THRUST FDR WARSAW

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 263, 28 July 1915, Page 5

THRUST FDR WARSAW

\ GERMANS PREPARING FOR ATTACK

THU DARDANELLES. TURKISH FIRE WEAKENING. SUGGESTING SHORTAGE OF SHELLS. (Reed 10 a.m.) LONDON, July *27. Reuter’s sorrespondent at the Dardanelles, in describing the lighting as ■cabled, says the intense heat accentuated the sandstorms raised by a Levanter which swept across the Peninsula. The Turks are using high explosives, but the growing inferiority suggests great difficulty in maintaining supplies. A GALLANT EXPLOIT. READY FOR ACHIBABA. FINISH THE WHOLE BUSINESS. (Reed 9.45 a.m.) LONDON, July 27. Thg Central News says the Scottish 'Territorials, triumphantly cheering, ‘charged a labyrinth of Turkish tren■ches, and carried three lines. They are ready to storm Achibaba itself. When asked why they went on, one Tad replied: “They thought they might as well finish th e whole business at once. . < /ALLIED SUCCESS AT GALLIPOLIDESPERATE FIGHTING. LONDON, July 27. Mr Ashmead Bartlett reports a Dardanelles success cn the 12th and ’ 13th; at Achevad, after desperate fighting. Anyon e who had not seen the ground could have no conception of the obstacles our heroic infantry have to face in gaining even a few yards t)f fresh soil. The Turks. hav e now realised that no infantry can withstand a bombardment of high explosives concentrated in a small section. Their defence, therefore,'is to withdraw most of their men down the communication trenches whilst the bombardment lasts. Our infantry'are thus able to occupy two or three lines with small loss. The I majority of the casualties occur after j the trench is won, when the enemy, I knowing the plan of their own tren- j ehes. attack with bombs through the J saps, and fighting at close quarters ensues. Some parties get too far forward, and are frequently lost for hours. It is a common occurrence with our men to gain possession of an advanced I trenuh whilst the Turks are still hold-1 ing the sections behind. The cost of j this type of warfare san be worked out with mathematical exactness —so many shells and grenades used for every hundred yards. It is bludgeon work, brutal and unattractive. Victories at Achi Baba cannot be won in a day, any more than before Ypres and Souche.7. The sections of the £ enemy’s line must first be pounded to pulp, and then stormed, and finally held against counter-attacks. At four o’clock in the afternoon every gun was turned on the Turkish trenches and the redoubt. The high explosives threw up great masses of eaYth, sandbags and wooden beams to an immense height. Meanwhile not a Britisher nor a Frenchman was visible.

GREAT DAY FOR THE SOLDIERS. TURKS DRIVEN PELL MELL. NAVAL. BRIGADE DECIDES THE DAY. : ENEMY DEMORALISED. LONDON, July 27. Mr Bartlett continues: At sunset the brigade had captured all the works attached to the left, but was compelled to evacuate two of the captured trenches on the right. It was a great day for these soldiers, who, despite the extreme heat and the difficult task fought like veternas.

The Turk has a patriality for nightfighting, when his inferiority in artillery is not apparent. Throughout the night on the 12th, rifl e fire did not cease. At dawn the noise assumed a crescendo and the Turks brought up reinforcements and attacked cur weary men, through the communiration trenches with bombs and bayonets. The Scots fought gallantly but could not maintain all the ground won. They wer e driven out of two trenches, but clung stubbornly to the redoubt. At daybreak the staff examined the siutation closely and lecided to give th e enemy no rest, but to follow up with, another attack. The two exhausted brigades were withdrawn, the naval division entering the front trenches.

