Russia

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 63, 19 June 1916, Page 5

Russia

CZERNOWITZ FALLS. CAPTURE OF CZERNOWITZ OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED. rUmi»D Press Association.] (Received 9.10 a.m.) Petrograd, June 18. A Reuter telegram states it is officially announced that Czernowitz has been captured. OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION. The High Commissioner reports:— London, June 18 (5.-10 p.m.) Czernowitz has fallen. VOMITING FIRE. THOUSAND GRATERS BEFORE CIERNOWITZ! ENEMY’S GRAPHIC STORY.

United Puns* Association. (Received 8.55 a.m.) Amsterdam, June 18

The Berliner Tageblatt gives a graphic description of the situation on the, 14 th. i"; Ther e were four days’ hot battle around Czernowitz. The withdrawal of the Central Powers from the Dniester-Pruth front entailed the temporary evacuation of positions northwestward of Czernowitz and the troops thence proceeded to the Pruth Valley.

A police proclamation, resembling a motif ami as thrilling as a tragedy, warned the population on Whit Sunday that Czernowitz would be under fire that day. Then th e flight began. A heartrending panic seized Christian, Jew, German, Roumanian, Pole, and Luthorian, all believing it was necessary to leave their beloved town, and they wandered through the streets, which were already echoing with the thunder of the guns. Tire projectiles landed mostly in the lower quarters and in the vicinity of the railway station; but occasionally a shell hit an inhabited house. Our artillery replied to this ghastly symphony all day long, and there' was a similar spectacle on Whit Monday, incendiary shells struck the station buddings, which severely damaged, and a timber yard was ablaze. The Russians made a night surpriseattack on the north-eastern end of tho town. The intensity of the bombardment, which opened at midnight, made us shudder. There were flashes of shells on the horizon as if a thunder-

storm was in progress. The defenders> in the trenches began an annihilating fire against the storming columns, whose losses were

heavy. The R nssians were unable to cross the Pruth.

Our on Tuesday committed terrible destruction among their moving columns. The attack on the bridgehead was repeatedly renewed until the 14th. The scene was like a thousand craters vomiting fire on the town. Our guns replied with the same intensity. Ihe Russian-, latgr advanced in sixteen waves, but were mown down, and the stormer.s wore forced back beyond Sadagora.