Eastern News

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 83, 12 April 1915, Page 5

Eastern News

AN AUSTRIAN FAILURE. DISASTROUS AUSTRIAN INVASION OF SOUTHERN RUSSIA. United Press Association. (Received 9.5 a.m.) Bucharest, April 11. The attempted invasion of Bessarabia, which was cabled on the 31st, was disastrous to the Austrians, who, famished and utterly demoralised, fell back in great disorder. Large Russian masses advanced along the banks of the Pruth towards Boian so quickly that tbe Austrians were unable to organise their defence, and they wreaked their vengeance on the Bukowinians, whose plight was appalling, many being taken prisoners and executed on the slightest pretext. THE FIGHTING IN POLAND. Petrograd, April 10. Official: Cossacks brought down au aeroplane and captured the two aviators on the right bank of tbe Vistula. A train carrying the staff of a German army corps was derailed in Poland. Several superior officers were killed or wounded. EAST PRUSSIAN OPERATIONS.

Petrograd, April 10

When the Russians re-took Andrejevo, near Memel, they found thirtvfnnr wounded Russians. It is believed that they tortured four others, who were bayonetted to death. They also found a Cossack, who had been savagely hacked from bead to heel. Two German officers examined Panasuk. a young scout, at Ragosa, and suggested that be become a German spy. He indignantly refused, and an officer cut off the lobe of an ear with wire-cutting shears, saying: “Will that make you speak?” Pauasuk did not reply, and the officer continued to pear the ear at intervals until scarcely any remained. Another officer core away the cartilage of the nose, and varied the operation by Ijlows in the mouth. Despite the fearful agony, the victim refused to give information; and after an hour’s torture, was ordered to a place of confinement. He escaped in the dark. Petrograd, April 11. Official: West of the Niemen at daybreak on the 9th we attacked German positions, and captured two lines of trenches at Oulwuria and Lubwinow, taking six hundred prisoners and capturing eight machine-guns. ON THE ROUMANIAN FRONTIER. Bucharest, April 10. Two armoured Austrian trains attacked a Russian position at Boian, two kilometres from the Roumanian frontier. Russian artillery destroyed one train and drove off the second.

IN THE CARPATHIANS. Petrograd, April 9. We took 1200 prisoners in the Carpathians on the 7th, and now hold the whole of the principal chain from Rechetova to Holossata, a distance of 110 versts, with the exception of one hill. The seizure of heigh 909, near Voliamicsowa, resulted in repulsing the enemy along our entire offensive in the principal chain of the Carpathians. The enemy, considerably reinforced, made obstinate counter-attacks on Thursday, but we successfully repelled them, taking 1000 prisoners. The offensive continues, despite the necessity for cutting our way in snow sometimes six feet deep. We are within live versts of Uszok Valley at several points. (A verst is 0-66 of an English mile, or about 1200 yards). Budapest, April 10. A Hungarian officer relates that his regiment in the Carpathians was ordered to hold a position. They dragged the guns up the mountainside for a thousand metres, and placed big tree-trunks and wire in front of the trenches until he thought no earthly power could penetrate the defence. The Russians on the opposite slope, half a mile distant, commenced a deadly bombardment on March 25th and destroyed the entanglements. At nightfall they attacked in large numbers. and fought all night. When one Russian line was thrown hack another appeared. The fifth line appeared in the morning, having crept forward in the mud and snow. We mowed them down, but they continued the attack lou the 26th in greater masses. To- | wards evening we were tired and fooddess. and could not withstand the final i onslaught at midnight. Five hundred I *of my regiment miraculously escaped, I but the remainder were killed or taken prisoners.

THE RAVAGES OF DISEASE. Cettinje, April 9. Ravages of typhus are spreading, owing to the Austrian troops driving over the frontier seventeen thousand refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina.