RUSSIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 November 1919, Page 5

RUSSIA.

fUDENITCH RETIRES. A STAND IN GOOD POSITIONS. AWAITING FINNISH HELP. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Nov. 7, 5.5 p.m. London, Nov. 5. A Bolshevik communique states that Yudenitch ia retiring hastily on the entire front. The communique adds: "We occupied Gatchina, and the pursuit continues. We captured Luga. Yudenitch's army ia dissolving, and we closely surround the remnants. We have driven back the enemy a hundred verats beyond Voronesh." Helsingfors, Nov. 5. Despite the Bolshevik claims, Yudenitch's retreat was well prepared and skilfully executed. He now stands in Well-fortified positions on the Narva railway. It is uncertain whether Yudenitch contemplates a further retirement, but he may do so in order to prepare a further offensive, hoping for the co-operation of Finland.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

FINLAND'S DECISION, A REFUSAL TO PARTICIPATE. Received Nov. 7, 7.30 p.m Stockholm, Nov. 5. The Finnish newspapers assert that Finland has declined to intervene with the anti-Bolsheviks.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. RAID ON KRONSTADT. TRIUMPH OF BRITISH NAVY. CAREFUL PLANNING AND COOL DARING. The practical destruction of the Bolshevik Baltic fleet in August, as a result of a daring raid by a British light flotilla, were preliminary to the attacks on the famous fortress which are now .in progress.

Details of the British naval and aerial attack on Kronstadt on August IS were still somewhat scanty when the latest English mail to arrive in New Zealand left the Old Country, but it is possible to obtain some idea of the methods employed and the results achieved. The attack took place about, two a.m. on the 18th. The Bolshevik report states that a flotilla of fast enemy craft attacked the harbor, while at the same time aeroplanes bombed the fortress from the air. The British naval force consisted of a number of the famous coastal motor boats, furnished with torpedoes and depth charges, and capable of steaming over fortv knots an hour. Thev were midgets, indeed, to attack the Bolshevik fleet, but experiences in the Adriatic have shown how deadly these little craft, handled with skill and daring, can be to heavy vessels. It is not quite clear where the fight actually took place. A Swedish account speaks of the Bolshevik squadron coming out to battle, but. the Bolshovik communique states that the British boats penetrated into the harbor. It mav be said broadly that the fight took place off Kronstadt in the space between Kotlina Island and the mainland, probably near the great Forts Alexander i and Constantine.

Tlifi general results of the action arc sufficiently clear. Our little craft ran right, in anions the disorderly, illmnnnetl, ill-kept, and ill-commanded shins, and discharged torpedoes left and right amid a tremendous fire from ships and forts. The Bolsheviks were protected hy mines, and on land and sea they disposed of hundreds of guns, from 12in. to 4.7 in. That only four of our midgets were lost sneaks volumes for the had gunnery of the enemy, since to launch i±s torpedoes the motor-hoat must race to within point-blank range. .Tiie Bolshevik losses were enormous. TheV included the Dreadnought, Petropnvlovsk. a vessel of 24.0(10 tons, armed with twelve l'2in, and sixteen 4.7 in guns, the pre-Dreadnought. Andrei Pervozvanni, of 17.500 ions, with four 12in and twelve 4.7 in guns. These two ships alone renresented a tonnage nearly a thousand times greater than that of the four little motorboats, but they were far from being the only Bolshevik losses. The old cruiser. Pamiat Azova. and a submarine parent ship were blown up, and a fifth ship not identified was sent to the bottom.> In addition it is believed that one or more destroyers were sunk. What the loss of life was cannot be calculated, hut it is probable that it was considerable. As against this our total casualty list amounted to thirty-six killed, wounded, find »issiug, , > . . ,