IN THE EAST

Taranaki Daily News, 18 August 1915, Page 5

IN THE EAST

FORCING THE ATTACK. ATTEMPT ON RUSSIAN CENTRE, Amsterdam, August 10. ; A German communique states:—Ou successful attacks on advanced position at Rovno on Sunday resulted in th capture of 17U0 men. We broke throiH tno Russian line* from the Karew 1 the liug. After crossing the Nurze our pursuing troops reached the hill o Rransk capturing live thousand men We drove the defenders at Novo Geor giovsk further back from the groups o fortifications. Prince Leopold's armic ddunng Sunday night fought their wai across the Bug eastward of Daohiszvns the centre and right wings capturins Losicc and Miedwrzyc. The Russians renewed their resistance at Tozamv and Klukowka. Our attack at daybreak break put the Russians to flight east ol Losiec. General von Macikenscn continues the pursuit. He lias occupied Cialeslatyw, twenty-five miles southward of Brest Litovsk. We arc advaning eastward of Wlcdawa. PRECIPITATING A BATTLE. ENEMY HEAVILY MASSED. Petrograd, August 10. The main masses of the enemy are on the front of the line Osowiec-Brcst Litovsk, where forty to forty-five army corps are concentrated. The enemy is trying'to precipitate a decisive battle ibeforo the Russians are deployed on the. positions to which tliey arc retiring )m fore they can put themselves in a°p™ per state defence.

AN EXPENSIVE ADVANCE. DRAWING ON GERMANY'S STORES. Received August 17, 10.30 p.m. Rotterdam, August 17. The Cologne Gazette says that a great area westward of the Vistula is covered with waggons, which are ceaselessly bringing up supplies. The Russian destruction of railways and bridges necessitates fabulous exertions to carry supplies for the advancing- Germans. WITH THEIR OWN RETARD. GERMANS CAUGHT BY GAS. Received August 17, 10.10 p.m. Petrograd, August 17. It has transpired that three thousand Germans, preceded by an asphyxiating gas cloud, advanced at dawn on August Bth, hoping to storm one of the forts at Osso-wiec. The wind suddenly changed and ,the Germans became panic-stricken and fled. While the fortress' artillery shot hundreds down, many of the enemy were attacked by their'own artillery, and before the latter realized the reason of the flight the men were overtaken by the gas, and between two fires the column was practically annihilated. -

DEFENCE OF KOVNO. STILL UNCAPTURED. Received August 10, 10.10 p.m. Petrograd. August 10. A eoinmunkjue states that the bombardment of Kovno continues unceasingly, and the fortifications in the \ve=tem sector are obstinately bombarded. Tl»src was furious fighting on Saturday and Sunday between the Narew and the Bug. A series of German attacks was repulsed with great loss to the cnemv,

ATTACK CONTINUES. AN IMPORTANT SALIENT. -, Received August 17, 11.15 p.m. "■ London, August 1". Military experts point out 'tlipil the mam crisis in Grand Duke Niclwlas' grandiose decisive withdrawal to the main defensive line from Brest-Lttovsk to Ossowiccs and Kovno is not yet readied. The situation at Kovno is'intimately co-related to the Russian advance from Ovinsk, and if the latter progresses, or even holds the encmv, it will be possible to successfully de'fvnd thu Kovno and Nicmen-Bohr lino, and will also prevent Hindenberg seving this much-coveted pivot. AUSTRIAN REPORT OP PROGRESS. Received August 'J. 11.10 p.m. Amsterdam, August i 7. Austrian official: Archduke .Fosopr, progressing southwards from Biala, lias crossed the Brzua River. Numbers of great conflagrations are visible near Biala and Brest-Litovsk. FURTHER MURDER. Recovcd August I", 10.10 p.m. Petrograd. Angusl. 17. A commission is inquiring into the atrocities between Tvangorod and Novo Alexandria. A German officer fired a shed wherein upwards of sixty Russian wounded men were housed. RUSSIAN iPRIXCE'S OFFER. Recovcd August 17', 10.10 p.m. Petrogj-ad, Angir-t 17. Prince Alexander oi Oldenburg offers hospitality on his estates in southern Rusia for 2-50 Brit'&li wounded and invalided officers wltcn the Dardanelles are opened.