FIERCE FIGHTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 153, 27 December 1911, Page 5

FIERCE FIGHTING.

HEAVY LOSS OF LIFE. SEVERE ENGAGEMENTS IN TRIPOLITAN WAR. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright llo::ie, December 25. A force of 3300 Turk* and Arabs attacked Colonel Faras and liis force at Birtobras, near Azizia. Colonel Fara formed a square. His careba was exposed for twenty hours to a bot fire. The Italian troops displayed admirable discipline and coolness, repelling five desperate assaults. A thousand Turks and Arabs attacked the troops guarding the earthworks for a new battery overlooking Tobruk roadatead After a for six hours, m which the warships in the roadstead participated, th-T assailants were repulsed, losing heavily. The Italians had stven killed and sisteen wounded. OTHER REPORTS. CONFLICTING VERSIONS OF THE ENGAGEMENT. Paris, December 24. Advice* received from Azizia state that tlye Italians were repulsed with the lom Af two hundred men. The Turks had twelve killed and thirty wounded. The Turkish version of the engagement near Ainzara states that the Italiaw lost their way, and a detachment was cut off and pursued to Aineara. There the Italians lost five hundred men and the Turks twenty. a British steamer seized. Alexandria. December 23. The warship Puglia seized in the Red 6ea the steamer Slenzcleh, bound from Boberdah. with €30.000 aboard. THE VESSEL RELEASED. Alexandra. December 20. After the confiscation of her gold the Menzaleh was released. "A GRAVE INSULT TO THE FLAG." London, December 24. The underwriters regard the seizure of the British steamer Menzaleh as a grave insult to the flag. The bullion aboard from Alexandria was insured in Paris and largely reinsured in London. TTAT.TAfiS CAPTURE HOSPITAL SHIP Rome, December 24. . The Italians captured the Turkish hospital ship Kaiserisch. They allege that there there are no beds, surgical appliances or medical stores aboard. The Kaiserisch was seized on suspicion of being a Turkish transport for Arabia.