DOWNFALL OF THE TURK.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1589, 5 November 1912, Page 7

DOWNFALL OF THE TURK.

EYE-WITNESS'S STORY. HOW LULE BURGAS WAS LOST. GREATEST DEBACLE SINCE SEDAN. WHOLE CORPS MOWED DOWN. ■ FORTY THOUSAND MEN- LOST. ' By Telegraph—Press Association—ConyTjght (Rec. November 4, 11.5 p.in.) ; London, November 4. A thrilling account of the battle of Lule Burgag has been published by the "Daily Chronicle" from its correspondent, Mr. Mar-, tin Donohoe, who was with the Turkish Army at Ch'orlu, and was one of two English correspondents caught in the stampede. Mr. Ponohoe is one of the most experienced British war correspondents, was through the' Boer war, where he was present at -Paardeberg, was with Kuroki's army in the Russo-Japanese war, . and more recently followed up the Tripoli campaign. In his dispatch, Mr. Donohoe says an irrevocable disaster has, befallen the Turks. The battle was followed by a state of confusion and ended in a rout unparalleled since Moscow. It was the completest military disaster since the Battlij t)f Mukden, and the greatest debacle since Sedan. ; ' Forty thousand Turks have fallen, and, Abdullah Pasha himV' .self narrowly esca-ped the fate of-sevehty : five . per cent. -Of his artillery, who are captives. . \

COMPLETELY DEMORALISED.

ARMY MELTS AWAY LIKE SNOW. . . . DEADLY ARTILLERY FIRE. (Rec. November i, 11.5 p.m.) . 'London, November' i.. In his story of the battle, Mr. Donohoe states that the Turks melted away, like snow before a. summer sun, and .' the'disintegration was soon general. : The de-' moralisation . was completed, by the'hand-' fuls of the- army'who found their way back to Chorlu. The Bulgarian artillery was cruelly harassing, mowing down thousands, and terrible scenes burned themselves, into one's 'memory throughout the terrible fighting. !. The superiority of tli6- Bulgarian 'artillery,,was pronounced. The Turks were unable to withstand its murderous fire, and withdrew slowly, with their gunners dead and the majority of their: torses .killed. , '*' Catigßt'". By the • ifternopn'; rthe v Turks were ■shelled. 'atvLule Burgas.-, r ,...The. civilians • had' previously; fled, and-: the lioricombat;ant'loss was, .therefore, insignificant. The Bulgarians ' launched their infantry attacks, and then, stormed the town at the. bayonet's point. The greater part of. the Turks had at this time withdrawn, but their rearguard were caught like rats in a trap. . - '■ ' FuurtH Corps Dies to a Man. . The Turkish fourth oorps, though foodless for two days, stubbornly resisted and died to' a man at the railway station, four' miles from Lule Burgas. .The Bulgarians were checked'for. a. couple of hours. The Turkish cavalry was' concentrated here under Salih Pasha and Feud Pasha. As the :Bulgas approached they were exposed : tbi an unexpected Taking fire from batteries posted on the hills , round the station. . Shrapnel tore their ranks, and ■then Salih Pasha's cavalary, dashing from their concealment swept life a tor-' nado upon the exposed infantry. The ■ Bulgarians turned and the cavalry rode them down, causing extraordinary havoc. The 7 Turks elatedly pursued the fugitives suddenly the Bulgarian machineguns opened, tumbling the Turks and their horses in a mangled mass. Few who en-, tercd the charge returned. ' An . Artillery Duel. • Meanwhile tlie Bulgars' heavy artillery oaused the Turkish . garrison to retreat, but few reaohed the'hills. The Turkish artillery then concentrated on the town of Lule Burgas, where .houses were destroyed and many Bulgarians killed in 'the. ruins. . .'The . Bulgars got their : artillery into position and a duel commenced. The Turkish positions were badly chosen, lacking oover and having no trenches for the supporting infantry. The Turks lost heavily, but their severe bombardment caused the' Bulgars temporarily to evacuate Lule. Burgas. Bulgarians' Rapid Advance, Towards evening the Bulgarians' advance became more rapid. The infantry pushed forward with, incredible 6peed, and the artillery took up positions, coolly as in peace manoeuvres, and knew their range to a nicety.Their marksmanship was superb, and murderous. . The Turks had been poorly supplied with ammunition, most of which had been expended in the morning's fight. Many gunners stood at their guns unable to reply, and awaited death, which' came swiftly. The Turkish front was harassed by a terrible fire, and as time progressed the battle became simply a carnage, men falling in hundreds. The appalling shellfire destroyed the Turkish, morale, I A Night of Horrors. 0 Night fell on foodless men and sleepless • men, for the Bulgarians seemed endowed with relentless energy. The dead cumbered the ground,"the doctors were few, and of ambulances there, wero none. The greater portion of the wounded perished during the bitter cold night. The retreat for perhaps an hour was orderly,: but the pressure in the rear reduced the vanguard to a rout. 1 Two hours after sunrise the' Bulgarians learned what had happened to Abdullah Pasha'a army, and started in pursuit. TKey occupied Sakzjoz without a shot being fired in its defence. Every, for Himself. The Turks' last a fid only ray of hope lay in Muhktar Pasha's effort to reliove tho pressure by turning tho Bulgarians' left. ■ Abdullah wa9 unablo to accedo to the second, corps' appeal fqr held •at Bunarhissar, whero the ammunition was exhausted, nor could tho centre comply with his request to hold its ground. At threo o'clock on Thursday a general "sauve qui peut" (gave Who can) occurred, and everything wa« abandoned in a stampede across the Tlu'acian veldt.

