TERRIFIC BATTLES NEAR THE SAN RIVER

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2469, 24 May 1915, Page 5

TERRIFIC BATTLES NEAR THE SAN RIVER

\ 1 SITUATION REMAINS GRAVE ; 1 i WHOLESALE SACRIFICES OF LIFE 5 t 1 (Reo. May 23, 3.50 p.m.) ' J London, May 22. ' Tho "Morning Post's" Potrograd correspondent states that the Germans' main onset is in tho centro of Galicia on a tifty-five-mile front, where they havo concentrated half a million of men, comprising tho flower of tho German Army, including various crack regiments brought over from France. Every yard of the ground is being disputed day and night. The mo- ( nientnm of the Macedonian phalanx is irresistible, but has offered a terrible mark for the Russian artillery. There has been no such wholesale sacrifice of lit'o sin'co tho battle of the Jiznra. The 'head of tho phalanx strongly holds the right hank of tho San, tlio remainder is still on the loft bank. Tho situation remains grave. Tho Gormans continue to have tho best of tho struggle, but there is a now fooling that tho lack of mobility is increasing tlio difficulty of maintaining tho full pressure of supplies, and several hundred guns have been left behind. DESPERATE FIGHTING CONTINUES IN GALICIA. (Rec. May 23, 2 p.m.) Petrograd, May 23. Official.—The battle in. Galicia continues with great desperation. The enemy has extended his forces somewhat on the right bank of the San in tho centre of the line, but we have realised important successes on the left bank in the direction of the Vistula and in the direction of Przemysl. RUSSIAN FRONT SUCCESSFULLY READJUSTED. London, May 21. . The "Times" Petrograd correspondent says: "The Russian front south of Pilica has been adjusted to fit in with t'he line of the San. The enemy's advanco columns near Opoczno and Kielce were hurled back to enable the Russians to tako up now positions. The enemy's main strength is north of Przemysl. . . . . "Tho Austrians have been regrouped in Bukowina, where they continue to be defeated. ''The Prussian Guards, the Saxons, and tho Bavarians lost heavily in West Galicia. _ . , "The enemy shows increased activity in the north, and is conveying war supplies and long-range guns, and constructing a railway pn the Baltic coast. The Russians, fighting stubbornly, advanced from Mitau to the line of the Rivers Windau and Dubissa, on a front of sixty-six miles, hurling back tho Germans to a tremendous distance with enormous losses." —("Times"- and Sydney "Sun" Services.) RUSSIAN LOSSES ACCORDING TO GERMAN ACCOUNTS, London, May 21. Since May General Mackcnsen has taken prisoner 104,000 Russians, and taken 72 cannon and 263 machine-guns. . The Russians taken prisoner afc Jaroslav were not equipped with nfles. but wero armed with oaken clubs. GERMAN LOSSES ACCORDING TO RUSSIAN ACCOUNTS. Petrograd, May 21. The enemy's losses in the Carpathians for three weeks, including '10,000 taken prisoner, are officially estimated at one-fourth of ,the total strength. Although the enemy lost oniy twenty guns, several hundred- were abandoned along.tho old lines. THE BATTLEFRONT IN GALICIA, (Rec. May 23, 2 p.m.)' Petrograd, May 22. It is estimated that "nearly a million and a half are engaged on.each side in the G-alician battle. The Germans have four thousand guns. ENEMY'S-ATTACK,HAS REACHED THE CULMINATING POINT. London, May 23, 2.60 a.m. :High Commissioner's message.—Petrograd reports that between Przemysl and the Great Dneister Marshes the intensity of the enemy's attack has reached the culminating point. . , ■ In attempting to pierce the Russsian front on the Scctor-Gussakouff-Krukenitza the enemy sustained great losses. _ . _ Desperate battles have been fought in the direction of Strj. The issue is unknown. ■ _____ ENEMY'S OFFENSIVE SHOWS SIGNS OF WEAKENING RUSSIANS HAVE ASSUMED THE OFFENSIVE WITH SUCCESS. (Rec. May 24, 0.5 a.m.) ( i petrograd, May 23. Official. The enemy thrust on the Galician front which began oil Friday shows si«'ns of weakening, and the defensive has been assumed ill several SCCtl {yo assumed the oifensive on the left bank of the Lower San, and earned several villages Wo repulsed a counter-attack in the direction of Nisko, and carried in the enemy's salient on the right bank of the San, near tho village of Ignatse, northward of Jaroslav. file eneinv eastward of Sussakow carried a portion of our trenches. Tho Russians counter-attacking, made prisoners of a thousand. The enemy's attacks Wthe remainder of the Galician frontier, after enormous losses, havo become more isolated in character. _ _ The Russians made prisoners of hundreds rn the Slonsko district, and twocr.emv comnanies surrendered. . The enemy on the Narew front carried out partial counter-attacks to accustom the troops to the use of poisonous gas. . , The enemy is-reinforcing the defeated elements in the Opatow region from Galicia,