The field artillery at 4 in the afternoon opened on the battered shambles. Th e trenches were now knocked almost cut of recognition. The high wind and the bursting shrapnel threw up immense ciouds of dust, obscuring the horizon. Our right moved forward at 4.30 amidst terrible rifl e fire, regaining the two trenches, but were held up at the third and fourth. They moved towards the right, advancing a long distance, skirting th e enemy works and unable to enter the lighting on the right. They continued for three hours hidden from view. It was impossible to know what was happening. Our attack on the left was completely successful and was conducted with the utmost skill and dash. The infantry simply swept over everything, bayoneting all Turks who did not succeed in escaping down the sap and finished their assigned task in a few minutes. But ther e was no stopping them. They swept forward in small parties as if they would never stop desprte the shells and bullets. It looked as if they intended to assault a fresh position. Fortunately, the premature advanc e was checked in time.

The Turks on our elft were thoroughly beaten, and fled far to the rear to the foot of Achi Baba, our shells pursuing them. At sunset we held the whole of the enemy’s left which we firmly consolidated during the night. Despite every effort on the right we failed to take the last two lines, but consolidated the first two. We were opposed by three of the best Turkish regiments. Our infantry captured five hundred.

BRITISH SUBMARINE IN SEA OF MARMORA. STILL WORKING DESTRUCTION. (Ecc. 9.45 a.m.) LONDON, July 27. Reuter’s Sofia correspondent reports that a submarine destroyed a large vessel liaden with charcoal, off Maltapch, on the Asiatic shore of the Sea of Marmora, and also destroyed part of the railway line at Dilikleszi by gunfire. — J — -i BLOCKADE.OF TURKEY. PBTROGRAD, July 27. Official: Our torpedoers in the Black Sea destroyed forty coal-laden sailers.

At 5 o’clock the artillerv lengthened itq fuses, and concentrated its fire on the dead ground where, the enemy was massing reserves. At the same moment the Britishers leaped out of their trenches and surged forward on to the great redoubt and the. network of trenches. .-' ■ ■ - The scene resembled a picture from “The Inferno.” Our guns were shellins- the works in the rear, and made A background of earth and smoke.

OSBMAHS BEFORE WARSAW 1N IMMINENT DANGER. THREATENED WITH REPETITION OP THE MARNE. GERMAN OFFENSIVE ABANDONED

(Red 0.15 a.m.) NEW YORK, July 27. A Petrograd message states that Von Hinde,nburg and Von Mackensen are both threatened with complete defeat in their contemplated coup on Warsaw. The German force is temporarily abandoning their forward movement, having been forced to protect its hank which is curling back to a tongue of a column,to lend effective resistance to Russian blows which have weakened their line.

Experts say the situation and conditions are strikingly similar to those [ obtaining before Paris, when Von | Kluck’s army was saved from annihilation by a rapid doubling back. MUNITIONS, MUNITIONS! MAKING IN INDIA. (Red 9.15 a.m.) I LONDON, July 27. The “Manchsejter Guardian” says within a short time every large workshop in India will bs making munitions. General work in railway shops has been suspended. RIOTS IN PORTUGAL, WHAT’S IN A NAME. THE MOB FIRED ON. (Red 9.15 a.m.) LISBON, July 27. There is much rioting in tiie; Douro Province owing to a clause in the Treaty of Commerce between England and Portugal, allowing southern districts to export cheap wine under the name of Port. Douro producers demand that the Treaty b e not ratified, and the name “port” be restricted to genuine full-bodied port. A thousand armed with scythes, axes, rifles, bludgeons and dynamite bombs are invading the towns, burning public buildings, nad making bonfires of records, bombing railway stations, smashing wine depots and breaking casks of alcohol from the south. Troops fired on a mob at Laraego, killing 13.

RUSSIAN OrriCIAL REPORT. THE ENEMY REPULSED. BATTLE SOUTH OF WARSAW. VILLAGES CHANGE HANDS. (Roe. 1.30 fi.m.) PETEOGRAD, July 27. Official; With the assistance of ships we repulsed the enemy’s offensive which began on Saturday towards Cholok. in which region is Tukkum. The enemy continues unsuccessfully to attack positions at Pissa. near Siuvatki. We had a stubborn encounter south of Eojany with the German? who crossed the Narew and threw then/ hack to the village.

