GENERAL WAR NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 1, 3 January 1916, Page 3

GENERAL WAR NEWS.

REPORTED ENEMY RETIREMENT.

AUSTRO - GERMANS WITHDRAW FROM MACEDONIA.

OWING- TO RUSSIAN ADVANCE,

LONDON, Dec. 31

At Salonika it is believed that the Austrians -have abandoned their aggressive and are digging in. There are indications of lengthy trench warfaro round Salonika.

Aeroplane observers report that the Austo-Gcriuans have begun a general withdrawal on the entire Macedonian front, due to Russia's new advance in Bossaabia.

HEW LANDINGS AFFECTED.

ALLIES AT ORFANO, KA VALLA,

AND CASTELLORIZO

LONDON, December 31

Great importance is ataehed to the throe new landings in the Balkans, which are regarded as calculated to rob the ent'my of -his initiative. The Bitish are at Orfano, 30 miles westward of Kavalla; the second landing was made ! by the British at Kavalla; and the third by the French at Castellorizo.

WILL SALONIKA BE ATTACKED?

FRENCH STAFF CONSIDER IT UNLIKELY.

ALLIES TO TAKE OFFENSIVE IN THE SPRING.

LONDON, Dee. 30.

The Times' Athens correspondent says that the French staff is beginning to feel confident t-hat a German attack on Salonika is not to be expected. Maekensen's army is considerably weakened, and unable to detacli troops against the Allies. The Anglo-French are preparing for an undisturbed winter at Salonika, and will take the offensive in the spring.

It is authoratively stated that there are 150,000 Bulgarians and 100,000 Austro-Gemans in Southern Macedonia.

A GERMAN REPORT.

BRITISH LAND NEARER BUL-

GARIA

LONDON, Dee. 31

A German wireless declares that the Italian newspapers report that the British have landed near Kavalla.

(Kavalla is a coastal town on the Aegean Sea, near the Bulgarian border, opposite Thosos Island, halfway between Salonika and Turkey).

AERIAL AND ARTILLERY COMBATS.

RAILAY AND AERODROME DAMAGED.

The High Commissioner reports as follows:

LONDON, Doc. 31

Yesterday sixteen of our aeroplanes bombed Comines station, hitting t-he railway lines and sheds. Ten of our aeroplanes heavily attacked the aerodrome, doing consiaerable damage in both cases. All the During the day we had twelve encounters with hostile aeropla.nes, one fighting four of the enemy, all being driven off. One of our machine's was brought down in the combat, and two of t-ho hostile machines.

During the.night the onemy lieavijj shelled the trenches south of Friocurt but were immdiately drivn out.

North of Ypres there is artillery activity on both sides. In the Artois, munitions depots were exploded south-west of Bcauraines and on t-he sector at Beauvaingnas. North of Soissons an enomv battery was silenced and damaged.

BRITISH ATTACKS IN FLANDERS

COPENHAGEN, Dec. 31

A German communique states that the British made surprise night axtacks on Tuesay with a view to penetrating north-west of Lille, but failed. , GENERAL KAIG'S REPORT. SUCCESSFUL AERIAL EXCURSIONS. LONDON, Dee. 31. General Haig reports that sixteen aeroplanes bombed Comines station, hitting -the railway lines and sheds. Ten attacked the Hervilly aerodrome, doing considerable damage. All the aeroplanes returned safely.