Whole Battalions Shot Dovyn, . Seventy-five per cent, of the 'Wouhded were injured by shrapnel., Out of two battalions which'arrived &t ; Lule Burgas on the day of the battle only 6ix m e n were alive at sundown. ; The Second Army Corps caught six Bulgarian spies, who were opurt'martialled and shot. Mr. Martin Donohoe,'who-has apparently supplied England with the, first connected narrative of the battle of Lule Burgas,' has had a remarkable career. He was born in. Galway id years ago, and began his work as a journalist in Sydney twenty years ago. After assisting in the notorious De. Rougemont , exposure,' he went to South Africa and became the correspondent of the London "Daily Chronicle'.' in tho.Boor War. Mr. Donolvoo was with Lord Methuen from the Orange River to Magersfontein, and' acted as assistant galloper to General Sir Hector M'Donald in tho fight, at Koodoesberg Drift. Ho accompanied Lord Roberts on march from Enslin, and. was,present at'the battle of, Paardeberg. Shortly afterthis he was captured, but was released- on tho fall of Pretoria. In the Russo-Japanese Wirr, Mr. Donohoe was attached . to'/: the .first Japanese army, and was- with, General ICuroki through Korea and . Manchuria. He was presont'.at the battles of the Yalu, Mo.tien. Pass, To'wari, Liaoynng, and.'.the.: Shaho. Hewasin .Turkey \thr6ugh' the revolution- 0f,.1909, and witu'essed the taking of Constantinople by the Young Turks, being the-first journalist tb interview the now Sultan'. When the Portuguese revolution took place- in 1910, and Kfrig Manuel fled, from his. capital, Mr. Donohoe was on the spot to record it, and he . distinguished-, himself by escaping from Lisbon with the first detailed account ! of the fighting. . , ' A CRIM SPECTACLE. 'THE ROAD TO CHATALJA. ■' MASSACRES BY THE TURKS. Sofia, November 3.. It; is reported that the Bulgarians have surrounded Shevket Tcrgut Pasha's .division on the heights east of Sarai. After a desperate fight the Turks broke through and fled to ChataJja, 30 miles from Constantinople. , ;. ! The Bulgarians,' during the- battle of Lule Burgas, captured eighty guns and 160 ammunition wagons;' " The Turks, during the retreat from Baba Eski, massacred 200 persons of all ■ ages and sexes. '• , ; A remnant of the Turkish forces is making a stand between'Sarai and Chorlu. 1 All the roads leading to Chatalja present a grim spectacle, daid and dying soldiers, weapons, and clotiic.t being scattered aboiit in every direction. Christians in the forefront of the Turkish lines of battle endeavoured, to attract the notioe of 00-religionists ir. the opposing lines by making the sign of the Gross. HEROIC BULGARIANS, Vienna, November 3. ■ The "Eoichpost" emphasises the heroic assaults on the Turkish centre during the second day of tho battle at Bunarhi6sar. Undismayed and unshaken by the appalling Turkish fire, tho Bulgarians captured .the heights at the. fourth.charge. BOMBARDMENT OF ADRIANOPLE. Vienna, November 3. Tho newspaper "Reichpost" states that the fall of Adrianople is expected next week. The capitulation of the city might be hastened, but King Ferdinand has discountenanced a ruthless bombardmont. Sofia, November 3. The bombardment of Adrianople Is proceeding. _•'• WOUNDED POUBING IN. iConstantlnoplo, November 8, Twelve thousand Turkish wounded from the Thraoian battlefield have arrived here. . - . _

