RUSSIA'S TASK.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 June 1916, Page 5

RUSSIA'S TASK.

FALL OF CZERNOWIT2 IMMINENT, FIGHTING IX THE SUBURBS, AUSTRIAN LOSSES. Petrograd, June U. Latest reports state, tiiat the Russians have cut the Austrian lailway communications north of O.ernowitz, and heavy lighting is proceeding in the eastern and northern outskirts. A small Russian detachment penetrated Rumania, near Mammoriza, by mistake. Russia apologised and the troops were withdrawn. It is estimated that Austrian losses during the week in killed and wounded were 232,000. Ten per cent, of the prisoners are Germans. General Brusiloff, replying to congratulations, said: "I hope to gain such a success as will utterly crush the enemy." AUSTRIAN'S ADMIT RETREAT. fParis, June 14. The Echo de Paris states that the Riis«i»]is hav captured Tortchin, north-we-t nf Lutsk, al*o Sniatyn. on the Prulli. The Russians are enveloping the Au<lrian position south of O.ernowitz by a daring manoeuvre. Advices from Zurich state that street fighting occurred in Oernowitz on Monday, and the fall of the town is imminent.

Austrian reports confirm the precipitate Austrian retreat on the entire Bukowina front.

JOY AND PRIDE. NO NOISY DEMONSTRATIONS. Received June 15, 5.5 p.m. London, June 14. Mr Hamilton Fyfe, reporting from Potrograd, says that ten per cent, of the troops who are prisoners, and twenty per cent, of the officers, are Germans.

The Times' correspondent at Petrograd says that there has been universal pride and joy as successive bulletins recorded the unprecedented .victories, but there i; an entire absence of noisy demonstrations. . The nation is realising that the victory is the result of a combined effort. SURROUNDING CZERNOWITZ. AUSTRIAN FLIGHT CONTINUES. Received June 15, 7.20 p.m. London, June I' 4.

The Russian cavalry are now nineteen miles beyond Czernowitz. They have taken six; thousand additional prisoners. Except, for some local resistance the Austrian army continues its flight.

A WEEK'S LOSSES.

AUSTRIAN COWARDICE. ~ Received June 15, 11.35 p.m. Petrograd, June 15. It ia estimated that the Austro-Ger-man losses for the week are: Killed and wounrtrd, 25X00; prisoners, 121,000. Out of 070,000 Austro-Germans capturpd between Pripet and the Roumanian frontier, ten per cent, of the prisoners are Germans. The enormous disproportion between the number of prisoners and the number of killed and wounded is due to the incompetence and cowardice of Austrian officers. The usual proportion is one prisoner to four men killed or wounded, but many of the Austrian officers left their men to look after themselves. Then they were like lost sheep and surrendered. A PLUCKY NURSE. In one divisional staff that was captured :he only person to offer resistance was a Red Cross nurse, a tall, Ifandsome g'rl who drew a pistol and wounded several Russians. The latter did not show malice, but quietly disarmed her and placed her in a motor car. The Russian officers, on the contrary, headed their men and went into the thick of the fight. Their men will follow them anywhere, THE RETREAT.

The present object of the AustroGermans is the sneediest removal of their shattered and demoralised units under cover of rearguard action. They arc desperately defending Czernowitz, but with less hope of preventing the Russian entrv than to jaiu time to secure the retirement of their terribly battered army. It is problematical whether General Planzer's Bukowina army can bo saved.

CAVALRY SWEEPING THE COUNTRY.

The Russians are already within twenty three miles of Koloinea railway, the junction leading into the Carpathians. Russian cavalry who are sweeping the country south of the Dniester have cut the main lines from Czernowitz to Binberg and Smiatyn. It is reported that the Austrians are hurryirg fou.- Army Corps from Italy, in the hope cf staying the Russian advance.

NEWS CENSORED IN GERMANY.

THOUGH REVERSE ADMITTED.

Received June 15, 11.35 p.m. Amsterdam, June 15,

The news of General Brusiloff's smashing victories is sedulously censored in Germany, though the war critics admit an Austrian reverse.

I RUSSIAN PRESSURE. . CONTINUES. ALONG THE WHOLE FRONT. MORE HUGE CAPTURES. Received June 15, 7.50 p.m. Petrograd, -June 14. A communique says: Along the wliole front, from tlie southern part of the I'olyesie to the Roumanian frontier, we are sti" pushing back the enemy. We have captured 230 additional guns and 200 machine-guns. The enemy is com pletely disorganised in many sectors. General StcherbacliofT captured seventeen thousand prisoners in one small sector ,and such quantities of an assortment of material were left behind that it is impossible yet to CBtimate them The enemy at one point abandoned sufficient material to construct forty miles of railway. The enemy is offering a desperate resistance on the road from Vladimir to Volynsk, and fierce fighting is In pro gress at Zaturtsky, half way between Lutsk and the Vladimir-Volynsk road. The Cossacks made a brilliant charge, sabring an enemy squadron. The enemy made desperate counterattacks north of Buzcacz, but we repulsed these and occupied the heights on the western banks of the Strypa. .. The struggle for the possession of Oeruowitz bridgehead continues.