Wo repulsed attacks south-east of Pul tusk.

The enemy’s attacks on the advanced works at Ivangorod were repulsed. The battle between the Niepiz and the Bug continues with great intensity. The enemy on Sunday attacked on the whole front. Aid attacks were repulsed. Our counter-attacks were successful and the front is unchanged except where a few villages pass from hand to hand. WARSAW. WHAT THE LOSS WOULD MEAN. LONDON, July 27. The Daily Mail’s Petrograd correspondent states that Warsaw is under military control and no information is telegraphed. Russian papers have privately ascertained that the city is calm and fairly confident. The feeling here is that in giving battlte and facing a great risk the Russians are considering the interests of France and Britain in preference to their own. The Bourse Gazette points out that it would be a small matter for Russia with her vast expanse of territory to give up for the time being a piece of Poland, but it is clearly recognised that further retirement without fighting would allow the enemy to transfer large forces to the West front in order to break through to Calais and possibly to Paris.

CLIMAX IN A FORTNIGHT. FETROGEAD. July 27. Experts expect that the climax against Warsaw, Lublin, and Cholm will be within a fortnight. ENEMY GAIN FURTHER GROUND, AMSTERDAM. July 27. Austrian Official: South 0f...0d&l i ,captured a vaptage point valuable forour bridgehead. On the eastern bank of the Bug we .captured eleven* rjuTSdred men and'rtwo" machine-guns. The Germans northward of Goubtpszow gained further ground.

WESTERN CAMPAIGN. FLEET AGAIN IN ACTION. | Mityleno reports that the Allies for I th e last few days have uninterrupted|ly bombarded th e Turkish positions , from the interior of the straits, endeavj curing to destroy the enemy’s batter- • ms on the Asiatic coast which have I been hindering the movement of the Allies in the region of Achi Baba. FRENCH COMMUNIQUE. SLIGHf PROGRESS MADE. (Reed 9.30a.m.) PARIS, July 27. A communique states that in reprisal for bombardment of Fumes and Dunkirk, we bombarded the German ' Cantonments of Westende and Middle--1 kirke. In the Vosges we extended and consolidated the ground captured on the crest of Lingekopf. We occupied the pass between the Lign e and the Quarries. Three coun- , ter-attacks were repulsed.

MOSTLY ARTILLERY WORK

PARIS, July 27. Official: Cannonading has diminished at Artois. A few heavy shells were thrown on Arras. Mining operations on Perthes-Beau le Jour front and at Vanquois were to our advantage. There was a violent cannonade at Bois le Pretro. Pont-a-Monsson was bombarded, also Baudespat. THE CROWN FRINGE'S FAILURE. STORY OF FUTILE ATTACK. PARIS, July 27. A French territorial, describing the Crown Prince’s failure in the Argonne j on the 13th, says that after a very violent bombardment the Germans in a massed attack hurled themselves on the French, shouting the ‘ ‘ Wacht air Rhein. ’ ’ The seventy-fives and mach-ine-guns scattered the attackers, but enormous reserves soon replaced them and swarmed the trenches, outnumbering the defenders sixfold. Afh?r two hours’ close fighting the French ammunition was almost exhausted and the Germans gained a footing in the trenches. A French lieutenant who was in command, resorted to a ruse. He ordered all to lie prone behind the trenches. The Germans, believing the French had quitted, advanced shouting with joy. A sudden volley wiped out the first line. The French then charged with their bayonets through the Germans and charged back through them again The survivors became panic-stricken Many surrendered and the remainder boiled. CAPTURE OF AUSTRIANS. PARJS, July 27. The Echo de Paris asserts that the Italians have captured 20,000 Austrians, while the Austrians have captured less than a thousand Italians. ANTWERP FINED. FOE DEMONSTRATING. (Roc. 9.45 a.m.) ROTTERDAM, July 27.

