BALKANS.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 August 1917, Page 5

BALKANS.

THE BATTLE OF THE SERETH. MAGNIFICENT ROUMANIAN HEROISM. MACKENSENS PLANS FOILED. Times Service. Received Aug. 2!), 11.30 p.m. London, Aug. 2ft. After describing fho reconstituted Roumanian armies being magnificent when actiti;; against General von Mackensen, vii Aujnist lit, the Times correspondent a', the Marasesri front says the captured orders revealed that, the Germans intended to strike a decisive blow at the crossing of the. iSereth. capturing Jassy, and the whole of Moldavia. Maekensen attacked when the Roumanians weie replacing the Russian troops. The Roumanians, though ottt-numlK-red by three to one, successfully resisted the attempt to cross. Enemy loss-es wore enormous, the 12th Bavarians being annihilated. Th-.' Germans brought up 12 divisions and endeavored to force a crossing which, if successful, would have pierced the. Roumanian front, endangering the whole of the armies. The Roumanians heroically sacrificed one division and foiled ihe German plans. The Roumanians bent off numerous attacks during the following days, although whole regiments were decimated by German guns, machine guns and gas. Officers and soldiers were dying at their positions, refusing to withdraw or surrender. A THRILLING CLIMAX. The last big German effort resulted in a thrilling climax. In the presence of the Crown I'rince Carol, who fought with the soldiers, the Germans managed to pierce the Roumanian entanglements, when the last Roumanian reserves were thrown in. and attacked with such vitflenca that the enemy fled, throwing away their rifles. The battlefield is still eov. cred with iittlmried corpses six deep, the stench beinc; unbearable a mile away. j te enemy has since made no attempt to ifsume the offensive, and the Roumanians hold the left bank of the Sereth, and dominate the right".