Russian Advance

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 87, 8 September 1914, Page 5

Russian Advance

AUSTRIAN'S TRAPPED.

CAUGHT BETWEEN CHEAT CON-

VERGING FORCES.

DARING SECRET STRATEGY.

AUSTRIAN' MAIN ARMY IX GRAVE

DANGER.

Received 8, 1.-20 a.m

Petrograd, Sept. 7 (morning). The Russians' victory at Lem'ocrg was the culmination of daring secret strategy. Russia allowed the Au.strians to advance in the direction of Lublin and Kholm. Meanwhile, two Russian armies, starting from the frontier at points 400 miles apart, wore converging on Lentberg, lh«s northern from Poland, the eastern from I'odoiia and Bessarabia. In the latter region the Au.strians entrusted the defence to strong bodies of troops and fortified camps. The Austrians continued to concentrate on the Russian right flank, believing they had discovered an opening. They only saw the trap when tne row bined Russian armies reached Cnilalipa. It was then too late.

The Austrian defeat between Lublin And Kholm has placed the main army in a critical position, and has now been forced to retire southwards, with grave danger of its being cut off by the victorious a-my from Lemberg. The Russians threaten it on three sides, and «*- tensive marshes impede the retreat on the fourth side, between the San and the Vistula.

RUSSIA'S ENORMOUS CAPTURES.

AUSTRIAN GUNS, MATERIAL, HEN.

AND SUPPLIES.

OCCUPATION OF STYRIA DISTRICT

Received 7, 9.20 p.m. Petrograd, September 7.

Russians between tlie Vistula and the Bug Rivers luvc captured, since August 28, three llags, 20 guns, 13 machine-guns, 150 oflicers, and 12,008 soldiers, and made 70,000 prisoners in the direction Oi" Lemberg alone. They al.>o captured 300 guns, 30 locomotives, 100 trucks, and numerous convoys of supplies, besides the 12 months' provisions seized at Lemberg. The Czech soldiers refused to march against the Slavs. The Russians attacked a Cerjnan division that was marching to the Austrians' help on tlie left flank of the Vistula.

The Russians have occupied the Styria district.

AUSTRIAN REGIMENT SURRENDERS

RUSSIANS STILL SUCCESSFULLY ATTACK.

Received 7, 8.40 p.m. Petrograd, September 7.

It is officially reported that the Russians on Friday continued their energetic offensive operations along 1 t'ae whole Austrian line.

The enemy's centre suttcred most. The ■loth regiment of infantry was surrounded to the westward of Krasnostaw, and surrendered to a man, with it.f commander, 54 ofiicers, and 1000 soldiers.

The Russian cavalry is operating amongst the passes in the Carpathian mountains.

iPKESSLNG BACK TIIE GERMANS. EVACUATION OF FRONTIER TOWNS. SQUADRON CUT TO PIECES. A ZEPPELIN CAPTURED.

Received 7, 10.30 p.m.

Petrograd, Sept. 7 (morning). The Germans are gradually evacuating the frontier districts in Russian Poland. A squadron of the Crown Prince's (late "Death's Head") Hussars, from Danzig, und'.T Major Count Slolberg, hurriedly left iPotrican and met the Russian Hussars, who, after a tierce skirmish, cut the Germans to pieces, only a few escaping. All tlie officers were killed. A Zeppelin airship which was shot down near Jcrads, contained two st.i.l and two artillery ofiicers, and 2(i men. AH were taken prisoners, and bombs and other explosives captured.

AUSTRIANS ROUTED.

THE CAPTURE OP LEMBERG.

]Vtrogr:ul, September 0.

The capture of I.emberg was so sudden that the fetation was crowded with trains loaded with munitions of war, dynamite, benzine and medical stores, which Russia seized.

Rome, September 0,

Advices from Vienna state tliat tile defeat at Lcmberg has routed the whole Austrian army in Galicia, and the only hope now is from the German contingent which is congesting all railways towards the north-eastern frontier.

GERMANS' DEMORALISING ARTILLERY FIRE.

RUSSIAN GIRL'S JOIN THE COLORS.

l'ctrograd. September C. A formidable cat-o'-ninetaiis was found in every oflieer's cabin 011 the cruiser Magdeburg. Each bore signs of long and hard usage. The wounded from Prussia describe how they stood for hours with shrapnel raining down, unable to see a single German for dust. Aeroplanes enabled the artillery to direci its fire on the Russian lines. Zeppelins were useless, and three were brought down. The

Germans killed a number oV Russian wounded, filed at them under the white tlag anil frequently used duin-dums. Colonel Tomilofsky's two daughters and Major Gerard's daughter at Vilna disguised themselves and stole off to the theatre of war. Eventually their parents allowed tlieiu to go to the front as volunteers.

The Germans are using various infernal machines and destroying highways and bridges at Tomaschoil'.

THE CAPTURE OF HALICZ,

RUSSIANS EXPERIENCE LITTLE

DIFFICULTY,

Received 8, 12.40 a.m. iPctrograd, September 7,

The Ilaliez defences consisted of ten infantry redoubts and six battery emplacements on one side of the Gnestalip, and six redoubts and six emplacements on the other side. The works were held by 10,000 men, but the Russians quickly carried the positions.

AN AUSTRIAN'S REVENGE.

FORTUNATELY OVERRULED,

Received 7, 8.40 p.m. Petrograd, September 0. A Red Cross doctor states that an Austrian general demanded 200.010 roubles from Kamenetz, in Podolia, otherwise the provincial head of the town would be hanged and the town destroyed. lie declared that the citizens had fired after hoisting the white (lag. As the bankers and the wealthiest of the populace had left, only SOOO roubles wore raised by sacrificing the jewelled crucifixes and church plate. One colonel, however, returned the levy. He said the military council had overruled the general, who was wounded upon entering the town and wanted to imitate the Prussians.

KAISER TRIES DIPLOMACY

SOFT SOAP FOR THE POLES,

Received 8, 12.43 a.m. iPetrograd, September 7. The Germans seized the president and a number of citizens in one town as hostages for the good behaviour of the inhabitants. Later, the German general, (in the pretext that a shot liad been lired on the troops, ordered the hostages to prepare for execution. The order was countermanded.

The Polish Archbishop visited the hostages, and said the Kaiser had personally charged him to say that the Poles could expect from the Kaiser the regeneration of the Polish race through Western culture.

LEMBERG. Lomberg is the capital of the Crownland of Galicia, and in point of population is the. fourth city of the Austrian Empire, coming after Vienna, Prague and Trieste. The city lias a population of about 210,000, of whom over SO per cent, are IPoles, 10 per cent. Germans and 8 per cent. Ruthenians; nearly 30 per cent, of the population are Jews. The, city is situated on the small river Peltew, an affluent of the Bug, in a vallny in the Sarmintian plateau, and is surrounded by hills, and lies -168 miles north-west of Vienna by rail. It is composed of the inner town and of four suburbs. The inner town was formerly fortified, but the fortifications were transformed into pleasure grounds in 1811 1 . Lembcrg is tlie headquarters of the Austro-llungarian Eleventh Army Corps, and is the residence of Roman Catholic,' Greek Catholic, and Armenian Archbishops, and has three cathedrals. The town hall is a fine building, with a tower 250 feet high, and also notable are the hall of the estates, the industrial museum, the theatre, the palace of tlie Roman Catholic Archbishop, and several educational establishments. There are many beautiful private buildings, broad and paved streets, and public garden*. The university has 110 lecturers, ami Is attended by over 2000 students. Industrially and commercially, Lemberg is the most important city in Galicia.