RUSSIAN HEROISM.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 July 1916, Page 4

RUSSIAN HEROISM.

EXPLOITS IST THK BESSARABIA - . THK COSSACKS' IDOL. • On one section of the Bessarabia* front, ever since tip Russian offensive of December and .Tunuarv, fighting has been incessant, although it has developed into a kind of guerrilln warfare, especially en the sector between Mahala and IH..U (writes the Budapest correspond w..' .{ I the M.:ii,in» Post). These minor ~ ii - bats, which f,h,' soldiers on that from ■,-,.( '■lndian battles," are going on da/ aii-i----day between the forces of Colonel P:i.» on one side and those of the Russin.il General Kitehenko on the other. The Russians opposing the Austro-Hivngarian 'troops on this sector of the front are Cossacks and Caucasian Russians. The terrain is smooth and almost a flat as the Hungarian lowlands, and the fighting is therefore most severe, aj^/,'>iiaracterised by minor night atts§r. <'?>.ts of patrols, and reconnaissance w&k- t A correspondent who was aV?,*ned to v!sit this section of the Bessarabian front a few days ago, gives an interesting description of events. He writes:—The chief interest centred for many month* in a Rus-ian reconnaissance patrol. In daring and initiative they were supreme on the Mahala-Bojan front. They were in evidence month after month,' night after night, and could always reach the Austro-Hungamn lines, and get away after causing a number of casualties, firing a salvo into a trench near by, or capturing a patrol or a look-out group. Though surrounded dozens of times they always evaded capture, and succeeded in ■ srryinir their dead or wounded with them. This Cossack patrol soon gained a legendary fame among the Hungarians, who called them "eagles," from their manner of swooping down and disappearing before a shot could be fired. The. leader of the patrol was known to be a young Cossack corporal, who was not only a fine soldier, but also wild and 1 rutal in his ways, relentless and unpardoning, who seemed to bear an inhuman hatred for the enemy. Last week our men succeeded in catching two of the Cossacks in this famous patrol, and these gave away some ( f the secrets of the legendary corporal. They said thej were willing to swear before the Cross that the corpora! who led them was not a man but a woman. Other prisoners also confirmed this statement, and it slowly leaked out that the dangerous patrol leader was the daughter of a Major Cbistclienko, who was killed at the front a few months ago, and that ,-he had come to the place to revenge her father. She arrived at the front some time in September, and since then the Ceneral bad recommended her six time* for a decoration. The Cossacks worship her, and there is a superstitious feeling among them that whoever fights with her will be rewarded in heaven. They kiss her hands always when they see l.er. The men of Major Rusz are very keen in taking her and patrol prisoners, and every night they are out in small groups on this errand, but so far they have not succeedtd. A Russian official account of one of her exploits is being circulated among the men on the Bojan front, in v -'hicb it is stated that "... South of Mahala one of our reconnaissance I patrols succeeded in attacking and surprising the enemy, causing great losues to them. The leader of the patrol was Corporal Glustchenko Tcberniawska, who though twice wounded, managed to bring the party safely buck to our lines,' 1 The artie'e ends with tile statement on the part of the major who commands the regiment at the Bojan section, in which be pays a high tribute to the fine qualities of the girl-leader, and hopes to be able to shake hands with her once. "She never received such an ovation from the Russians as she would receive from r.iy men if she once falls into our handi;,! said the major.