The War News.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 27 January 1916, Page 3

The War News.

FRIDAY Russian Success — Heavy Turkish Losses — Montenegro Rejects Terms — Married Recruits in Britain The Russians have made a successful thrust against the Turkish centre in the Caucasus. The Turks suffered very heavylosses, and their retreat to the fortified plain of Ezerum, in the north-east of Asiatic Turkey, degenerated at many points into a panic-stricken flight. Entire regiments were annihilated. Nal^'tiations between Austria and JT/ivf ontenegro have been broke/i off, the terms proposed notjrbeing acceptable to Montenegro. The King of Montenegro, his>lmily, and the . diplomatists have~ left an Albanian port for Italy. The Earl of Derby, Director of Recruiting in Britain, and his committee, have decided on a new recruiting campaign for married men as well as single. The first four groups of men attested during the last recruiting campaign have been called up for service, and are expected to yield 100,000 men. The Admiralty will require 30,000 more men by March. As a reprisal for German aeroplanes dropping bombs on Nancy, French machines bombed and damaged a railway station near Metz. British airmen had 19 encounters with the enemy one day recently, SATURDAY Russians Gain Ground —Success in Bukovina—Turkish Vessels Sunk —Montenegrins Still Fighting The Russians have captured a sectoi of the enemy's position north-west of Czernovitz, the capital of Bukovina. Five desperate enemy .counter-attacks were repulsed with heavy losses. The Russians are also pursuing the Turks on the Caucasian front and inflicting heavy losses on them. An allied squadron composed of French, Italian, and British warships has again bombarded Dedeagatch, the Bulgarian port on the iEgean Sea.

Russian torpedo boats in I?he Black Sea raided the Asia Minor coast towards the north-east of that sea, arid destroyed 163 sailing vessels, of which 73 were' laden with provisions,

The French official report denies that there have been any peace negotiations between Montenegro and Austria, or that the army capitulated. The Montenegrins have resumed fighting on all fronts, and the King and his sons are organising the resistance. The spirit of the army is all against a surrender.

A ,Bri.tish submarine grounded on the coast of Holland. There was no loss of life.

MONDAY Montenegrin Success—Russians in Armenia —Austrian Torpedo-Boat Sunk — Progress Made in the Cameroons The resumption of hostilities by the Montenegrins has been marked by successful resistance at Berane, in the east of Montenegro. A state of guerilla warfare has virtually commenced much to the astonishment of the Austrians, < The entry of the Austrians into Montenegrin towns was marked by outrages, which provoked conflicts with civilian population. ■ A British submarine sank an r "AuA"ian torpedo-boat in the UpM^-'-Adi-xatic, also a disabled hydMplane. Turks recently defeated by the Russians in Armenia have been driven as far as the forts of Erzeroum. The Russians have also been successful on the southern shore of Lake Van. A member of the'; Roumanian Cabinet describes the Govern" ment's policy as being "No war, or war for the allies." fvGermanophile candidates at Roumanian by-elections have been defeated. Britain has purchased ten million pounds' worth of Roumanian wheat. The British and French have made further progress in the Cameroons, and are trying to prevent the escape of the enemy into Spanish territory which lies to the South, The Fokker aeroplane, which the Germany have been using with success on the Western front, is very fast and carries an immovable machine-gun from which a stream of bullets is directed against an opponent.

THE WEEK'S SUMMARY.

TUESDAY

Metz Bombarded — Successful French Raid — Aeroplanes over Kent — Battle in Mespotamia— German Attack in France—British Aerial Supremacy

French airmen, escorted by protecting squadrons, dropped 130 bombs on the railway station and barracks at Metz. The protecting pilot squadrons fought ten actions on the way.

A hostile aeroplane dropped nine bombs on the east coast of Kent, killing one man and injuring three adults and three children.

• The Germans made a determined attack at Neuville St. Vaast, north of Arras, and penetrated several hundred yards of the French trenches. Counterattacks won back all but a salient of 200 yds, which the Germans held, The enemy suffered heavy losses.

A Servian force, splendidly equipped, will be ready for the offensive in a few months.

A battle lasting all day took place on Friday between the Turks and the British force advancing to the relief of Kut-el-Amara, in Mesopotamia.

The Turkish retreat in Armenia continues. The Russians have commenced to bombard the forts at Erzeroum. WEDNESDAY Fighting in Fgypt — Success of British Force — Montenegrin Resistance—Brilliant French Air Raid — Germans Repulsed in Belgium A British column has again been in action with the Senussi near Mersa Matruh, on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, where the raiders were dispersed by New Zealand troops on Christmas Day. On thisoccasion the enemy lost heavily, and their camp was burned. The Montengrins are offering a desperate resistance in the north of their State, where a battle has been raging for two days. The Austrians have been obliged to send reinforcements. After a violent bombardment of the allies' positions at Nieir port, near the Belgian coast, the Germans attempted an infantry attack, which failed owing to an effective curtain of fire. It is reported that the proposed German attack on Egypt has been abandoned in .favour of an attempt to reach the Persian Gulf. In a raid on the Black Sea coast of Asia Minor Russian torpedo-boats sank 40 sailing vessels, and bombarded Turkish towns. The Military Service Compulsion Bill has passed its third reading in the House of Commons by 383 votes to 36.

French airmen have recorded their most brilliant performance in raiding Monastir. The flight occupied two hours in a boisterous wind over mountain ranges. British and French squadrons have bombarded enemy positions in France and Flanders.

THURSDAY

Germans Repulsed—Attacks North of Arras—Fighting in Montenegro

Further German attacks have been made near Neuville St. Vaast, north of Arras. The enemy succeeded in penetrating the French firing-trench at two points where it has been destroyed by explosions, but most of the craters were re-captured almost immediately.

The defeat of the Turkish army in the Caucasus was accomplished by a night attack by the Russians in a snowstorm. The Russians fell on the enemy with the bayonet and drove them in panic-stricken flight.'