THE KUMANOVO BATTLE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12856, 30 October 1912, Page 5

THE KUMANOVO BATTLE.

SANGUINARY AND STUBBORN

BATTLEFIELD LIKE A SHAMBLES

GHASTLY DETAILS OF A MAGNI-

FICENT FIGHT

HOW USKUB FELL

Received 10-20 p.m

October 29

BELGRADE. October 29

During the pursuit after the battlo at Kumanovo, tho Servians captured an enormous amount of railway rolling stock and bridgo material. Panic-stricken Turkish troops, in a, mad flight, fought cacJi other. Several wore killed. There were frantic .struggles for seats in trains or tho possession :'of"; any sort of vehicle. - i- ? * A large section of the fugitives were overtaken on the Ootehonelve nlfiin,'towards T\ur>ri!i, and again defeated with heavy loss. St. X'V'obi, midway between Ootebopolvo and Tsbt'b. w;> r-i next, occuniod. The inhabitants of Tshtib rose against the Turks and. so?/"'? all anus. TVerttv-fiv-o Servians wow lolled and six wounded. At Ferirovitch a thousand Arnauts prisoners wera wounded. Officers do«r-rib-v t l-e Kumnnovn fiVht as most panjrti'nn.ry and stubborn, tho nhieo ovontualv becoming a shambles, tho combatant--; Inckinrr ef>"h other. The battlefield wps littered with corpses still, clutching rl«grrors and b-'vonets. Tbreo divisions of Turkish regulars and numerous in'oculars bt?snn an at.tack on Weclnc-div night in clear moonlieht. Tbn c"rvians with machine guns, waiting until tho Turks ■wore within closo ranp-f. onerer! a witbering fire, which, with tho infantry fire, mowed the Turks in ro^x as thny advanced in dense masses. The Turks'essayed a bay•rnet ehar<re. hut th^ir numbers were so t* !iinr<l that tho efl'ect was negligible. The Servians .'CTre?lv suffered from tho Turkish fire. Then the Servians, chirginr-; ivitb tho b-ivonot into a valley-along tho wooded hilU-ides. rem>]bd the atH»k with ghnst'y 10..*5»-s by tho Turks. Thirteen Servhi.n rr'nm-pnt'-;. forming the first line. oh-M-rred v-ith "Taf'irfr-ent *cour_ r.trn and swept evorvtlrntr before them Tho T.irl-c. -n-r^^i ],-,,, i: ,- no +o tba b;ll^ /H davllrrht, t^o Servian nrtilkrv ioined tb- haf+lo M-j-i, fr,.n n .+«Vfll a-d de-ini;it-rd tho Turks "-Ml-, vnt'ofino- into , iar . row vsllevs. Tho Tii.-'-^h nrH!l or y n {. tcrrjntpfl +o nrofpot, fl m Vfnntrv, but v:pr.n bndlv wrvnr] nnd +Yip rano-o vis bad. IVf^nv shells d'd no+ evnlode. Tbo battle lnst"d +^ro^tr'V>o'-'+ Tlr-r^i-iv. Sow Jon r.nro'rv. ivtfb o. long flsink march, ca'ro round th*» Turks' right, eompell'ng wm^^n -f o t>".-;' t-'on. The roid to Uskuh was thus opened.

CABLiHitt.