Eastern Campaign

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 172, 29 December 1914, Page 5

Eastern Campaign

RUSSIA IN STRONG POSITION. AUSTRIAN'S DRIVEN BACK. WITH GREAT LOSSES. GERMANS RE-OCCTJPY MLAWA. London, December 27. The Daily Telegraph's Petrograd correspondent Htatts tliat the meandering ( character of the Bzura enables the Rus- , sinus to command w.ith dealv fire everv possible vcrossing point. The enemy's bringing heavy unwieldly guns near Skiernaviee and Rawa is an indication of some confidence in their ability to withdraw safely. Possibly the enemy relies on an early winter to facilitate ' operations. The weather Siithcrto (has been exceptionally mild. ' A communique states: "The Austrians were driven back to the right bank of the Xi'la. 'We repulsed an Austrian ati' tack .on the Auehow-Olpiny front. The I enemy abandoned ten quickfirers and lost forty-three officers and 2500 men, a thousand more being taken prisoners. During the pursuit, Sicdlizka, on the left bank of the Biala, was occupied. The lAustrians are in full retreat in the Zmigrod-Dulda district, having suffered enormous losses, ten thousand being taken prisoners. The Germans have reoccupied flflawa. The battles on the middle of the cours-i of the Pilica and on the Lower Xida con- [ tmuo with great obstinacy. GERMAN RAILWAY SHELLED. I DISASTROUS NIGHT ATTACK. Received 29, 12 55 a.m. Petrograd, December 28. The Russians hold the northern bank of the. Vistula northward of Plock, and I are established in considerable force at ( Dobrmzyn. They have mounted heavy guns opposite Wloclawek, and are bombarding the Thorn-Lowicz railway, imperilling the supply trains. The Novoe Vremya' says that when the Germans left the trenches near Bolimow for their night attack the fire of the R.ussian batteries ignited the forest. Tlie German lines were sharply silhouetted, and became an easy mark, being mown down. The Russian riflemen, emerging from the trenches and counterattacking, inflicted terrible losses. A thousand German corpses were collected, and the remainder were taken prisoners. The Russians captured two battalions and eight machine-guns. THE BZURA BATTLES. THE GERMANS STAKE ALL. BATTLEFIELD BECOMES A SHAMBLES. Received 28, 0.30 p.m. Petrograd, December 2S. The Germans seemed to have staked everything on crossing the Bzura. Division after division was sacrificed. They built pontoon bridges every night, but the troops who crossed were swept away by the Russian guns. The Russians south of Sechaczen al- j lowed 15,000 to cross by night. A Russian army corps then closed in on three sides. The Germans fought desperately, but the river bank became a shambles, i Eight thousand were made prisoners, ; and only a remnant re-erossed the river. '< The Germans brought 11-inch guns in- • to action at Skiernewice and Rawa. ANOTHER GERMAN OUTRAGE. | RUSSIAN CIVILIANS SHOT. ■ , Received 28, 9.30 p.m. ' 1 Petrograd, December 2S. 1 When the Germans occupied Lodz, first ] and second class Russian militiamen j who were not serving were ordered to < report themselves, on penalty of death. ! A hundred and fifty appeared, and were j sent as prisoners to Germany. Sixteen ,' were shot for not reporting themselves, j. despite the production of certificates j showing they were exempt from military'' /service. TROOP TRAIN WRECKED. , GREAT LOSS OF LIFE. j Petrograd, December 27. A crowded troop train from Prussia 1 collided at Kaliszuetna with a train re- : turning with wouiubut officers. Both were travelling at full speed. Twenty carriages were wrecked, four hundred killed and five hundred injured. The points were changed at the last moment. The pointsman, station-master and other officials have been arrested for treason. It transpires that ten thousand German corpses were found hardly covered with earth at Ziechanow. - OFFICIAL NEWS. The Prime Minister lias received the following from the High Commissioner: London, Dec, "28, 7 p.m. Petrograd reports that the Aitstrians have been driven across the Nida. Both in Galicia and the Carpathians the enemy is retreating. Thirteen thousand have been taken prisoners, and 18 guns were taken.