Bodenhausen, Governor of Antwerp, fined the city £IO,OOO, as a result, of the patriotic demonstration on,the 21st. He lias since imposed rigorous regulations in all civilians, none being allowed to stand in the streets. BRITISH CASUALTIES. FEARFUL DEATH ROLL. (Reed 9.40 a.m.) LONDON, July 27. Mr Asquith announced British casualteis as follows: Naval, to the 20th July, 615 officers, whereof 499 were killed, and 8491 men, 7430 being killed. Military, to the 18th July, in France, 11,254 officers, 3288 being killed, and 255,649 men, whereof 45,372 were killed. At the Dardanelles, including the Naval Division, 2144 officers, 567 being killed; and 47,094 men, of whom 7,167 wer e killed. In other theatres, excluding German South-West Africa, 415 officers, of whom 145 were killed; and 5,333 men, 1445 being killed

TRAWLER SUBMARINED. CREW ALL LANDED. (Reed 11.25 a.m.) LONDON, July 27. A submarine sank the Hull trawler Honoria in the North Sea. The crew of 12 were landed at Kirkwall. DANISH STEAMER SUNK. COPENHAGEN. July 27. A submarine sank tiro Danish steamer Nogllli, the crew being landed at Wilhelmshgyen. SUBMARINE TOLL. . -HAVRE, July 27. Exports confirm the burning of two Norwegian and one Swedish vessel, in addition to the Hanbo by a -submarine.

THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGN, IMPORTANT ISLAND OCCUPIED ROME, July 27. Official: Naval forces have occupied the Island cf I'olagcsa, an important strategic position. Pelagosa was frequently bombarded but the Austrians maintained communication with the mainland by means of signals. Occupation was necessary, but the operation was difficult as the island abounds in crevasses and rapines but was a complete success.

ITALIANS DO GOOD WORK. DESPERATE FIGHTING. ROME, July 27. Official: We have made appreciable progress on the rower Isonxo. We Is ive conquered a broad stretch of wooded ground cn the left wing, stormed entrenchments in the centre and conquered most of Monte do Scibusi, which iron the right wing, after the whole position had been taken and retaken several times. The fighting everywhere was of the most desperate nature. The enemy in the evening used poisonous bombs. Our men used masks. The prisoners totalled 1.600.

j THE AUSTRIAN REPORT. AMSTERDAM, July 27. Austrian Official: The Haitians have gained only temporary local successes. Our artillery inflicted heavy Hasses. ALLIED TROOPS IN SERBIA. SERBIAN ARMY OF 230,000 READY. ROME, July 27. The Serbians, after their privations have re-assembled an army of 230,000. ready and ful/ly equipped. The await a notable Russian and Italiana offensive to re-attack the Austrians. French aviators are guarding the frontier. • v Two British, two Russian, and two French batteries of artillery are stationed in Belgrade. e AUSTRIAN WARSHIPS. BOMBARD ADRIATIC COAST. (Reed 11.25 a.m.) ROME, July 27, An Austrian light cruiser and four destroyers bombarded the Adriatic Coast railway between Senegallia and Pesaro and the towns of Fano and Senigallia. Two hydroplanes bombarded Ancona. The damage was slight, and there were no casualties. THE POPE’S APPEAL. CHURCHES TO BE SPARED. IF NOT USED FOR MILITARY • PURPOSES. (Reed 11.25 a.m.) ZURICH, July 27. In reply to the Pope’s appeal, the Austro-Hungarian Government has promised to respect churches and sacred monuments in Italy, if they are not used for military purposes SMALL CRAFT TIRED. BY GERMAN SUBMARINES. (Ren. 9.30 a.m.) AMSTERDAM, July 27. A German submarine set fire to the Norwegian timber-laden schooner Harbo, bound from Christiania to Sunderland. The crew was given five minutes to escape. A trawler landed them at Ymuiden. The captain saw three other vessels burning in the vicinity.

