IN MESOPOTAMIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 February 1916, Page 5

IN MESOPOTAMIA.

wi— ERZEROUM CAPTURED. GREAT RUSSIAN SUCCESS. Petrograd, Feb. 18. Seven more forts at Erzeroum have been captured. Later. The Russians have taken Erzeroum. (Erzeroum was tlie bulwark of tlie Armenians in Byzantine times, and was formerly an important trading centre, but its large caravan traffic lias greatly diminished since tlie completion of the Transcancasi'an railway. Cattle, sheep, furs, hides and skins, mohair, silk, wool, butter, wheat, linseed, and gall nuts are .•exported. The total trade is valued at 'over £600,000 per annum, two-thirds being imports. The most important industries are iron and copper working. The Turks acquired it in 151". In 132!) it was taken by the Russians, and again in 1878, hut was restored to Turkey by tlie Treaty of Berlin. Population 40,000) A MASTER STROKE. RUSSIANS' GREAT VICTORY. ITS MORAL EFFECT. Received Feb. 17, 5.5 p.m. Petrograd, Feb. 10. Grand Duke Nicholas made a master stroke at Erzeroum, and it was carried out despite the fact that the mountains were covered with the deepest snow, the absence of railway facilities, and fifty degrees of fr»st, making the bringingup of the siege guns a herculean task. The outer line of the fortress comprised fifteen farts, all east—eleven upon the precipitous Develboyun heights and four at eight miles east of the citadel, thus clesing the Hassan-Kala road. The Develbayun forts were arranged in groups, some in threes, some in twos, and others singly, supporting one another at long ranges. Two single forts were in enfiladed groups, and another, nearest the citadel, closed the gap between the groups due south. There are two forts at Echeloned, on the Palantokin heights, covering the road from Khiniss, and the remaining forts on the nerth side cover Gurdjabogaz Pass, which is a few miles east of Dumludagah Pass which the Russians occupied during the past week. Grand Duke Nicholas apparently first attacked and captured the Karagaubek fcrt, sixteen miles north-cast of Erzeroum, occupying the height between the two roads which unite at Kara river, where the line of the outer forts is broken only fcy marsh lands extending for miles over the plain of Erzeroum, between the Russians and the citadel.

The capture of Erzeroum is likely to break the Turkish resistance in Armenia, and will have an excellent moral effect on the Russian campaign in Centarl Persia and the British fortunes in Mesopotamia.

CRAND DUKE'S COUF. RUSSIAN UNSELFISHNESS DISMAY IN CONSTANTINOPLE. Received Feb. 17, 8.25 p.m. London, Feb. 16. There Is much rejoicing at the news of the fall of Erzeroum, which is recognised as a triumph, proving that the Russians ha,ve fully recovered from the set-back of last summer. Their rapidity and high-class movements have aroused intense satisfaction, for optimists even expected the fall of Erzer»um to be deferred far at least a menth, in view of the terrible snowstorms. Grand Buke Nicholas evidently hastened the final attack in order to assist the armies in Persia and Mesopotamia, acting with tV.e same unselfishness which dictated the rush to Bast Prussia at the commencement of the war. Erzeroum lies in a circle of barren hills, which enclose a swamp and flat baked-brick plain. It is a spot of appalling dreariness. Rome, Feb. 16. ' A wireless message from Constantinople says that there is consternation among the population owing to the announcement of the disasters at Erzeroum, where the Ottoman troops are refusing to continue the struggle on account of the lack of provisions, GRAND DUKE TO THE CZAR. Received Feb. 17, 9.50 p.m. Petrograd, Feb. 36. The Grand Duke Nicholas, in a telegram to the Czar, says: "The Almighty has lent such great aid to our valiant troops of the Caucasian army that Erzerum was taken after five days' unexampled storm and attack." 1 ' A BRILLIANT FEAT. London, Feb. 18. Tfie Daily Telegraph's military correspondent says it is difficult t» realise that these brilliantly successful operations were carried out at an elevation of nearly ten thousand feet. Notwithstanding the difficulties, the Russians inflicted defeat after defeat on the Turks, and crowned their victories by capturing one o: the most notable strongholds in the world,