The War News.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 15 June 1916, Page 3

The War News.

THE WEEK'S

FRIDAY. Austrian Retirement —Successes in Volhynia — Australians Raid Trenches. The Russian offensive on the front between the Pripet marshes and the Roumanian frontier is still developing successfully. It has so far yielded over 40,000 prisoners and many guns. The improvement in Russian muuitionment has been proved. The Austrians admit a retirement in the Volhynian triangle formed by the towns of Rovno, Luck, and Dubno. They are being so closely pressed by the Russians that they are unable to move troops from one point to another. The Australians are located 'by an official message at Bois Grenier, five miles south of Armentieres, and ten miles west of Lille, where they entered the German trenches and took prisoners. The New Zealand had a charmed life in the North Sea battle. Her position in the line was one of honour and danger, but a tornado of German shells wounded only two sailors. Mr A. J. Balfour, First Lord of the Admiralty, denies that the recent naval action was indecisive. It has left the Germans relatively much inferior than before, and enabled Britain to increase her grip on the blockade.

SATURDAY. Sudden Russian Blow—Fortress of. Luck Captured—lo6,ooo Austrian Casualties — Allied Pressure on Greece. The Russians have captured Luck, the westernmost of the Volhynian triangle of fortresses, and a further 11,000 prisoners. It is reported that the Austrians 'are retiring on the whole front. The Russians have taken positions at many points of the Austrian line, and are now close on the line of the Strypa River. The Austrian casualties are estimated at 100,000. German, newspapers, admit that the Russians are attacking with great forces and with artillery that exceeds anything experienced on the eastern front. The Greek Cabinet has decided f to demobilise twelve senior classes of the army immediately. France has decided to prevent all commercial navigation to Greece • and warships have stopped four vessels. It is reported in Salonika that the blockade is the result of the allies' demand for the instant demobilisation of the Greek army. A tardy admission of the loss of the battle-cruiser Lutzow, also of the cruiser Rostock, is made by Germany." A member of the crew of the Malaya affirms that that battleship sank the German battle- cruiser Hindenburg. The Germans captured the ruins of Fort Vaux, after the garrison had been exhausted by ceaseless fighting. The fort was unarmoured, and was held merely as an observation post. The French have strong defences behind the fort. Successive German attacks near Thiaumont farm have been repulsed.

MONDAY, Russian Victories—Austrian Froht Pierced — Capture of 71,000 Prisoners. The Russians have pierced the Austrian front. The blow from Yolhynia broke the enemy's lines over a distance of 90 mile?, to a depth of 40 miles. The Russians are officially reported to have entered Buczacz, in Galicia, and to have captured over 71,000 Nawisoners and 94 large guns. It -is unofficially stated that the Austrians have evacuated Dubno, southernmost of the Volhynian triangle of fortresses, and that the Russian vanguard is within 20 miles of Lemberg. The Austrian army in the Pripet marshes is endangered by this success. A battle is raging on the Sette Comuni Plateau, about 20 miles south-east of Trent. Thejtalians made the enemy suffer greatly for a gain of 100 yds, Hill 304 has been the chief storm " centre near Verdun. Several German attacks were :,. repulsed, ; A skirmish between British "monitors and destroyers off the ' Belgian coast ended in the : Germans retiring to Zeebrugge. - Unofficial reports suggest that *in the North Sea battle the ■ Germans lost 20 destroyers and ' five submarines.-

SUMMARY.

TUESDAY Russians Pressing Forward — Czernovitz Under their Guns— Total of Prisoners 108,000. The Russian blow is described as the greatest of the war. There are three breaches in the Austrian line, threatening respectively Kovel, north-east of Lemberg, Buczacz, in Galicia, and Czer- ■ novitz, the capital of Bukovina. Civilians have been ordered to cave Czernovitz, which is now Iwithin range of Russian artillery The captures of prisoners since June 3 now total 108,000. The Russians have also taken great quantities of war materials and 124 large guns and 180 machine-guns. In order to enable him to assemble cavalry rapidly General Brusiloff constructed miles of corduroy roads across the swamp behind the Russian lines. The Austrians were thrown into panic-stricken flight, and whole regiments surrendered. After the Russian infantry came the cavalry, which swept far behind the lines and disorganised the enemy's transport. There was fierce fighting for twenty hours before Luck fell, and then the Austrians fled precipitately. A notebook taken from a German staff officer captured at Verdun shows the enemy's losses on this front- to the end of May to have been estimated at 425,000, Bombardments continue day and night in Flanders. The \ Germans are using theii* higher ground to the utmost, and are throwing high-explosive shells from long-range guns.

' WEDNESDAY Russians Still Gaining GroundExcitement in Roumania — The Germans Rep ulsed at Verdun. The Russian offensive on the southern front is being continued although in some sectors the Austrians are making violent counter-attacks. The total of prisoners is now 114,700 officers and men. The Russians are only a little over 30 miles from the important railway centre of Kovel, north of Lemberg. They are 27 miles south of Luck, and 20 west of Dubno. Further south they are approaching the suburbs of Czernovitz. the capital of Bukovina, where the Austrians are destroying bridges. The Austrian losses are estimated at 400,000.

The Russian • victories have created . great excitement in Roumania. The Bulgarians have closed their frontier, and are fortifying the Dodrudja portion of it.

Attacks lasting all day against positions north of Thiaumont, on the Verdun front, were repulsed by the French fire.

German concentrations in Belgium have given rise to the impression in Flanders that an important offensive is pending.

The turning-point of the Trentino battle has been reached, and the Italian counter-offensive is turning the tables qn the Austrian s. THURSDAY Canadian's win ground—Russian progress to Kovel—ltalian Counter Offensive, Canadians troopsjhave captured 1500 yds of German trendies near Zillebeke, a mile and a-:half sou,th of the outskirts of Ypres. They took 126 prisoners, and inflicted heavy loss on the enemy. Although there is a lull in the fighting in GaliGia and Yqjhynia, the Russians continue to make progress,

The Germans are now apparently attempting to find a new way to Verdun by way of Thiaumont, between Fort Vaux and the Meuse, Incessant assaults were repulsed by the French.