Russia's Task.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 July 1915, Page 5

Russia's Task.

THE STRUGGLE IN POLAND. | (JEI?MAN SI'U'ESSES. Amsterdam, Jul, 21. A Ocrman communique state-: Tile Russians were lepnls.'d at several points in onrland. !\Ve captured enemy positions north of the commence of the rivers Skroda and I'issa. We reached the Xarew north of the mouth o! the S/.kwa and occupied some permanent fortifications at Ostrolejika, on the north-west bank. Our troops south of the Vistula advanced as far as iilonie and (.iiodziika. In rearguard actions the Russian, lost »~>o prisoners and two machine-guns. In the south-eastern theatre all the Russian counter-attacks were repulsed. We took prisoners. Our troops are closely pursuing the enemy. Our cavalry has reached the Radom-ivangorod raiiway.

The (id-man reesrve I.undwehr is lighting in this l egion, which is wooded Vni.l marshy, affording extremely favorable ground for the enemy's resistance. General Gallowftz has made a further advance, and now stands with all his troops on the Narew line south-west of Ostrolenka and Novo Georgievsk. The Russians, finding no protection in the fortifications and bridge-heads, retreated across the \arew. Our prisoners are now over 28,00(1, The enemy 'between the Vistula and I'lliea is retreating eastwards. The Russians who were defeated on the 17th by General YVoyrsch north-west of Sienne attempted to arrest our pursuit in prepared positions behind the llzanka sector. The Silesian Landwehr stormed the advanced positions yesterday and entered the line at night. Between -Kasanow and lietranow a decision is imminent.

(.eni'i-al Maokensen's 'battle between the \ istula and the Rug continues with unabated violence. The Russian line has been broken at two points. The Russians made desperate efforts to avoid defeat and hurried up fresh troops, which were defeated. We forced the crossing of the Volitza in the Grabowiec district. The Anstrians crossed the Bu" north ot Sokal. Under pressure of our pursuit the enemy, during the ni'dit retreated oil the entire front between' the Vistula and the Bug and resisted at only one point, where he wus severelv defeated. General von Ar/.'s Herman* captured between the 10th and lxth 10,200 prisoners and 23 machine-guns. According to the enemy action orders tliey were determined, without regard to losses, to maintain the positions now conquered.

HEAVY FIGHTING. RUSSIAN REVERSES. n „.. . Petrograd, July 20. Official: The enemy: column in the K.ga-Shavii region reached the TukkumDoblin front and advanced on the 18th southwards towards Hofzumberg anil Benin. Cossacks raided the enemy's rear north of Okiany, capturing an important convoy. We continued to press the enemy in the Popeliany region and repulsed attacks on Shavli positions on the night of the 17th, and dislodged the enemy from the last trenches on the trans-Nienien front, which we won. On the 15th the enemy assumed the offensive on the Narew front, capturing Porely, on the right bank of the Pissa. On the 17th wc repulsed attacks on the left bank of the Chkva, near Vyk and Pchetehniak. Our troops, west of Omuliet'f, withdrew towards the Narew bridge-head, fighting an obstinate rearguard action. The enemy attacks on the Wilkolaz-Bvkhava front in the :lirection of Lublin were repulsed. The enemy captured the Krastosnav and Wieprz fords above. We repulsed manv attacks on the right bank of the W ieprz, .but th£* enemy established himself on the right bank of the Volitza near the mouth. We hereupon withdrew. to our second line. IWc repulsed four furious attacks on a wide front near Grabowiec and drove the enemy on the l(th between the Genitchva and the Bug, after a desperate fight, from all his trenches. Desperate fighting continues in the Sokal region, also on the Dneister, and there are serious engagements in other directions.

MENACE OF WARSAW. If.XOEBTAIXTY OF GERMANY'S PLAN'S. (Times nnd Sydney Sun Services.) Received July 21, T.o'l [l.lll. London, July 21. 'i he 'i iuics ciirresimndiiit at the I'zura front mi,..-; thai, uiieerlaiiity prevail.-. aIn t!i« -iguifieaut*,* i i tiie in tii'.; \ii'ini(y of I.uj;iand i'r;;--n\s/. uliellier it re;iiwn!-, ,i i! -v.- Cennin oh jivtivi'. i r incivl. a ileiii.'K>(niti»ii I, ; = I'l [it. llli'lill'l 1 IVI 1 - i,t il C'llJr'.i'.liliil.ll in !hi' 'imiii: ii '>l liri. !'iirinl;' t : i«' rnvlil retiretm-iii ill" l!:is -ians knew Unit tile (iei'inans Inn planned an attack tor three in tin morning, anil they retired in ihe dark ne-s to trenches ill a new line, while tin (iennans lired eighty thousand shelh al tile abandoned jiosilum; with inc:eusiu<. confident ', Tin- meuae- 1 from tile suliih i< de while the threat-- mi fYVar.-av. i'lll tin- norlli suv not immediate.

