MESOPOTAMIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 March 1916, Page 5

MESOPOTAMIA.

THE BAYONET AT BITLIS. DETAILS OP THE CAPTURE. Petrograd, March *» Official: Details of the capture (rf Bitlis show that our troops attacked the enemy entrenchment in a snowstorm, making the final charge at 3 o'clock in the morning. The Turks were driven out with, the bayonet after a desperate resistance. Our troops did not fire a shot. They next attacked the artillery and captured the position after stubborn hand-to-hand fighting. All the defenders were killed. A pursuit of the enemy followed immediately. We have now taken twenty Kmpp guns of the latest types and captured a large munition! depot at Bitlis. BAGDAD'S FALL APPROACHING. VON DER GOLTZ LEAVES TURKISH. ARMIES. Received March 6, 8.45 p.m. Rome, March 5. General von der Goltz has relinquished the command of the Turkish armies in Asia. London, March 5. The Daily Telegraph's Athens correspondent says the occupation of Bagdad it imminent. MUTINY AT SMYRNA. RUSSIAN* TROOPS IN" BESSARABIA. Received Marcli 6, 11.50 p.m. Salonika, March 6. A great mutiny is reported from Smyrna, due to the intolerable privations of the troops and their hatred of the Germans, who are regarded as the authors of Turkey's ruin. Bucharest, March 6. The Russians are pouring troops into southern Bessarabia.