RUSSIA'S TASK.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1916, Page 5

RUSSIA'S TASK.

GREAT VICTORIES. 86,000 AUSTRIAN'S CAPTURED. THE ADVANCE ON LEMBERG. Received June 10, 5.5 p.m. London, June 9. Latest telegrams from Petrograd, Vienna, an<l Rome emphasise the farreaching effect of the Russian victories. It was announced in Petrograd to-day that a further 13,714 men, and 185 officers had been taken prisoners in Volhynia. making sivty-six thousand. The Russians are within sixty miles of Lemberg, and it is believed that five Austrian armies are on the eve of a general retreat. (Volhvnia is bound on the east and south-east by Kiev district, and the west by Galicia and Poland. In the south it i; broker up by outlines of the Carpathians, but in the north and north-vest is intruded upon by the marshes of the Pripet region.) AUSTRIAN ARMY ENVELOPED. EXCITEMENT IX ITALY. ARCHDUKES PANIC-STRICKEN. Received June 10, 5.5 p.m. Rome, June 9. The Russian Embassy states that the Austrian front is completely broken for a length of ninety miles and a depth of forty miles. The Russian advance threatens to envelop the entire Austrian army in the. marshes. A number of Austrian-Slav regiments became panic-stricken and surrendered without resistance. General Bothmer's army is paying the penalty for the transfer of two German divisions to Verdun qnd one division to Tre'itino The news has electrified the public, ard it is believed that it will paralyse the Austrian offensive in Trentino. Messages from Switzerland state that the news caused a panic among four of the Austrian Archdukes, who had come to v i'.ness what was expected to be a re-conquest of the. Italian plains. Three of the Archdukes hurriedly returned. OVER 70,000 PRISONERS. OFFJSJNSIVE DEVELOPS. Reeeived June 11, 5.5 p.m. Petrograd, June 11. A communique states that the piercing of the enemy's front in the Strvpa region resulted in the occupation of the fortified position on the east bank. We entered Buczanzo, and developing the offensive along the Dniester, carried the village of Solanka. and. seized a large artillery park, and great quantities of shells in the village of Potoklotz. Our total captures are 1240 officers, 71,00 men, 94 guns, 107 machine-guns, 5.1 bomb throwers, and a large quantity of material. THE ADVANCE CONTINUES. VICTORIES ALL ALONG THE LINE. Received June 11, 5.5 p.m. Petrograd, June 10. A communique states the Germans are attempting to check the advance on Volhynia in Galicia. Fresh troops have arrived from north of the Polyeise, but. notwithstanding the powerful resistance we continue to advance on the whole front from Pripet to the Roumania frontier. Many Germans are among the prisoners. Our cavalry led the attack on many sectors, and Cossacks captured two guns, eight ammunition wagons, two hundred caissons and shells. In another sector, thirty cylinders of poison gas were captured. We have crossed the St/ypa, and some troops have reached the" river ZlotaI'Otck. General Midouline was seriously wounded.

The enemy violently bombarded the region north-east of Krevo, and south of Sraorgon, and took offensive on Thursday night with considerable forces, but hi? attempts to reach our trenches failed. We dislodged the Turks south of Hartokop, in the region of Trebizond, and dashed for the enemy's positions in the direction of Guimi'ohekan, capturing much equipment. HURRYING UP REINFORCEMENTS. WOUNDED at lemberg. Received June 10, 5.5 p.m. Amsterdam, June fl. Lemberg is full of wounded. Tiie population have been notified that every household must prepare to shelter the seriously wounded who cannot be transported further. All accounts show that there have been huge Austrian losses. Berne. June 9. The Austrian commander at Trentino has received orders to send all his available divisions to Volhynia. DUBNO EVACUATED. WITHIN 20 MILES OF LEMBERG. June 11, 5.5 p.m. Geneva, June 10. The Austrians have evacuated Dubno, and the Russian vanguard is within twenty miles of Lemberg. The Russians since the outset have captured ninetyone guns.

ON THE STYR-STRYPA FRONT. AUSTRIAN FRONT COMPLETELY BROKEN. ALL LOST GROUND REGAINED. Received June 11, 5.5 p.lll. Petvograd, .June 10. A further 5500 soldiers, ninety odicors and eleven guns have been taken. The enemy's losses are estimated at between a fourth and a third of the original eflectives of (150,000. The front between Buczae;: and the Dneister was combroken, and the Russians on the Styr Stvvna have regained all the ground Mst since .September. Wc have cross the '?luLa, :uvl i'U' utlvineiiig. "EVER FORWARD!" FURTHER DETAILS. A TREMENDOUS CANNONADING. Received June 11, 5.5 p.m. Petrograd, June 10. The prisoners are in good condition. The majority are well clothed. The Austrians in many instances are asking to be separated from the Germans, It is noteworthy the ,-ibseiice of Czechs, many having latterly been sent to Tren-' tino. The bombardment preceding the offensive was so intense that it wat heard as a continuous roar twenty to thirty miles behind the firing line. The inhabitants of ProskourolV, fifty miles distant, heard a rumbling like distant thunder. The bombardment reached its highest pitch at two on Sunday niorning. The tremendous vibration of the air is said to have thrown telegraphic and telephonic apparatus out of gear for miles around. The infantry advanced to the watchword, "Evei forward; not a step backward." The Germans are striving to conceal from the public the extent of the Austrian defeats. A Berlin communique merely stated that there is no change so far as the German troops are concerned.

The Russians covered the twenty-five miles to Lutsk in three days, through forests and marshlands, and over battered defences. A Petrograd communique says President Poinearo congratulated the Russians on their splendid Victory, which makes in the operations agreed to by the Allied staffs, a valuable contribution to the common success. General Brusiilofl' has crossed the Styr above and below Lutzk, and is pursuing the enemy, who are endeavour, ing to hold their positions in tlie rear. Heavy lighting for the possession of' the heights is progressing northward of Tarnopol. TAKEN BY SURPRISE. AUSTRIAN FESTIVITIES A DIVISION SURRENDERS. 1 Received June 11, a.h p.m. Petrograd, June 10. Captured Austrian officers relate that on the eve of the Russian offensive they were celebrating the German victory iii the North Sea. Tlie Russians' bombardment suddenly ended the festivities. The Russians seized the Austrian railway. station- a few minutes later, and captured a train load of troops and supplies, also a train load of .shells. At another part of the front, practically a whole division, with two Generals, surrendered. AN AUSTRIAN REPORT. Received June 11, 11.5 p.m, Amsterdam, June 11. An Austrian communique reports extiemely stubborn battles between Okno and Dobronoutz, and says that eight attacks were repulsed in one sector and five in another. Strong Russian forces, after bitter fighting, drove our troops to the western bank of the Strvpi. We repulsed numerous attacks north-west of Tarnopol. Fighting Occurred in the Lutsk region, west of the Styr, hut the Russian attempts to cross near Kolki and north-west of Czartorysk failed,