The Balkan War

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10710, 4 November 1912, Page 5

The Balkan War

DESPERATE EFFORT BY TURKS TO RETRIEVE THE SITUATION UNEXAMPLED BRAVERY OF BULGARIANS THOUSANDS OF DEAD AND WOUNDED.

(Umted Press Association— By (Received Last Night, 5.5 o'clock.) LONDON, November 2. Newspapers consider that the publication of Naaim Pasha's despatches is a mere attempt to keep the Stainboul populace quiet. The Times' Sofia, correspondent states that the Turks on Thursday made a desperate effort to retrieve the situation. . . \ They were reinforced by a division from Constantinople, but the Bulgarians were completely victorious. They captured Chorlu and lstraiidja and Hosoboto. Four hundred thousand participated in the battle of Lule Burgas, which was begun on Tuesday, and continued obstinately and with wavering success until Wednesday, after which the Turks yielded all along the line. Shevkot Tot-gut attempted to create a, diversion on Thursday, and landed at Midia with 20.000 troops, and advanced towards Visa, where General Kutchineff routed him. The celebrated M. Sandansky has been appointed Mayor of Melnik.

. THE FINAL STRUGGLE, BLOODY ENGAGEMENTS. FRE.NZTED BULGARIAN TROOPS. (Received Last Night, 0.-j o'clock.) VIENNA, NotfMibor 2. ' The newspaper lteichspost, describing the final struggle, states that tiw decisive stage was opened on Tuesday. 1 Monday's bloody initial engagements having ended favourably for ' the-Bulgarian- right wing at laiTo Burgas, the Bulgarian left wing, advancing vigorously near Bunarhissar, and passed from from the defensive to t\m offensive, . i Tho Turks here had attempted to forestall the advance by threatening the line of retreat from Serai to Chotaldja, by taking the offensive from Serai via Visa against the Bulgarians. When on Tuesday a counter offensive attack begun from a line running from the township of Tlskub, nine miles eastward of Kirk Kilisseh, to Hajacfakti and Monastirdagh, the foremost Turkish lines, the latter were nonplussed by the .startling attack of the, Bulgarians, executed with unprecedented elan. French reserves, however, enabled the Turks to temporarily reform. A bitter buttle raged the whole day at Woo'dee and Thatalea, the .Turks eventually emerging in formless masses. Simultaneously the Bulgarians-' right wing attacked the Turks' positions at Lule Burgas from Babesia" and Yeni Kieni, driving the Turks; from the fortified lines on the. Krgene River, back upon Lule Burgas. Most of the positions were stormed by bayonet charges, the infantry being admirably supported by the artillery, which kept the Turks down at decisive moments, by an ovonvhelming fire. Some of tho positions were taken without the artillery's support. The Bulgarians' dash was without example, the infantry tr instating their battle-cry "Xa Nost," meaning "To the Knife" into reality. , Without any connection..with modern tactical considerations, whole regiments for a- hundred paces along the enemy's line, threw at a single rush, and without filing a. shot, or taking cover, each individual went for a Turk with the bayonet. The officers were powerless against the frenzy of the troops, and were obliged to adopt the tactics of frenzy. TERRIBLE KIRK KILISSEH. PANIC-STRICKEN TURKS. RAGGED AND STARVING TROOPS (Received Last Night, 5.5 o'clock.) VIENNA, November 2. Details of the terrors of thw battle of Kirk Kilisseh, state that Hilmi Bey, commanding 20,000 troops, adranced and encountered three divisions of which the central was ibe most important. This Hilmi Bey attacked, and simultaneously sent a flanking column against each wing. The fight with the centra? division continued from noon until night, but the flanking columns failed to come into contact with the enemy. The engagement division had, without informing Hilmi Bey, advanced and stationed itself behind Hilmi Bey's two detached columns( the latter being "between the Bulgarian and Turkish fire, and lending, to tho panic: of the Turkish troops. An officer subsequently remarked, "We were starving for a. week. I was scarcely able to obtain a small roll." Numbers of horses aro dying each day, It wa.s imposible for the soldiers, worn out and .starving, to fight. Upwards of 10,000 ragged and starving Kirk Kilisseh refugees, including many women and children, are camping in the courtyards of Stambotil mosques. The Porto \vith n view to preserving order and. preventing outbreaks, endeavoured strenuously to keep the public in ignorance of events at the front, and also sent a division to stop all fugitive soldiers between Ghatt-1-dja and StamhouJ-.