RADOM OCCUPIED. r.Y TiU; ACSTIiIAXS. Received July 21, !1.2"> p.m. Vienna, July 21. Official: The Aii4rians have occupied fiadom. i.i:i!\;.\N l ii(KIIIKSS RIOPOUTKi). ■Received July 21. 0.25 p.m. IVtrograd, July 21. A communique records Uerinan progress in the Riga, Shavli and Xienien regions. Siege artillery from Novo f.lorgiovsk successfully bombarded the heads pf the enemy columns on the Xarew front, on 'Sunday. The enemy carefully approached our new front ibetween the Vistula and the Jlug on Monday. Attacks upon the Krylowsokal section continue.

IN THE BLACK SEA. TCRTUSH CONVOY SI'NIC. Received July il, 8.25 Petrograd, July 21. Official: Torpedo boats destroyed a convoy of fifty-nine Turkish sailing vessels, bound from TrcTrizond with war material for Turks in the Choroid) region. The crews were taken prisoner.

BATTLE IN THE AIR,

o\'K IM'S<IAN v. TItKEK OKKMANS. Petrograd, .Inly 2H. A giant Tlamour-'Mouretz aeroplane fought three Oerman machines in tin; vicinity of ('holm at an altitude of ,sil()i) feet. J he, tiormans attacked above and Mow, and the Russian was at a disadvantage, liping unable to bring its full artillery to hear; nevertheless, one of the enemy was seriously damaged, and the others drew off to a, safe distance. One ol the Kussian aviators was wounded, and the Ihunoiir-Mouretz petrol tank was perforated in sixteen places, but her several motors kept her up until she reached safetv.

TO MEET THE BLOW. KOSSIAXS" lllKiflKI) DKTKIi.M [NATION Keccivcd .Inly 22, 1.5 a.m. London, duly 21. The Daily Chronicle's correspondent av. I'etrograd savs that (lie point of General Mark •iisen's wed;:'! 1 is \v it.lt in twelve miles of the Lublin-( iiolm line, but the Kussian resistance is holding up the flanks of the wedge, particularly on the left between Dychaya and Wilkolaz, where the Austrian* have been repuls'vl, and at Grabowice, where (he Germans were thrown hack. The Russians ,ve clenching their fists to meet the blow, and have withdrawn from lizura to Ivangorod, to a very strong second line under shelter of fortresses. Their lines have been greatly strengthened during the winter. (ieneral Russky, who is now an invalid, is of opinion that Germany is Advancing tranquilly to the trench 'warfare on the Western front, and has withdrawn a great number of troops. Thy Allies would do a great service by seizing the opportunity' to make ail energetic thrust en masse, 'which might bewild-r the Germans and stop their advance.

FIGHT FOR WARSAW. REMARKABLE RUSSIAN GENERAL. London, July 20. Mr. Stephen Washburn, the Times' correspondent, considers that the army protecting Warsaw is the best Russia has ever placed in the field, <io per cent, representing corps which are the cream of the army. The new general commanding' is the most remarkable individual he has ever met in this or any other war. His name is practically unknown outside Russia. 'i have never seen a man," says Mr. Washburn, "who so impressed me as being able to deliver the goods. He knows every detail of the annyp and is worshipped by the men." BALTIC FLEET REINFORCEMENTS. Copenhagen, July 20. Several large cruisers, torpedo boats, aijd transports were observed from Gothland stealing north. It was supposed they were German. (Gothland is an island off the coast of Sweden.)

AUSTRIAN OFFICIAL REPORT. Amsterdam, July; 20. An Austrian official report says: After After crossing the Volitza we advanced to the enemy's positions on the heights, taking prisoner 3000. The AustroGernian successes on the 18th on the entire front have shaken the enemy's resistance, lie has brought up all his reinforcements within reach (luring the lasi»few days, but was unable to maintain his position, and began to retreat on the night of the 18th and evacuated the battlefield.