GENERAL BATTLE IN SOUTH POLAND

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2243, 1 September 1914, Page 5

GENERAL BATTLE IN SOUTH POLAND

THOUSANDS OF AUSTRIAN PRISONERS ; . —r \ ENEMIES' TROOPS HARD PRESSED IN GALICIA A _ St, Petersburg, August 29. The Russians took three thousand 'Austrian prisoners east of'Lemberg, in Galicia, and a thousand north' of Tomaßzow, which lies a few miles in Russian Poland, and is fifty-fivo miles north-west of Lemberg, ■ The Fifteenth Hungarian Division was surrounded east of Tomaszow, the entire regiments surrendering. . St, Petersburg, August 30. A general battle .is in progress in the Southern Districts of Russian Poland. At Lublin and Kholm (forty_ miles east of Lublin) a magnificent Russian . . bayonet charge praotioally annihilated the 11th Honved regiment of the Austrian army. (Reo. August 81, 11.50 p.m.) r Rome, August 31. .Viennese official reports state the Russians in immense force are devastate, ing the whole of the. region from'theVistula to the Dniester Rivers, over afront of two hundred miles.' The Austrians have only ten army, corps, so resistance cannot be continued elsewhefe. It is stated that one Austrian army corps previously sent to Poland has been recalled to defend Cracow, which the Russians now seriously menace. FRESH TROOPS ON PRUSSIAN FRONTIER. V ' (Reo. August 31, 11.50 p.m.) ■ - . St, Petersburg, August 31. It is officially stated that fresh .troops have appeared on the Prussian frontier, and are taking'the offensive in some places. The oombat southwards) of Lublin is being carried on with unabated fury, the fighting near Tomaßzow being particularly stubborn. The Russians have captured many prisoners, guns, quickfirers, and a flag. ■ ' St, Petersburg, August 29. The Russian advance to West Prussia continues. _ Fighting has occurred between the Russians and the . garrisons of Thorn and Graudenz, the two German fortresses on the Vistula. , Graudenz and Thorn are Prussian fortress towns situated 37 miles apart at opposite extremities of a sharp bend in tlie river Vistula. The fortresses lie about 230 miles east of Berlin, and Graudenz, tie most northerly-of tils two, is about sixty miles due south of Danzig.Bay. Thorn has about 32,000 inhabitants. Situated on the ngfct bank of tlie Vistula near tlio point wljere the river enters Prussian territory, 85 miles-by rail N,E. of Posen, 92 miles S. of Danzig, and 12 miles from the Russian frontier at Alexandrovo, its position as a bridge-head, commanding .the passage of the Vistula, V makes it a point of strategic importance. It was strongly fortified in 1818} and in 1878 was converted into a fortress of the first class. 'The defensive Works. Consist of a circle of outlying forts, about two and a half miles from the centre of tlie town—eight on the right, and five on the left) bank of the river.. The ■ . second partition of Poland (1793) conferred Thorn on Prussia; by the, treaty of Tilsit it was assigned to the duchy of Warsaw; but since tih© Congress of Vienna (1815) it has again been Prussian. Graudenz,'which has a population'of about 36,000, is a place of consider* able manufacturing industry. It lies bn the right bank of the Vistula, 87, miles by rail N-.N.Ei of Thorn, From 1665 to 1769 Graudenz was held by Sweden, and in 1772 it came into the possession of Prussia. The fortress of Graudenz, which since 1873 has been used as a barracks and military depot ■ and prison, is situated on a steep eminence about one and a half miles north of the town and outsido its limits. It was completed by-Frederick the . Great in 177,6, and was rendered famous through its defence by CoUrbiere against the French in 1807. , v Cracow is the capital of Galicia or Austrian Poland, oh the left bank of the Vistula, where it flows through a narrow valley forming the approaches to Silesia, and to the Moravian Gnjo, leading to the, valley of the Danube. This situation gives it an important strategical position. It is a fortified town, walled find surrounded by forts on both banks of the river. .