JOINING UP.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 November 1915, Page 5

JOINING UP.

BRILLIANT WORK OF THE FRENCH. IMPORTANT POSITION CAPTURES. Received Nof\ 23, 10.15 p.m. ' London, Nov, 23. Mr G Ward Price (the Daily Hail's correspondent at Salonika) reporTa that the French are holding fifteen miles of a triangular plain pointing to Veles, bounded fry the Cehna river on the west and by the Vardar on the east and north. Both streams are uufordable? The triangle includes good water, and there are three villages with houses for billeting, and landing places for aviators. The French also hold the gloomy height of Karahodjali. When General Sarrail arrived lie saw the immense importance of the height and ordered its immediate capture. No bridge crossed the Vardar, but a crazy old Turkish boat was found whereby a whole regiment was ferried over, the boat coming and going day and night. The Bulgarians were driven out, and later, when they realised their mistake, they repeatedly attempted to recapture the height, but were, repulsed with heavy loss of life. The chief difficulty of the French position is that every inan and every ounce of munitions and supplies must be carried on a single line of railway. There is not even a foad, moreover, the railway passes through narrow ravines, the longest of which is ten miles through Detnirkapn Gorge, northward of Strumnitza, of which the northern end is so precipitous that the train can only make its exit by going through a tunnel for the last hundred yards. If the tunnel is blown up a few guns will suffice to prevent it being repaired. General Sarrail, by a brilliant crosscountry march in order to join up with the Serbs in Babuna Pass, H&s reached to within ten miles, after desperate fighting in which the French were outnumbered three to one.

CAPTURE OF NOVIBAZAR. ENEMY'S HEAVY LOSSES; Received Nov. 23, 10.50 p.m. Geneva, Nov. 23. General Koevoss' occupation of Novibazar was due to receiving reinforcements. <■■■ < Vtftßß Owing to heavy losses the mountain routes are covered with dead and dying. General Koevess' casualties in five dayß were 25,000. a SOUTH OF NISH. A BULGAR DEFEAT. 1 Athens, Nov. 22. Details of the fighting at Leskovatz, south of Nish, show that the Serbians concentrated to the south-west and inflicted a serious defeat on the Bulgarians, who narrowly escaped, and in a disorderly retreat abandoned large quantities of material. The Serbians then took up positions on the heights northward and southward of Lebane, whence they can offer a lengthy resistance, threatening the Bulgarian offensive, which latterly has been weakening.