GERMAN OFFICER'S ; STORY*

HOW KIRK KILISSE WAS LOST,', TURK FIGHTS TURK. Constantinople, November 3. ; A German officer who was with tho Turks at the battle of Kirk Kilisse asserts that the Moslems had half won tho battle, when, for some unknown cause; they .began to retire. Their failure began with a panic on the part of a weak Bed if regiment, composed of Asiatics. The panic was communicated to the rest of tho Turkish forcc, and culminated in a pellmell flight. ' There is absolutely no truth, states this officer, in tho reports that Mukhtar Pasha, who commanded the Turks at Kirk Kilisse, is a coward or clumsy; ho is one of tho bravest and best soldiers the Turks possess. The reports that ho had been recalled and disgraced are not true. 'The some officer describes the incident when tho Turks fired at each other. He says: "Despite the-darkness, Wo poured lead'into the, enemy, the flashes, of whoso .firearms were oceawonJilly visible when tho rala Ths flriut' cwttautfl,

nearly all night. We lost pretty heavily, but, advancing finally with the dawn, fell to the ground in order to rc-st, having, as wo believed, won tho battle. But we were staggered to find not dead Bulgarians .but Ottomans. Then the conviction dawiiod on us that Ave had been fighting out own men. The Bulgars evidently soon discovered that something had upset our formation, and soon after daylight they attacked out weakest point-the half-trained Redifs —and these broke and ran," PRINCE TO BE COURT-MARTIALLED. Constantinople, November 3. Prince Aziz, who commanded a division of Redifs at ICirk Iyilisse, and who is alleged to have fled with his command,< will be court-martialled shortly. A report that-ho had been shot is untrue. IN THE WEST. ANOTHER VICTORY FOR THE GREEKS. CONFLICTING TURKISH "feEPORT. Athens, November 3. ■The fifth division, which is m&rchin'g bn Monastir, "while camped on the Nivibankoi liiver, between thirty and forty miles south of Monastir, repulsed a Turco-Al-banian night attack, and in. turn, at , attacked and routed the enemy. The latter had two hundred cavalry and one thousand infantry killed, aud seven of their guns were captured. ' - ■ BETWEEN TWO PIKES, j, Constantinople, November 3. " Turkish reports State that the Greeks were defeated' near Vodeiia, 40 miles, east-south-east of Monastir. ' It is alleged the Greeks were caught between the Turks at Salonika and the Monastir force. NEARING SALONIKA. . ■ Athens, November.-3. '. After fighting all day Friday, the Greeks captured Yanitza, fourteen miles from Salonika, PREVESA CAPITULATES. Athens, November 3. .._ The Turkish seaport. of Prevesa has' capitulated to the Greeks. Prevesa is a seaport of Albania, European Turkey, at the entrance of the Gulf of Arta, on the lonian Sea. Pop. (1905) 6500, Of .Whom four-fifths, are- Christian. Albanians or Greeks, and one-fifth Moslems.. The harbou'r. is small, and is closed, to ■large vessels by a bar of sand. , MONTENEGRIN REPULSE RE- ' ■PORTED. ; Constantinople, November 3. ' It is asserted' that the Montenegrins were repulsed at Scutari with 2000 ties. ' . SHELL"FACTORY BLOWN UP. (Rec. November 4, 1-1.5 p.m.) Cetinje, November 4. Owing to the carelessness of a workman,, tho shell factory in Old Antivari caught Are, and blew up, killing five persons. INTERVENTION. FRENCH PROPOSAL DISCUSSED. . AUSTRIA'S INTENTIONS.' ' ;r. . . .Berlin',:.) November ; 3;, ': M. Poincare, French' Prime Minister,' ,has submitted to- the Posers a suggestion as to the form which intervention should take..'lt is understood; the form meets, with genoral approval, although Austria desires to inegotiate separately with Set-, via.. , ' ;. 