Fighting In Poland

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 153, 4 December 1914, Page 5

Fighting In Poland

VIOLENT ATTACK BY THE GERMANS. REPULSED BY RUSSIANS. / Received 3, 8 p.Tn. Petrograd, December 3. Officials—The fighting in the Lowiez district is less intense. Towards mid-', .night the enemy, marching in close order, violently attacked the Russian positions northward of Lodz, but were rejralsed, and we entered Wieliczka. GERMAN CONFIDENCE SHATTERED. RUSSIA'S ARMY A REVELATION. GERMANY FIGHTS TO THE END. Received 3, 9.25 p.m. Petrograd, December 3. The Bourse Gazette publishes an interview with General von Richtcr, a captured member of the Crown Prince's entourage, in which he declared that the Germans' basic confidnce had been shattered, The despised Russians had proved strategists and fighters, and the Germans had found themselves against a steel wall formed by the strongest army the world had ever seen, but they would make the fight long and haril, always supposing the worst did not happen. THE GERMAN DEFEAT. BIG FIGURES DISCREDITED. Received 4,1.20 p.m. Rome, December 3. A Petrograd message to the Giornale d'ltalia says it is reported that the battle of Lodz has ended in the Germans retiring, after losing 300,000. The Austrians made a fresh sortie from Przeraysl, but were driven back, losing 20,000. The message is issued with all reserve. RUNNING THE GAUNTLET. RUSSIANS UNDER TERRIBLE FIRE, END OF THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE. Petrograd, December 2 The struggle is still undecided, and ■the main battle-line unaltered. A por- | tion of General von Mackensen's army was driven towards Lowicz, another hurled back to Lodz, and the third terribly mauled and pressed back beyond Fushin. Subsequently, during an attempt to break through northwards, the Germans ran the gauntlet under a terrible fire of the batteries to Lowicz and Sochaczew, where the Russians received them with a frightful hail of shrapnel and the bayonet. Then the cut-up and battered enemy ran the gauntlet southward, where the Russian batteries, cavalry, and bayonets drove them back. The Germans arc making desperate attempts to reinforce General von Mackensen, one of whose sections rcst3 on Drunskovalia, on the Warta, holding the road to Kalisch. Petrograd, December 2. Twelve German army corps are now ' involved in the Vistula struggle, five under General von Mackensen, two from East Prussia under General Francois, and five under General Hindenberg. The latter launched two army corps and, upon the Russians encircling them, three of Mackensen's corps forced the Russians to loosen their grip, imitating Napoleon at Leipzig, when he liberated Mac Donald by hurling the Old Guard and Murat's cavalry upon the enemy. Though the j German lines have momentarily been re- j constituted, they have since been turned j at Grodno. The Germans are apparently ] retreating under cover of a strong rear- j guard on Strykow (south of Lodz). j Times anil Sydney Sun Services. j Paris, December 2. j The Press says that the battle at Lodz clearly, marks the end of the desperate German offensive movements in Poland, and would compel them to adopt an entirely defensive attitude on their frontier. j London, December 2. Princess Shakhoujkaya lias obtained a commission in the Russian, aviation corps. She learned her aviation in Germany.