Russia's Task.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 July 1915, Page 5

Russia's Task.

ON VISTULA'S BANKS,

lil SSIAX RKi'OKT of operations. A (JRADI'AL RETREAT. Received July 10, in..-,:, p.m. Petrograd, ,lul,- 10 A communique states that the" battle between the \ istu'a and the Hug attained its extreme intensity on Saturday We repulsed the enemy's onset with \alor ami tonacitv, and al«o repulsed ten attacks in the WilkolaV. <listnct. Oreat masses of Germans attacked the lett hank of the Vipr?., and succeeded in making progress in Izdebno district. but our troops heroically repulsed the attaeks. Tin- enemy, on the Kith, sutt'omj very great losses in attacking positions on the river Volitza where they left, heaps of bodies in front' ol our trenches. Heavy fighting is profeeding at other places on the river Bug. The enemy's offensive against the Tukkum-Atlautz front is continued Large bodies of cavalry are being employed by both combatants. The attack on Prasnyz, which was conducted on a wide fiout, forced us to concentrate our position nearer the Narew. '\V e are also regrouping our forces to the left ot the Vistula, and this is being carried] out v, ithout molestation. AVe captured two thousand Austrian*, with seven ma-chine-guns, who crossed the Dneister on Friday.

BERLIN REPORTS. TALE ok constant success. Received July 19, 10.10 p.m. Berlin, July 10. A communique from Buclow, near Aliaux, states.—We defeated the Russians, whgse reinforcements were hurriedly, brought up, capturing 3020 officers and men, and six guns and three machine-guns. The Russians continue to retreat between the Pissa and the Vistula, where reserves and the Landwehr, under General von Seholz, stonned some villages. General von Galhvitz broke through strongly consolidated positions at Mlodzianowo and Karnicwo. The Russians are also retreating between Pilitza and the Vistula. General von YVoyreeh, making progress, drove a wedge into the Russian position at llzanka, forcing the Russians to retire at night, with heavy losses, southward to Zwelen. General Mackensen made several thousand prisoners in storming the heights south of Biazki.

THE VANTAGE POINT. NEW RUSSIAN GKNKKAL. DESTINED TO BECOME FAMOUS. Received July 19, 11.20 p.m. London, July 19. The Times correspondent has traversed the Russian front from the Dneister to Warsaw, motoring 1400 miles. The crux of the situation is the army south-east of Lublin, which is commanded by a remarkable new general, who is destined to become famous. The army has been entirely reorganised since it was shattered during the attack on the Russian centre in Galicia.

German troopg are being transferred from all fronts in order to attack tho Russians protecting Cholo and the object being the seizure of Lublin railway. The cream of the Russian army is now concentrated at this danger point, and the Russians are taking every measure to prevent a repetition of the disaster which resulted in the destruction of the army at the Dunajec. One. decisive blow against the Germans, whose main strength lies in the Prussian Guards, :n the centre south of Cholo, would demoralise the Austrian* between the Vistula and the Dneister. Kven during the decent successes the Austrian* -were with difficulty prevented from surrendering. The Austrian? have long regarded Galicia as lost, and are not enthusiastic about its recapture. In view of the terrible losses in order to support the Austrian Germany has been forced to split up its sixteen army corps in Galieia. to such an extent that the largest German combination is now three army corps, with the Prussian Guards, on the LublinCholo front.

EXEMY PRISONERS. Received July 19, 8.5 p.m. Petrograd, July 19. During June 61,!HlO Austrian and German prisoners passed Kieff, including 1141 officers. Ten thousand of the prisoners were Germans. VAIN REGRETS. Received July 19, 11.40 p.m. London, July 1!). Many Germans now regret that they pushed beyond the San, as nothing of importance resulted, and now it is very difficult to extricate the German forces. The correspondent says that his trip increased his optimism' as to Russia's capacity to weather the .storm, and his faith in the stamina and stubbornness of the Russian infantry. A OUT TIfAT I'AILKO. Received July I,'t, 11.."(5 p.m. IVtrograd, July 10. A German aei'opla ecently discovered a weaklier iu the Russian lines on the Niemen-Vistnla front. An Austrian lliigade ordered to break through. The brigade waited >\. night before attacking, and u Rn.ssia.it motor transport captain Accidentally discovered the Austrians. lie rushed to the nearest regiment, and brought up men in relays, bv forty motor lorries. The Austrians confidently attacked in the morning, but few survived, except some prisoners The latter were Germans. They had attacked in overwhelming slrem'th but the U'ls-iaii- had alrcadv retir-d' preserving their line intact.'

