IN MESOPOTAMIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 February 1916, Page 5

IN MESOPOTAMIA.

RESULT OF ERZERUM. SMASHING THE T.UliJijj, Petrograd, Feb. 20. ■Military critics point out that the capture of .Mush and Akhlat gravely u f. iVci? the Turkish position and completely cuts their communications between north and south. It deprives them of all possibility of junctioning their force;..

The Grand Duke has ■been [laid warm tributes for infusing new energy into the Russian troops and rousing them to deeds recalling the splendid episodes of the ear> days of the war. The strategy was admirable. Firstly a sudden, sharp knoe!:, sending the Turkish centre flying t" the fortress, th.cn a simultaneous throwing forward from the north-cast and enclosing on the There was no time to :«o, for strong reinforcements were advancing f lom Thrace, :n;d the Krupp-defended heights of Erzeriun were scaled and stormed with the bayonet despite the fact that the Germans seemed to have achieved complete technical supremacy.

A communique says: We captured, north-west of Erzerum the remains of the 34th Turkish Division, with 13 guns, also the remnants of a regiment on the Erzerum road. One of our corps, during the assault of Erzerum, captured 24(1 guns. We carried by assault Mush and Akhlat. The enemy continues his flight. (Mush and Akhlat are south of Erzerum, near Lake Van.) TURKISH CORPS ANNIHILATED. Rome, Feb. 20. II Secolo's Petrograd correspondent says that five Turkish army corps were annihilated at Erzerum. The fugitive remnants of the army are approaching the desert beyond Sivas.

ARTILLERY CAPTURED HOW GERMANY MANAGED TURKEY. . London, Feb. 20. The artillery at Erzerum included 150 Sin. Krupp guns. Germany's policy in Turkey, with a view to controlling the centre of the Empire in, the war, was to weaken it by dispatching Turkish troops to the farthest extremities and beyond the frontiers. The fall of Erzerum implies that the Austro-Gerrbans must rely exclusively on themselves and the Bulgarians in the Balkans, as the Turks are restricting themselves to the defence of Turkey.

THE TURKISH ROUT,

1 GRAND DUKE AT ERZERUM. Received Feb. 21, 9.50 p.m. Petrograd, Feb. 21. 1 Now that the key to Armenia has been taken, the Russians are swiftly occupying the stricken land. They hold the valley of Hush, S3 miles southward of Erzerum, where in September the 1 Kurds and Turkish gendarmes drove Armeian women and children into barns and burnt them. ■Large bodies of beaten Turks are reported to be fleeing southwards, apparently making for Kharput and Diarbekir. The 11th Army Corps is retreating westward towards Erzingan, and one regiment has already oeen captured. The Russians have apparently succeeded in breaking the connection between the three army corps composing the Third Turkisli Army. Orand Duke Nicholas has transferred bis headquarters to Erzerum,

IN CHARGE OF ARMENIA. RUSSIANS HARASSING THE TURKS. Received Feb. 21, 0.40 p.m. Petrograd, Feb. 21. The surrender of the 34th Division is explained by the fact that it was unaware of the fall of Jirzerum and was hastening to join the main body. The Turkish forces near the Black Sea have hastily abandoned their positions and are retreating coastwards towards Trebizond. The Russians are pursuing them, and they are subjected to the con-, stant fire of the Russian warships. Tlie next strongly fortified position behind Erzerum is at 'Sivas, but the retreating columns are badly scattered. A division has been ordered to Trebizond to resist the Russian attempt to seize this valuable port. Before the Germans and Turks are able tc reorganise their forces the Russians ought to be firmly established on the Armenian plateau. The Russians are making every effort to save the vestiges of ancient Armenian civilisation. Only two monasteries are left standing in the province of Van, where thousands of valuable manuscripts have been destroyed.