'TERRITORIAL ABSTINENCE. .' Budapest, November 3. The newspaper i "Pester-Lloyd," commenting on the. Balkan situation, says that Austria' is fully determined. to adhere to her policy of territorial abstinence,. - " •' ■ ■ , RUSSIAN STATEMENT. . St. Petersburg, November 3. . M. SazanofE, Russian Foreign ,Ministerj 'i has authorised a statement in which he notes Austria-Hungary's . declaration in regard to confining herself tp the matter of economio interests, which,' he be* lieves, can be satisfied without prejudicej to the Slav. States. ' .THE TURK Mtl&T GO. ■ ■ Paris, November .3. The newspaper "Le Temps" publishes an interview: with the Bulgarian Charge d'Affairs. The latter states that popular sentiment will not allow; tho Allies to restore a freed people to Turkish >rulo. Europe must not repeat tho Berlin Congress, and adjourn final liquidation of the subject. : BRITAIN READY, BATTLE FLEET SENT EAST. , London, November 3. The third British battle fleet arrived at Gibraltar, and was ordered to immediately leave, for the Levant. .. ; The Admiralty denies that mobilisation is going on i at Portsmouth. ■' The naval, authorities there are . merely making an experimental test of the nucleus, flotillas in coaling and provisioning. DUTCH CRUISER FOR SMYRNA. The Hague, November 3. The Dutch cruiser Gelderland, 3969 tons displacement, has been ordered to Smyrna. RUMANIAN PRECAUTIONS. Bukarest, November 3. The Rumanian Cabinet has approved large credits for various army leServes, ALBANIAN CHIEF SURRENDERS. Belgrade, November 3. Isa Bolotinatz, a famous Arnaut (Albanian) chief, with 15,000 followers, surrendered to the Servians at Mitrovitza, the tfermiaus of tho railway from 1 Salonika. BOMB EXPLOSION. * Constantinople, November 3;. A bomb exploded in the konak (pasha's 'palace) at Dimotika;-.-23 miles south of Adriannple, and did muoh damage. EGYPTIAN RED CROSS ATT). Cairo, November 3.' The Egyptian R«d Cross organisation is sending a mission to the Balkans. VON DER GOLTZ SILENT. ( . VIEWS OF GERMAN EXPERTS, Berlin, Novembej 8. t Efforts have failed to extract from Field-Marshal Baron von der Goltz the reason of the failure of . his Turkish pupils. ' German experts ssy the fault did not lie . in the. tactical lessons, but in the wretched individual work of tho Turkish officers. . . , Field-Marshftl Baron von der Goltz, who last year celebrated the fiftieth auuivejy BM'-y of his Wtranoo into the Gorman Amy, for twely.Q years had. charge o£ the...

reorganisation of the Turkish Army. After a course in the Berlin Military Academy, lie served iu tho war against Austria in I 1866, - and ho also saw servico in tl.ie) Franco-Prussian war of 1570.' ' The fol- i lowing years lie spent partly on the historical section of the German General. Staff and partly as lecturer oil' military history at the irilitary Academy in Berlin. In 1883 he was lent to .Turkey to reorganise the military establishments iof tlie country.' The result of his work appeared in the Greco-Turkish war of 1897, when tlie Turks had an easy victory dver their opponents. On his retiirii .to Germany Von der Goltz held various high positions in the army, including the command of tho First .Army Corps/ After a visit to Turkey in 1910, dining which he attended the army manoeuvres, at .Adrianople, ho spoke euthusiasticully of the success of the manoeuvre.';, and paid a tribute to the energy of llahmud Shevket I'asha. The General Staff had .done its work well in preparing for the manoeuvres, and the military "authorities had 6hown corresponding zeal, "whereby the talent of the Oriental for improvisation was again made'' evident." iln the lower, commands the. effects of lack of training were to be observed. The Turkish common soldier had established his reputation for endurance once- moro; Relations between Moslems And the new Christian recruits were excellent, "and, it is to be hoped, will remain so unless the political and religious agitation does its work."