAN ATTACKS. GERMANS CHECKED AT SEVERAL POINTS. (Received Sopt. 13, 8.55 a.m.) PETROGRAD, Sept. 12. A communique states; A Zeppelin flew over and threw bombs ou the Baltic ports. Our seaplanes bombed German ships at Windau. A series of German attacks in the direction of Dvinsk were repulsed. A German aeroplane, while bombarding a hospital, train near Poneraounek, was brought down between • Smenta and Vilna. Strong forces of tho enemy opened a vigorous offensive eastward of Wilkomir. The enemy is advancing on tho Dvinsk road and neighbouring roads, directing his principal effort, with the assistance of strong field and siege artillery. southward of the Dvinsk road. Simultaneously large forces ,of the enemy are advancing in the region mf Cbirvintz, their general direction from Kilkomir towards Sventsiany. AVo we repulsed repeated attacks on the Oziery-Skidel front. Skidel passed from hand to hand and finally, after a brilliant assault by one of our battalions, Skidel remained in ojlt hands. Our cavalry, aided by the infantry, which dislodged - the Germans from the trenches southward of Skidel, eagerly pursued the enemy. There was a desperate fight on the river Zelvianka southward of tho Niemen. A battery was entirely destroyed and we thereafter easily stopped the attacks, and near Zelva, despite asphyxiating gases, repelled a senes of assaults and maintained our positions on the right bank of the Zelvianka after completely cle'aring the enemy from tho whole of this bank. (GOOD AVORK IN THE SOUTH. We held up the enemy towards Rozhany and Kovno, The - Austrian attacks were resumed on both banks of the Goryn. , AA’e held up the enemy on the right bank, despite poisonous gases. Several detachments were destroyed by our.fire. AVe broke the enemy's obstinate opgosition in the Tarnopof region on aturday. Prisoners state that the newly-formed 6th Battalion of Chasseurs was entirely destroyed. The enemy fled, leaving 39 officers and 2900 men in our hands. A company of motor quicfcfirers actively helped usThe enemv retreated towards the Dniester, l We repelled furious attacks southwards of Tarnopol and expelled the enemy from Tioust, taking prisoner 800 men. The enemy’s submarines are reported ■on the Crimean coast; Summing up the situation, the entire. , Austro-Cerman forces from one side to the other are striving lor a decisive: blow.

WOLFF AGENCY'S BLUNDER. CONTRADICTS REPORT TOO SOON. (Received Sept. 13. 10.25 a.m.) LONDON, Sent. 12. A French official wire less message points' out that tho Wolff Agency at 4 n.m. on September 8 denied the official Petrograd statement announcing the defeat of two German divisions, hut the Russian statement was not issued until 11 p.ra. This premature denial informed Europe of the Russian success eight hours in advance.