Attack on Adrianople

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 141, 1 November 1912, Page 5

Attack on Adrianople

BULGARIA'S PLAN OF CAMPAIGN.

The City Surrounded.

Horrible Atrocities

THE SIEGE OF ADRL4NOPLE. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. London, October 30. There is a significant silence on both sides in relation to the real situation at Adrianople, which, coupled with the detention of the first Bulgarian army ■there, is interpreted in some circles to mean that an unsuccessful attack has been delivered. Moreover, the fact that the Bulgarians are suddenly mobilising the rest of the reserves is commented

The strength of the second Bulgarian army operating beyond Kirk Kilissia is estimated at four divisions, of which the columns moving parallel to the coast towards Constantinople consist of cavalry supported by mixed detachments. Their purpose is to menace the capital and keep Nazim Pasha on the defensive, and free the first army from unwelcome attentions while the attack on Adrianople is again pressed home.

It is surmised that a division and a half of Turks from Kirk Kilissia reached Adrianople, leaving behind only a force whose remnant the Bulgarians are now pursuing. If so, the Turks at Adrianople number 50,000. Nazim Pasha's troops, apart from those in Adrianople number 220,000. As Adrianople is short of food, Nazim has possibly begun a march thither to relieve the garrison, especially as the Greeks have captured Grevena, placing the Turks between two fires. According to the Standard, Turkey unsuccessfully attempted to borrow £4,000,000 from England, France and Germany successively.

THE SERVIAN ADVANCE. DIFFERENCES AMONG THE TURKS. Belgrade, October 30. The Turks at Kuprili offered a strenuous resistance to the Servians, until the arrival of cavalry aided the artillery to cut the Turkish forces in two and compelled an evacuation. Reports' from Uskub state that after the battle of Kumanovo the Turkish leaders quarrelled, whereupon Neki Pasha ordered a retreat, but a few officers, acting on their own responsibility, ordered resistance at Kuprili.

It is stated that the commander of the Monastir corps was killed by his own officers for ordering further resistance.

The Montenegrins reached Pleville within half an hour of the Servian occupation. There was a scene of great enthusiasm.

The Sanjak of Novibazar is now completely cleared of Turkish troops. Groups of Arnauts took refuge in the houses at Kumanovo, and refused to surrender, and were all killed.

THE BATTLE OF KIRK KILISSIA. THE TURKISH VERSION. Constantinople, October 30. The divisions under Mukhtar Pasha and Aziz, mainly Redifs, were underofficered, ill-trained and ill-fed. Several regiments had had no provisions for 48 hours. The officers did not know the country about Kirk Kilissia. Mukhtar Pasha endeavored to arrest tbe flight of his men, and fired his revolver on many of them, but Aziz joined in the flight. Mukhtar Pasha, after consulting Abdullah, ordered the retreat. General Hilmi refused to obey, fearing a debacle, and gallantly occupied the fortifications in the north-west to cover the retreat. Some of his troops fled, and Hilmi shot several. Eventually his troops retired in comparative order, while the main body retreated in wild disorder.

The Bulgarians were not aware of the retreat, and lost eight hours in occupying the town. When they appeared, the population fled in terror, and also the Turkish troops left, who had no rifles. Order was restored on Sunday and the offensive resumed.

FURTHER MASSACRES. THE UNCONQUERABLE GREEKS. Athens, October 30. Twenty Greek villages in tbe neighborhood of .Tanina were looted and burned and the inhabitants massacred. The railway has been cut between Veria and Monastir. A Greek privateer has arrived from Larnaca, and sails tomorrow.

Two Austrian steamers were seized at Corfu, bound for Santi Kuaranta. They were released after a quantity of contraband had been removed.

THE WHITE FLAG VIOLATED, FURTHER OUTRAGES.

Cettinje. October 30.

The Turks, with a white flag, approached the Montenegrin positions east of Scutari. They then fired on and bayonetted the Montenegrins, who has tliree hundred killed and wounded. The Montenegrins surrounded and exterminated the Turkish force.

London, October 30.

