THE LILEH BURGAS TIGHT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 11508, 5 November 1912, Page 5

THE LILEH BURGAS TIGHT.

MOSCOW AND SEDAN ECLIPSED,

LONDON, Monday,

Mr Martin Henry Donohoe, the Daily Chronicle war correspondent, telegraphs a stirring account of last Aveek's fighting south-east of Adrianople. Ho was with the Turks at Tchorlu, and was one of two English correspondents who were caught in the stampede of Ottoman troops. Mr Donohoo says: —

Irrevocable disaster has befallen the Turks, followed by a confusion and rout unparalleled since Moscow; the most complete military disaster since Mukden; and the greatest debacle since Sedan. Forty thousand Turks have fallen, while Abdullah Pasha, Comm-ander-in-Chief, narrowly escaped the fate of 75 per cent, of his artillery, who arc captives.

Men melted like snow before the summer sun; the -disintegration soon became general, and demoralisation was complete. By handfuls the army found its way back to Tchorlu, the Bulgarian artillery cruelly harrassing them and mowing them down in thousands. The terrible scenes burned themselves into the memory.

Throughout the terrible fighting tho superiority of the Bulgarian artillery was pronounced; the Turks, unable to withstand the murderous fire, withdrew slowly—their gunners dead and the majority of their horses killed—by the afternoon.

The Turks shelled at Lileh Burgas a number of civilians who previously had fled, and therefore were non-combat-ants, but their loss was insignificant.

The Bulgarians next launched their infantry attacks, and stormed the town at the bayonet's point. By this time The greater part of the Turks had with drawn, but the rearguard were caught like rats in a trap. Two corps, thougu they had been without' food for two days, stubbornly resisted and died to a man.

At the railway station, four miles from Lileh Burgas, the Bulgarians were checked for a couple of hours. Here the Turkish cavalry were concentrated under Salih Pasha and Feud Pasha.

As the Bulgars approached they were exposed to an unexpected raking fire from batteries posted on the hills around the station. The shrapnel tore

fearful gaps in their ranks, and then Salih's cavalry, dashing out from their place of concealment, swept liko a tornado upon the exposed infantry. Tho Bulgarians turned, and. the cavalry rodo them down, causing extraordinary havoc.

Elated at the success of this surprise manoeuvre, the Turks started in pursuit, when suddenly Bulgarian machine guns opened fire on them, tumbling Turks and horses in mangled masses. !Few of those who entered tho charge returned.

Meanwhile the Bulgars' heavy artillery had caused tho Turkish garrison to retreat; but a few managed to reach the hills. The Turkish artillery then concentrated its fire on tho town of Lileh Burgas, where houses were destroyed and many Bulgarians killed in tho ruins.

Following this the Bulgars got their artillery into position, and a duel commenced. The Turkish positions, however, were badly chosen, lacking cover and having no trenches for supporting infantrj r .

The Turks lost heavily, but their severe bombardment caused the Bulgars temporarily to evacuate Lileli Burgas. Towards evening, however, the Bulgarian advance became more rapid. Their infantry pushed forward with incredible speed and their artillery took tip positions as coolly as if they were merely engaged in peace manoeuvres. And --hey knew tne range to a nicety—tnelr marksmanship was superb and murderous. The Turks, on the other hand, were poorly supplied with ammunition, most of which had been expended in the morning's fight. Many of the gunners stood at their guns unable to reply, and awaited death, which camo swiftly, while the Turkish front was harassed by the terrible fire. As timo progressed the scene became simply one of carnage, the men falling in hundreds. The appalling shell fire destroyed the morale of the Turks as night fell on tho foodless and sleepless men; for the Bulgarians seemed to bo endowed with relentless energy.

Tho dead cumbered the ground, doctors were few; and of ambulances there were none. The greater portion of the wounded perished during the bitter cold night.

The retreat for perhaps an hour was orderly; but tho pressure from tho roar reduced the vanguard to rout.

Two hours after sunrise the Bulgarians learned what had happened to Abdullah's army, and started in pursuit. They occupied Sakzjoz without a shot being fired in its defence, and the last and only ray of hope lay in Mukhtar's effort to relieve the pressure by turning tho Bulgarians' loft wing. But Abdullah was unable to accede to the second army corps , appeal for help at Bunar Ilissar, where tho ammunition was exhausted; nor could the centre corps at his request, hold their ground. At 3 o 'clock on Thursday the general sauve qiii peut occurred. Everything was abandoned in tho stampede across the Thracian veldt. Seventy-five per cent, of the wounded were injured by shrapnel. Out of two battalions which arrived at Lileh Burgas on the day of battle only six men were alive at sundown. The second army corps caught six Bulgarian spies, who wore court-mar-tialled and shot.