ON THE WESTERN FRONT NUMEROUS LOCAL FIGHTS CALLANTRY OF BRITISH INFANTRY. London, May 21. Sir John French reports that the weather has hampered operations. Nevertheless, the troops have made appreciable progress on the east and south of Quinquerue. The main characterises of the contests have been numerous local fighting for stems: points behind the enemy's original line, m which the infantry displayed great gallantry., A German aeroplane was_ brought down at Ypres on Thursday night. AFTER SIX MONTHS. THE LAST SPUR CAPTURED. (Rec. May 23, 2 p.m.) Paris, May 22. Official.—The weather has improved. Wo captured the German works on the sole spur of Notre Dame de Lorette, and the spurs are thus in our power, after six months of bitter German dealso conquered a further portion of Ablain. . , Later reports increase the importance of our success north of Ypres. Un Thursday night we- captured several trench mortars. The Germans left five j hundred dead on the ground. artillery duel at nicht. The High Commissioner reports:— London, May 21, 2.55 p.m. The British forces made progress north of La Bassee, at Notre Dame de Lorette, and on .the Soucliez and Aeu-ville-St. Vaast front. There was an artillery duel throughout last night. FURTHER PROCRESS. London, May 23, 2.50 a.m. High Commissioner's Report :—Paris reports that the British troops made a strong attack north of La Bassee, inflicting heavy osses on the enemy. in the sector north of Arras, despite the most violent bombardment, we captured several houses at Ablain and some prisoners. TRENCHES TAKEN AND RETAKEN. London, May 21. A French • Embassy communique states: "The Germans gained a foothold in tho French trenches northward of Ypres. eastward of the Ysor Canal, 111!n an immediate counter-attack drove tliem back, enabling tho French to occupy some ground beyond the original position. Wc tonic 150 prisoner. "The British have made somn progicss northward of La Bassee." WHITE ROAD TRENCHES. sEcrnEn by the French. London, ,Ma.v tor p.rti. Ri-zli Commissioner's report:— Th". French last muhl. ••Iwtl tlv» trendies of White Road of .very num-1

1 erous Germans killed, and of others who surrendered. Tho exact number is not yet known. During the night the Germans delivered several counter-at-tacks whicli were repulsed with heavy losses. The remainder of the White Road is now in French hands. New progress was made south of tho chapel of Notre Dame de Loretto. , The French maintained a. hundred metres of an eminence north-east of | Ablain. ! STRONC ATTACK REPULSED. (Rec. May 23, 0.10 a.m.) 1 Paris, May 22.1 Official.—The British repulsed a strong attack northward of La Bassee, and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. Our artillery successfully replied to au extremely violent bombardment on the positions northward d Arras. We took more houses in Northern Ablain and a number of prisoners. The British in the Festubert sector are advancing, and have captured further trenches and several important i points. , Anti-aircraft guns winged a German , aeroplane, which landed in tho German lines. Sir John French' reports a violent artillery engagement north-east of Festubert and some infantry fighting on Friday evening. We further progressed southward of Quinquerve. "THEY'RE OFF!" THE GERMANS BOLT. BRAVE BRITISH OFFICER. l (Rcc. May 23, 4.30 p.m.) i London, May 22. "Eye-Witness" continues his descripi tlon of tho fighting cabled on May 16, and' says by counter-attackß north of Hooge in tho neighbourhood of Yerlorenhoek, we re-occupied the trenches, or rather, craters representing _ them. _ As our men crept behind a rise waiting , the signal to attack a party of Ger- , mans suddenly bolted. Someone cried: "They've off!" when-our»whole line , raced after them. All tho Germans, in- . eluding those in support and in the re- [ serve trenches, broke and fled, suffering severely from-artillery and ma-chine-gun tire. Subsequently the position at Verloien'hoek- was heavily bombarded during thenight. Wo established our' line a. little way 1 behind our originaltrenohes which had been destroyed, our men often lying oxnosed to a murderous artillery fire, but perfectly steady. This was larttely due to tho officers. One, with a thigh shattered hv a shell, lav on the ground in the open. giving orders and directing operations. When llio retirement occurred four of his men tried (d rescue liini: three.wero shot p.ml he ordered the fourth to retire. He whs not iccnverod till the following ninht. Describinc -ihe Ric'hehourg-Festuburt fiffeiiM'ro "Kve-Witness" says (he Germans did not expert all attack on the part ef the iii;,e linrt'i nf Festuburt, 1 where wn carried tha whole of thflic .

most intricate eatremdhmenta without difficulty and with such great dash that we pressed beyond the enemy's third line, and until twelve hundred yards behind the German front in the direction of the Rue do Marais. We took a hundred prisoners. Some wero sitting round firoa in dug-outs. The prisoners testified to the heavy casualties from our artillery fire. The enemy's line was brokon in two plaoes with a short intervening space. At the point whore wo penetrated right through, the entrenchments our 'line formed a pronounced salient defended by a breastwork. The Gormanß counter-attacked during the night and forced us to evacuate most of the exposed portions. We maintained all our other gains. Our troops were much encouraged by the enemy surrendering in batches.