GALLANT SERBIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 November 1915, Page 5

GALLANT SERBIA.

TRIP THROUGH THE FIRING LINE CORRESPONDENT'S THRILLING EXPERIENCE. A NATION WORTH SAVING.

London, Nov. 4. Mr. Renwick, • coi'respondent of the Daily Chronicle, reached Monastii from northern Serbia after a fortnight's thrilling experience. Ttie main impression lie formed w«s of the superb courage and endurance of the Serbian army and people, and the magnificent human qualities with which they face death, homelessness, and hunger. He concludes his appreciation: "God! but it is a nation worth saving*, and that quickly." He was with the Shoumadia Division, the flower of the Serbian Army, which opposed the attack on the Danube and compelled General Mackensen to ask urgently for reinforcements. Rabin and Semendria resisted three furious onslaughts, and only succumbed to the hellish artillery fire accompanying the fourth. The Germans showered ten thousand shells on the Serb position at Malakresna., south of Semendria. After the position was captured the Serbian infantry, who were concealed in a wood, attacked and drove out the Germans. Meanwhile the cavalry got amongst the enemy and did heavy execution, besides capturing three guns.

THE FIGHT AT BELGRADE. During the bombardment of Belgrade 42-centiniet.re shells threw up debris to a height of five-storey houses. Every square yard of the city was searched by machine-gun fire, German aviators meanwhile bombarding the fleeing inhabitants. Despite the rain of death and terror, attack after attack was drivc-n back, until at length the enemy gained a footing in the town.

A WONDERFUL DEFENCE. Then the most formidable part of the German task began. They were compelled to win the capital street bj' street, paying a price for every paving stone, each street corner and the citadel. Before the Germans were masters of Belgrade, it was a ghastly mass of smouldering ruins, strewn in the grimest horror with a covering of dead. A little lad of fifteen supplied hand grenades to five comrades, who kept a German company at bay for two hours. The bov was promoted to corporal on the field. The capture of the hills behind Belgrade was frightfully expensive. Every one was covered with dead before it was won. On the Drina front 500 Germanß were launched across the river, but not a single man returned alive.

ON THE BANILS OF THE DNEISTER. Motoring from Palanka Mr. Renwick came on Colonel Terrraitch's division, holding the angle between the Danube and the Morava. The Germar) advance was a wonderful spectacle. In the far distance, purple mountains were lit up with the lurid flame of the Germans' artillery, with the blue Danube winding below. General Mackenscn battered away for two whole weeks without shifting the Serbians from the Danube. When retreat, wa3 essential the men were cheerful, believing they had so hampered the enemy's advance that. ■General Mackensen would take months to carry out his scheme, hoping tlms to enable English and French succour from the south to wreck him.

GERMANS' ARTILLERY WIN. The little which the Germans accomplished was due to their almost unbelievable artillery strength. It is now known that General Mackensen had only 150,000 men, but artillery sufficient for half a million, and it is evident that Germany is getting to the end of her resources of men. "I have spoken to prisoners from the Flanders, French, Italian, and Russian fronts, and also to some from garrisofis in Germany Many of them are only eighteen years old. If Bulgaria had not entered the war the Germans would never have crossed the Danube." FIERCE FIGH'MNG AT USKUB. Mr. Renwiek reached Uskub on October 24, and found the Serbians being attacked at four points, often being outnumbered by five to one. There was an eleven days' battle, the armies' beim; often only two hundred yards apart, anil hand to hand encounters of the most ferocious character were frequent,

AT VARNA. RUSSIAN LANDING DENIED. Received Nov. 5, 10.45 p.m. ' Petrogra4, Nov. 5. It is reported that the Russian landing at Varna is denied. GERMAN REPORT. A GRADUAL ADVANCE. NEARING NISH. Received Nov. 5, 10.20 p.m. Berlin, Nov. 5. A communique states: Despite the enemy's tenacious resistance we are advancing on both sides of the mountains north of Kralfvo, and the enemy are retreating east of the Morava. General Bojadfiefi', advancing on Nish, stormed Kalaiat, ten kilometres northeast of Nish.

SERBS AND BULGARS ENGAGED. ANGLO-FRENCH ADVANCING, Received Nov. 3, 10.20 p.m. London, Nov 5. Salonika telegrams report that severe fighting btween Serbians and Bulgarians is proceeding at the Bahuna Pass, protecting the road to Philip and Monastir, both of which are still safe. Important British reinforcements have occupied the second French line, enabling the French to rash contingents forward, thus putting the Allies' right wing la an established position,

AN ORDERLY RETREAT. VALIANT REARGUARD ACTIONS. NO GENERAL FLIGHT. Received Nov. 5, 10.20 p.m. London, Nov. 5. Latest Serbian wireless messages from Scutari state that the cohesion of the armies is not imperilled, and they are making an orderly strategical retirement, refusing all decisive actions and carrying out valiant rearguard actions, wherein the enemy's great losses continue.

The Serbians in Macedonia are holding the line west of Uskub and Kuvuht along the Babuna Mountains. There is no question of a general Serbian flight, though the population cannot be left to the mercy of the enemy. It is expected that the Allied reinforcements will quickly improve the situation.

AUSTRIAN REPORT. SERBIAN RESISTANCE COLLAPSED. Received Nov. 10.50 p.m. London, Nov. 5. An Austrian communique states: The Serbian resistance at Kragujevatz and •lagodina regions has collapsed, and they have retreated. The Germans have occupied Jagodina.

TK£ TRAIL OF THE HUN. SHOCKING- ATROCITIES. BELGIUM HORRORS REPEATED. Paris, Nov. 4. The Petit Parisian's Salonika correspondent says that the Serbians' impetuous counter-offensive threw !>ack the Bulgarians in' the defiles between Veles and Perlepe,- The Bulgarians on the north-eastern' frontier gouged out the eyes or tore out the tongues of Serbian prisoners and then released them. Women and children were infamously treated and shockingly mutilated.

Berne, Nov. 4, Austro-German correspondents admit that non-combatants suffered retribution owing to alleged firing on troops. Authenticated stories from refugees reaching the Slavonic Association of Switzerland tell of awful butchery in the villages. The Louvain horrors were repeated in numerous cases. Refugees deny that the villagers who were mostly old, fired on the Germans. They attribute the slaughter to German anger at the desperate resistance of the Serbian troops.

BULGARIAN LOSSES. 30,000 IN A WEEK. Paris. Nov. 4. Tile Geneva Tribune's Bucharest correspondent says the Bulgarian casualties on the Bouthern frontier since October 29 have been 30,000.