The columns of Generals Zumil and Martinovitch have jnnctioned on the eastern side of Scutari.

The Creeks are pressing on to .lanina. There are horrible accounts of the retreating enemy burning villages and massacring the inhabitants. The Reielipost says that a Bulgarian force is moving via Istrandjea and Terkos towards Constantinople. CREAT BATTLE IN PROGRESS. NAZIM PASHA'S REPORT. Constantinople, October 30. Nazim Pasha telegraphs that a great battle has been in progress since yesterday. One hundred and fifty thousand are engaged on both sides. The Turks are in a favorable position, and repulsed the Bulgarians at Visa, the Turkish loss being 800. The Adrianople army made a sortie westward towards Marush, and forced a Bulgarian brigade to retreat. Nazim's headquarters are at Tcherkesskeuy.

Turks Suffer Further Reverses

Desperate Fighting Continues

THE POWERS' AIM.

SPEECH BY Mlt. CHURCHILL.

THE KIRK KILISSIA PANIC.

GRAPHIC DETAILS.

A BRITISH VIEW.

Received 31, 11.15 p.m.

A FLANKISG movement.

Received 1, 12.20 a.m. s London, October 31

LOYAL GREEKS,

Received 1, 12.30 a.m. Athens, October 31

THE BULGARIAN ADVANCE,

Vienna, October 31

London, October 30. Mr. Churchill, speaking at the cutlers' feast at Sheffield, said th.-.t all the I'oweis weie earnestly striving to preserve unity, with the view of bringing their combined influence to bear to terminate the long, fierce and disastrous quarrel, and to secure a final settlement, just to the belligerents, and benefiting the populations concerned. He concluded by stating that Britons must 'in any case be ready for all eventualities. They must lie strong, self-reliant and, irrespective of party politics, united.

Received 31, 11,35 p.m. Constantinople, October 31. Details of tne Kirk Kilissia panic show that hundreds quitting the town endeavoied to storm the railway station, the soldiers threatening the officials with levelled rifles. They insisted that trains should be found to convey them to Babaeski. The officials replied that the line was a single trunk line, and trains with reinforcements were expected. Thousands of families are hurrying to Babaeski afoot. Had the Bulgarians known the facts they might have entered unopposed.

The Turkish troops for three claj's had been living on flour and water, the field bakeries having miscarried. There was a similar situation at Uskub. Salonika, October 31. The Turks are over-mobilised and un-der-officered, and the intelligence department is inefficient. The commanders were unaware of the enemies' numbers and plans.

The military attaches liave now gone to the front.

London, October 31. Mr. Winston Churchill, speaking at Sheffield referring t<. The Balkans war, said: "We all have our responsibilities in this matter. Our duty, as far as we are able, is to work for permanent peace in those regions. So long as a loyal and honest spirit continues to govern the Great Powers, no problem will arose a struggle which cannot he settled to their common advantage and- lasting good. Britain can survey the past without a pang, and the future without a grudge, but she must be prepared to be ready for all eventualities. It is good to be patient, circumspect and peace-loving, but that is not enough. We must hold what we have won, and unite for a consolidated Empire, a work to vnfch ail parties in turn can contribute."

The Morning Tost reports that 30,000 Turks landed on the Black Sea coast at Thrace, the object being to threaten the Bulgarian flank in the rear.

Five hundred Greeks who deserted from the Turkish army have arrived at Athens.

The Greeks have captured the Kossani district.

The Reichpost states that the Bulgarian right wing near Luleburgas was firstly repulsed. The whole army afterwards advanced after violent fighting.

The Bulgarians at Tchiflikeui were driven back in a northerly direction. The advance of the eastern group was delayed by thickly wooded country, with impassable roads. The extreme left marched to Strandja, "which is further east than the Turkish extreme right. Some columns have reached Skinderkeni, seven miles south-east of Adrianople, which is thus estirely surrounded.

j THE ATTACK ON ADRIANOPLE, ) TURKISH TORTURES.