IN POLAND. Tilt: FUillT FOli WARSAW. Pctrograd, July; IS. The Gorman* are pressing hastily into new jfositioiin and Jiuve occupied both banks of the watercourse? north-east of 'Warsaw. They seek to invest all the strongholds around Warsaw, hoping that "hen the city is captured Russia will sne for peace; but Russia will undoubtedly fight steadily and fall back to tile \ olga it necessary, inflicting meanwhile colossal losses on the invader. A large consignment of big guns is expected late in the summer, which will put a different complexion «m the campaign, and will doubtless enable llussia to pour immense forces into .southern and central Europe, Ollicial: The enemy on the right bank of the Windawa and' U'enta (Baltic provinces) is advancing in the direction of Tukkum and Altuz. 'We forced back the enemy's infantry eastward of I'opcliany. Fierce, lighting continued on a wide front on the right bank of the 1 'rjuza on Friday. Three ilennan regiments captured the villase of Podosia, gained the left bank of tiie Ordusa and took three Russian guns, but in a furious counter-attack thu Ccrman forces were annihilated bv the bayonet and the guns retaken, and the enemy expelled from Podosia. .Siberian ami Turkestan troops fought there. The enemy was double their strength, but they showed admirable valor and perseverance.

RETREAT FROM MLAWA. IIIN'DENBKUG ON Till; OFFENSIVE. Berlin, July IS. Official: General Hiwleiibcrg's offensive has Jed to great events. General voii Bulow's army is progressing in the Kursehany district across the Windawu. The cavalry repeatedly defeated the Russians, capturing eleven officers (includiifg the commander of the 18tU Rifle Brigade), 2450 men, three guns and five maohine-guns. | General von Gallowitz attacked the Russian position south-east of -Mlawa. Three lines were successively stormed ami carried north-east and north-west of I'rzasnysz and D/.ielin and Lipa reached. The pressure on both sides shook the Russians, who evacuated I'rzasnysz and retreated to the previously consolidated Ciechanow-Krasnosiole line. The pursuing German troops stormed and pierced this position southward of Zielona, on a front of seven kilometres, forcing the enemy to retreat. The attackers were assisted by General von Seholz's troops, who advanced in pursuit from Kclme. The Russians retreated on the entire front 'between the I'isa and the Vistula towards the Narew. I'etrograd, July IS.

We fell hack in the Mlnwa district to Ciechanow, the enemy having doubled his reserve. A Cossack brigade northwest of Radorn captured '2BO Russians and two machine-guns. . The enemy, between the Vistula and the Rug, assumed a general offensive. The enemy, after stubborn fighting, made slight! progress on. the left bank of the Wieprz. The enemy several times forced our barbed wire defences eastward of the village of Guabovitz, but were repulsed with the rifle and bayonet. Partial enemy a ttacks at Krylov and Sokal were repulsed. \\V took prisoner several hundreds.

AUSTRIAN* CLAIM SUCCESSES. Amsterdam, July 18. An Austrian official report state? that an Austrian corps fighting in closest touch with the Germans between the Vistula and the. Bug stormed and captured, after seven attempts, an important Russian ■vantage point west of Grabowice, and penetrated one of the enemy's main positions. The Germans pierced the enem.Vi's lines south-west of Krasnoskv.

SHOCKING BARBARISM. Pctrogiad, July 18. General Yoldoff, at the head of the Red Cross in the north-western area, reports that two Russian battalions evacuated the trenches owing to asphyxiating gas, leaving a hundred seriously wounded behind. When the Russians recaptured the trenches they found the whole hundred bayoneted, some having twenty wounds each. Photographs were taken as a proof of the atrocity. REPORTED GERMAN SUCCESS. Amsterdam, July 18. A Berlin official reports states that the Germans, south-west of Krasnostav. captured 28 officers, (WBO men, and nine machine-guns.