A BLOODY BATTLE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 80, 26 August 1914, Page 5

A BLOODY BATTLE

-). i ; Huge Austrian Army Shattered. Tens of Thousands Slain. < Servians' Successi ful Strategy. .. A FIVE DAYS' FIGHT. Received 26, 12.40 a.m. Nish, August 25 (morning). .The Servians captured 4500 prisoners, 5.) guns, 114 ammunition wagons, and large quantities of stores and rifles on | the Drina. Other accounts state that 20,000 Aus-, ■trian wounded were conveyed to Serajevo, Agram, Budapest, and Vienna. St. Petersburg, August 25. , The newspaper Novoe Vrcmya states ] that the Austrians had railways to assist in concentration. Servia had none, but the people responded magnificently to the call. One Servian division marched 250 j miles in eight days, and fought after a night's sleep. The Austrians massed five army corps -(205,000 men), and the fight lasted lor five days. The Austrians put the 'Slav regiments in the forefront, and the Hungarians behind. Tens of thousands were slain, the Slav regiments suffering most. The Bth Prague Corps was practically annihilated, and the !)4th, the 9th, and the 102 nd completely destroyed. The Serbs used hand grenades, each of which disabled five men. The grenades were a great success, though they 'failed the Japanese at Port Arthur. Other reports state that the Crown 'Prince commanded the Servian force. His whole scheme was to draw the Austrians over the Drina to the battlefield, whore the Servians defended under Maj di-sh Pasha in 1806.

The Drina being extremely vapid, no fugitives were able to swim aeross. 'WHAT WILL AUSTRIA DO? WHEN RUSSIANS SWEEP OVER GALICIA. HER PRIDE INEFFACEATiLY HUMILIATED. A SERVIAN INVASION PREDICTED. Times-Sydney Sun Special Services. Received 25, '0.5 p.m. London, August 25. The Times, in a leader referring to Austria's announcement that she is abandoning offensive operations in Servia, says that "it is in consequence of the overwhelming defeat. .We don't expect a similar announcement from Nish, and look for a prompt invasion by Servians. Thus, in the first phase of the war, the pride of Austria has already undergone ineffaceable humiliation. If the Austrians cannot face Servia, what will they do when the Russian legiojis sweep over Galicia?" AUSTRIA'S HANDS ARE OVERFULL. TROOPS WITHDRAWN FRO it SERVIA / TO FIGHT ON RUSSIAN FRONTIER. London. August 24. The Austrian official telegraph agency says that the army is required to resist. Russia, therefore Austria will 1 , abandon the offensive against Servia. The Servian operations hereafter will 1)8 punitive expeditions, not definite war. TOWNS RE-T;VKEN FROM. THE AUSTRIAN'S. Nish, August 2-1. The Servians recaptured Lesniiza and Losnilza on the 20th.