Received 1, 12.30 a.m. Vienna, October 31, The Riechpost adds that it is reported that a hundred thousand fugitives are within Adrianople, and there is much overcrowding. The Turkish artillery is unable to silence tlie Bulgarian Krupps, used for bombarding the earthworks. Fresh Bulgarian reserves have arrived, and desperate fighting is in progress, the Turks making daily sorties. Sofia, October 31. j The Bulgarians, after defeating the Turks at Luleburgas, advanced on Muraldi. The Turks tortured many BuiJ garians soldiers and civilians. | A CAPTURED AEROPLANE. Received 1, 12.30 a.m. Sofia, October 31. Turkish shrapnel struck the Russian aviator Popoff's aeroplane hovering over Adrianople, causing it to fall into the Turkish lines. THE GREEK COMMANDER. Crown Prince Constantine of Greece, who was in charge of the sucaessful fighting at Ekssona, where he had a li.orse shot under him, may well feel on his mettle in the present war. Since a scapegoat had to be found for failure, he was the scapegoat of the last struggle with the Turks. It is generally admitted now that he was not to blame for the disasters of fifteen years ago, but it is said that the reflections -which at the time he had to undergo have made Jiim a prematurely okl and care-worn man. He has been general administrator of the army for many years, and has often acted as Regent while the King has been absent from the country. Unusual

circumstances have given to Greece a Royal Family of foreigners. King George, a Dane, now in his 67th year, was called to the throne in 1863 after the expulsion of the previous ruler. He was originally intended for the Danish navy, speaks Greek imperfectly, and is a follower of the Lutheran religion. Queen Olga was stated a few years ago to be just as much a Russia as when she first set foot on Greek soil. BULGARIA'S FINE ARMY.

The army of Bulgaria is certainly one of the best, if not absolutely the best, of smaller armed forces of Europe. After the beginning or formation of the principality in 1878, Russian officers held the best posts in the Bulgarian army, until suddenly recalled by the Czar on the eve of war between Bulgaria and Servia, After such a serious drawback and under most difficult circumstances, the Bulgarian Army came out of the ordeal splendidly, and proved its metal by utterly routing the Servians. Since tiie accession of Czar Ferdinand I. (1887) the military progress has been wonderful. The peace strength is, roughly speaking, estimated at CO,OOO men; oil a war footing, the enormous force of between 370,000 and 400,000 can be put in the field.

TURKEY'S FORCES

On paper, at any rate, Turkey has, it is estimated, upwards of a million troops to oppose the forces arrayed against her, but of this huge total it is doubtful whether at least half will be of any real fighting value in the field, despite the recent organisation. Much money has been spent in armaments during the two years in which the reorganisation has been in progress. The Empire is divided into seven military districts, and last year the re-organisation of the forces into fourteen army corps began. In all there are forty-two divisions, some of them with ten battalians in peace and thirteen in war, and others with seven in peace and ten in war. In times of supreme necessity all males up to the age of 70 years can be called on to join the colors. The troops are armed with Mauser repeating and MartiniHenry rifles; while the artillery, composed entirely of the Nizam, or regular army, has guns of various lirupp types.

THE FOG OF WAR,

HOW HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF.

A correspondent of the Dominion writes: —

"To those of us who remember the Balkan troubles of 1870-7, it is curious to see the remarkable manner in which history is repeating itself to-day. Then, as now, there were the same kaleidoscopic movements of ihe troops of half-a-dozen different and unfamiliar nationalities, the same strange places with their weird and diverse spellings, the same lack of reliable and authentic information from a bewildering number of centres of operations. The following, which went the rounds of the. press not a generation ago, might well be a criticism of the war news that we are receiving to-day:— "On Monday morn the news arrived. There has been bloody work,

But no one knew who lied tlie most, The Christian or the Turk.

"On Tuesday morn the Christian claimed A victory for his side; On Wednesday morn, from a Turkish

source, The victory was denied,

"On Thursday each side swore it had The other put to rout, And Friday's news the fight confirmed Without the slightest doubt.

: 'On Saturday 'twas whispered found

The whole a flair was small. And Sunday's cable news declared There'd be no fight at all."