IN THE EAST.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 July 1916, Page 5

IN THE EAST.

THE STOKHOD BATTLE. HUSSJAXS' STROXG POSITION. AUSTRIAN SCAPEGOATS. London, July 1.1. T'io TV.ily Telegraph's Petrograd eor-i-c.^iK-ii(h-ut sends tlie tJill's explanatory >1 i.'iiiii iit. on the situation. Tiie Stnkhod battle front stretches 100 null's, most'y coinciding with the valley ol 1)io Stokhod on botli banks of tilt; rail'. It is between two railways con-v-.n'iiing to Kovcl ivhir-lj are in Russian luuids. Further nortli the Germans, ill sor.H; places, retain tlie eastern bank. There are indications that five additional Gerni'in corps have been deployed on the Siokhod, of which three are from France and the remainder from other parts of tlie Russian front. The fight for Baranovitehi covers a front of ;!0 to 40 miles. The Unsaians are linn'V established on the newly-won ground, but their progress „s retarded by the strength of the enemy's lines and the obst'iiaey of the defence.

The Russians hold a position within si.Y mil.'s of the railway junction, which is .strategically almost equal to holding Kovcl.

Tlie newspaper Mattino reported that when the Russian oA'ensive began the Archdukes Frederick and Ferdinand were :n tl.c midst of a half-drunken revel at Lut-.k, celebrating the former's birthday Neither was in a fit condition to conduct tlie operations. The Emperor Franz Josef refuses to give audience to Freduick, holding that he was mainly respoi sihle jir the reverses at Lutsk.

AN IMPORTANT STATEMENT. BUKOVIXA ADMINISTRATION REMOVED. Received July ]4. 8.25 p.m. Amstmliun, July 14. The Berliner Tageblatt puljlislics -an

| Austrian message announcing that owing i to the pressure of military events, tlie jßnknvina administrative department I lias been removed from Doruawatra to | Koloavar. | j ARTILI. EPY ACTIONS j CONTINUE. ENEMy COUNTER-ATTACKS Received July 14, 9.5 p.m. Pelrograd, July 14. A ccium, nique states: Artillery actions continue "n the Stokhod, and there is flglilin" in various plaees in Oalieia. Westward of the lower Strypa 'le enemy is energetically enimterlattackim*. " I | GtRMANY DESPERAII. XEVFN AKi.IV CORPS DESPATCHED iUOM OTHER FRONTS. {United Service.) Received July U. S.-ff) p.m. Petrograd, July 13. I -Mr. T. r f.m'>lton Fyfe is senii-olticiklly iflssured that seven Oerinan Army Corps Miave been detached from other fronts in |order to trv to stop General Brusiloff—- | four from France, and the rest from the j north and emtral Russian fronts. | GERMAN COUNTER OFFENSIVE RUSSIAN FIRST LINE DESTROYED. At'SYPJANS BETWEEN TWO FIRES ! | MOWN TOWN BY GERMANS. I KAN.V) ICAIi BARBARITY OF ENEMY. Received July 14, 8.35 p.m. fxmdon, July 14. The Time, j '(•! rograd correspondent describes the counter-offensive on the Kovc! front a; being planned at a special meeting between Oeneralu Linsingen, Mackcnsen, and Hindenlnirg. There i.i a concentration of troops at various points, masking uiiprcralentedly violent attael.s from the sector of Zub-lino-Zatnree. These were preceded by a most violent artillery bombardment, ploughing up the Russian first lines. The lefender.-, ivore taking refuge in shellpits, ami the, first assailants, the Austrians, v. co allowed to approach to within sixty yards. The Russians then volleyed point li'ank until the entire space in front of the trenches was strewn with corpses. The Austrian* iled in disorder, but German guns greeted them 'virli a tornado of shrapnel, mowing down hundreds. The remainder frantically dashed io and fro between the two fires w'tli vpM'led hands. The Russians saved ,'!00 (letman infantry, who had replaced Amtrmns. They displayed incredible obstinacy, despite awful losses, hurling themselves upon the Russian bayonets as though impelled by savage religious even those mortally wounded pressing forward, madly yelling: "To J.i;tsk!" costing the Russians superhuman i.Torts to repel them. The Russians found among the (Jerman dead some comrades with their throats cut and bodies mutilated. They swore to take no prisoners. There is a fierce struggle along the whole length of both banks of the Stoichod. The fJermnns are massing all available reserves from the other fronts, evidently resolved to defend TCovel to the last gasp.