SOME GERMAN METHODS. THAT DID NOT WORK. (Ree. 9.45 a.m.) CAPETOWN, July 27. Colonel De Waal, of Botha’s staff, speaking at Stellenbosch, said the Germans Ibid 6,000 mines in Damaraland, but the Union Force only lost nine men thereby, whereas 21 Germans were killed. The Germans used more sheep dip in poisoning wells than was sufficient for all the sheep in South Africa. No Union soldier was killed thereby. NED KELLY AS WORLD’S OBJECT LESSON. HIS BULLET-PROOF ARMOURDEFIED POLICE RIFLE. (Roe. 9.45 a.m.) LONDON, July 27. Sevcra 1 newspapers urge the use bullet-proof plates. Many in the French army are using such protectors. Conan oyle, in advocating artificial? protection, says that when Ned Kelly walked unarmed before police rifles in his own hand-made armour ho was an object \csson to the world. If an o-P law could do it, why not a soldier?

AMERICA ’.7> NO TE. GERMANY’S VIEW MOT UNDERSTOOD. LUSITANIA’S PASSENGERS NEGLECTED. COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED. GERMANY FIND NO FAULT. WITH SUBMARINE COMMANDERS. (Reed 9.15 a. m.) NEW YORK, July 27. The “Vossisch e Zietimg” publishes the following regarding the United. States latest Note: “The refusal ttt accept Germany’s proposal to protect American passengers shows an absolute lack of readiness to understand the German standpoint. The principle that belligerent states must protect neutrals is untenable if applied in its fullest sense as it would mean abdication to neutrals. True belligerents must protect neutrals, but only provided neutrals do everything to prevent their citizens going into situations where they give protection in a possible victory over an enemy. This is supreme law for every belligerents. These who demand that Germany should conduct the war according to ' the academic rules of a professor expect Germany either to endanger her submarines, or relinquish warfare. This is not neutrality but partisanship against Germany. Passengers by the Lusitania could have been saved,but they were neglected. Germany has a. clean conscience, and has no reason to disapprove cf the conduct of her submarine commanders. COTTON SUPPLIES TO SWEDEN. STOPPED IN ENGLAND. (Reed 9.45 a.m.) COPENHAGEN, July 27. • Official: Seventy thousnad bales of cotton, destined for Sweden, were stopped in England. Fifty-five thousand were allowed to proceed, Sweden agreeing not to re-export. GERMANS FOE THE EAST FRONT. BERNE, July 27. Private advices show that the Germans continue to withdraw troops front the western front to the east, replacing them with young recruits.

Much valuable time has also bee* lost in taking up the making of shells, but considerable activity is now beuig shown in this line. According to •» I chemistry expert of a Sydney manufacturing firm, Australia’s aid in this direction would go far beyond the making of shell) cases. Shells could be filled with explosives, and the explosives themseves manufactured. The manufacture. ho savs, presents no special difficulties. There are abundant supplies of yellow grass tree gum, which contains 05 per cent, of picric acid, ones of the exTu'osivos used bv the British forces, while a very excellent explosive mav be made from ti-trec leaves. I€

the gas companies would save certain drivetives from tar, Australians could make very casLy the extremely powerful explosive used in torpedoes and aviators ’ bombs. With rofernco to the remarkable ''(•Movements of a your" Maori cripple who has been the means rf recovering several stcncs at Bel' l JBock which are valuable in the eyes of the Natives, Mr. J. H. Walker, the interpreter, relates e. further instance of the mysterious power possessed by the 17-year-}ld boy (says the Taranaki Herald). A waliine living near Bell Block, who was inclined to be somewhat sceptical of his bona fidcs, challenged him to find a ring she had lost about four years. After going through some form of prayer the lad returned and gave aw exact description of the lost rinj. “Very well',” he said, “it lies on such and such a road, but you will have difficulty in finding it, because it is covered by earth and grass. No one stole it; you dropped it yourself. Go and look for it. The first day you might not find it, the second clay you might find it. but the third day I am certain you will find it.” The story goes that the woman had a fruitless search ore the first day, and was very downhearted on the second, but, sure enough, the first thing she discovered on the third day was the missing piece of jewellery.