RUSSIA’S OFFENSIVE.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 20 July 1917, Page 6

RUSSIA’S OFFENSIVE.

THE OPENING DAY. ARTILLERY WORK SPLENDID. LONDON, July 6. Mr. Wilton, Times correspondent at Petrograd, writes ‘from the Russian front, before Brzezany, on June 30: “ Unprecedented artillery fire preceded the launching of the offensive. I went to the front with the general and his staff at three o’clock yesterday morning, traversing the characteristic undulating Galician country, which is ideal for artillery fire. The villagers who had returned home after the Russian advance in 191 G, were being hurried to the rear. Our guns broke a three-months’ silence at 20 minutes to five o ’clock, the whole chorus swelling out and continuing uninterruptedly till seven in the evening. A heavy downpour during the night had laid the dust, giving the gunners a clear field of vission. 'An excellent photograph of the enemy’s lines had been supplied by the aviators, and proved invaluable. Every strong point and observation post and gun emplacement was searched and badly damaged or destroyed.

<£ Thc opinion is unanimous that the artillery is splendid in all respects and arrangements. A remarkable feature of dm operations was the self-effacemnt of the enemy's gunners. They apparently had found our range exactly during the fraternisation period. The enemy, donning Russian uniforms, had reconnoitred our batteries and mach-ine-gun emplacements and observation posts. Now and then bursts of 4.2 howitzer shells searched our vulnerable

points. Captain Kazardinof was killed beside me by a shell which entered his observation post. “Our total day’s casualties included two officers and a score of men wounded in the trenches, and half-a-dozen gunners. The enemy’s casualties exceeded many thousands.

“The Russian infantry fought with the utmost ardour. I have talked with hundreds. The majority appreciate their duty towards thein country and the Allies.

“The first-line troops, having watched the effect of the barrage, passed the good word along to their comrades in reserve. The men told me, ‘Now it will be too risky for, the Germans to send any more divisions from France. We want our allies to know that w r e are going to fight, We know how r they helped us in our difficulties. We are not ungrateful. ’ ’