In the Balkans

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 43, 26 January 1916, Page 5

In the Balkans

AIR RAID ON MONASTIR. BRILLIANT FRENCH EXPLOIT. lUnjtjd Prtm Amooiatio.n Salonika, January 24. Forty-five French aeroplanes raided Mouastir on Sunday morning. Tlie flight occupied two hours. Thero:/was a boisterous wind across the Mouastir ranges. Some of the planes bombarded the German and Bulgarian headquarters with gunfire, and others dropped bombs, damaging the railway station, barracks, and munition depot. The aviators, though vigorously shelled, returned safely and dropped a few bombs on the Bulgarian encampment at Ghevheli.

The feat is regarded as the most brilliant exploit yet of French aviators.

FLOTILLA OF AEROPLANES.

A GREAT AERIAL FEAT.

FLIGHT OF 190 MILES.

HUNDREDS OF BOMBS DROPPED

(Received 8.20 a.m.) Salonika, January 25

The air raid on Monastir surpassed ithat of Stuttgart, in view of 190 miles being covered, and the fact that the airmen crossed several great ranges of mountains, of-which the enemy were occupying the ridges, j Forty-five machines left the aero- • drome at seven o'clock in the morning in a regular squadrilla, and after tf.o j hours' flight reached Monastir, where the Germans and Bulgarians were concentrated, refuging from the winter in comfortable town buildings. A section of the aeroplanes dropped two hundred bombs and many fires broke out, while gunplancs heavily shelled the German and Bulgarian headquarters, carefully avoiding those buildings being used as hospitals. When the last squadron flying in regular order circled over the town preparatory to returning, they saw: great clouds of smoke rolling up in many places. ["■ Meanwhile another squadron dropped one hundred bombs on Ghevgeli with similar results.

ALBANIA AIMED AT.

THE AUSTRO-BULCARIAN ADm VANCE.

REPORTED OCCUPATION OF i SCUTARI.

London, .January 21. It is reported that the Austrians have occupied Scutari. In the House of Commons, Loid Robert Cecil said; ...that, telegraphic communication from Scutari was in-

terrupted and there was no information available about the Montenegrin situation.

THE ENEMY'S OBJECTIVE.

Salonika, January 24

The Austro-Bulgarians have occupied Berat. The Bulgarians' objective is Valona, and the Austrian..' is Ruraz■/.0, where Essad Pasha is organising his forces.

MONTENEGRO'S POSITION.

THE FALL OF MT. LOVTCHEN.

London, January 25

A French correspondent; M. Nandeau, telegraphs to ais journal lrom Petrogad, denying thai: the Montenegrin army at Lovtchen numbered thirty-five thousand, o- that thirty thousand Serbs helped to defend Lovtchen. Only av-<; .Montenegrins occupied the mountain. Tl ->,> had four old twelve-inch gnus, recently purchased from Italy, ami six old Russian guns which were without shells. The Montenegrins' were unable to obtain help from any quarcer. Antivari was open to bombardment, and the Austrian battle diips were able !.o bombard Lovtchen. The gar-.son could not wait for help any longer, as one-eighth of the population had died of famine.

The correspondent adds: "We had thirty-three field guns, with only thirty shells 'apiece. Our riffes were out of repair, and we had only 120 rounds each. The men had worn out. their boots and clothes. Of seventy thousand men available at the outset of the campaign only fifteen thousand are left, and they are half starved and fighting against twenty to one odds." MONTENEGRO'S "PEACE JOKE." Rome, January 24. Montenegrin Ministers are making light of the peace negotiations, describing them as a ''peace joke." Austria's anger is expected, but invaluable time has been gained. r FLEET BOMBARDMENT. THE DEDEACATCH OPERATIONS. Athens. January 24. Thirty-three naval vessels took part in the bombardment of Dedeagatch, aeroplanes directing the lire,

SULTAN'S YACHT TORPEDOED. SERBIAN TROOPS LANDING AT CORFU. I (Received 10.-3 a.m.). I Athens, January 2-5. j Advices from Constantinople state that a French submarine in the liosphorous at the end ol December, toripedoed the Imperial yacht l£rtozroul, seriously damaging it. The Allies continue landing Serbian troops at Corfu. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. I'aiis, January 21. Le Petit Parisien's Salonika correspondent says that the French discovered a secret depot containing fifteen thousand litres of petrol, buried in 'iron cases. General Sarrail ordered its seizure. London, January 24. The Germans have prohibited night traffic in Serbian towns, with the penalty of death. 'They are rigorously inflicting public corporal chastisement without regard to age or sex, for the slightest infringement of the regulations.