FIENDISH TURKS

MASSACRE OF GREEKS. HANDS AND NOSES CUT OFF. (Received Last Night, 5.5 o'clock!) ATHENS, November 2/" The Turks while fleeing from Saranraporos, traversed to Metara, and seized fifty-two inhabitants, whom they conveyed to Servidje, and cast into the prisons, where there were already seventy-three other Greeks. The Governor of the prison liberated the prisoners, and 125 soldiers and the armed crowd surrounded them, and massacred IJ2I, including ,fiyo priests. Their noses and hands were then cut off. A Christian villager was brought from Janina and murdered in the market place in the presence of the authorities, SCENES AT KIRK KILISSEH. PANDEMONIUmTn THE TOWN. (Roceived Last Night, 5.5 o'clock.) SOFIA, November 2. The inhabitants of Kirk Kilisseh were not aware of the Turkish.disaster until two in the afternoon, when the cry "the Bulgarians are coming," arose. In a. twinkling pandemonium was let loose. The population flocked to the railway station. The soldiers stormed the trains and compelled the drivers at the point of the revolver to steam out. Others trudged afoot towards Lule Burgas. AH the villages towaixls Adrianoplo and Lulo Burgas were burnt, the Moslems firing their own villages before quitting them. TURKS ATTACKING. TOWN RECAPTURED. (Received; Last Night, 5.5 o'clock.) CONSTANTINOPLE, Nov. 2. Nazira Pasha, the Turkish General, reports that lie has resinned the offensive, and he recaptured. Bunarchissar. MEDIATION PROPOSAL. RECEIVED AT CONSTANTINOPLE i VIENNA, November 2. % proposal from M. Poincare, tho

Uj L'lcc trie Tel&jraph—Copyright.) , . CIVILIANS IN ADRIANOPLE. INVITED TO QUIT. '- (Received Last Night, 5.5 o'clock.) ss SOFIA, November 2. '- Tlie Bulgarians have invited civilians to quit Adrianople. > The commander replied that he was a willing if the garrison might likewise '■- have a free passage. The Bulgarians refused the latter n request. DEAD AND DYING. SCATTERED ON THE ROADS. ;' TURKISH ATROCITIES. ] (Received Last Night, 5.5 o'clock.; s I SOFIA, November 2. i; ' The road towards Chataldpa is .scattered with dead and dying and vvea- ,, pons and clothing. 1 Christians in the forefront oL the . Turkish lines endeavoured to attract 1 the notice of co-religionists on the opposite side by the sign of the cross. , ' The newspaper Mir states that the Turks, before evacuating Bundarhissar. imprisoned and incenerated two hundred Bulgarians in the barracks. | and, massacred Bulgarians wholesale | . at Striata Valley. THOUSANDS OF TURKS UNARMED. COMMISSARIAT RUN OUT. | KMBITTERED BY REVERSES, j (Received Last Night, 5.5 o'clock.'). j LONDON, November 2.' Tlie Chronicle's Constantinople cor-respondent-states that thousands at ■the front are unarmed and ununiformed, and tho commissariat has failed. Reports state that reverses have embittered the Moslems, who were , buoyed up by false statements of successes. • . j Five thousand wounded arrived at Stamboul on Thursday, and 7000 are still to arrive. The war correspondents are practiej ally prisoners at Abdullah Pasha's headquarters. j JOINT PARLIAMENTARY SES- \ SION. (TO BE HELD BY BALKAN STATES (Received Last Night, 5.5 o'clock.) BELGRADE, .November 2. ', The. Parliaments of the Balkan Sta- - tes will hold a joint Parliamentary , session, lasting three days, at Uskub, immediately, after the close of mili- . tary operations. . SKUTARI IN DANGER. ] REINFORCEMENTS DEMANDED. : (Received Last Night, 5.5 o'clock.) CONSTANTINOPLE, Nov. 2. Kss.id Pasha, the General defending Skutari, himself an Albanian, ' telegraphed to Salonika asking for Turkish troops, adding that it was impossible to hold Skutari with Alban- : ians alone.

French Premier, with reference to mediation, has been received by the Austrian Government. A HORRIFIED CABINET. (Received Last Night, 5.5 o'clock.) LONDON, November 2. A full Cabinet met to-night. The Ministers were horrified at events taking place in the Balkans. The King is being constantly informed of developments in Turkey. MANY MEN ENGAGED. AN ESTIMATE—23O,OOO. FIERCELY FOUGHT ENGAGEMENTS. (Received November 2, 8.20 a.m.) VIENNA, November 1. The newspaper Reichspost stateß that 230,000 men participated in the battle. Their line extended from Visa to Lnle Burgas. The Turks' retirement from Baba Eski and their right wing's attack on Bunar Hissar led the Bulgarians to bring, their lefk wing earlier than was expected into ) contact with the advancing Turks. I The shock of battle at this point was extremely violent. Engagements were fiercely fought in the woods, where Redif battalion's (or reserves) from Asia Minor behaved with great gallantry; but their ad- i vance, de-spite the continual summon-' ( ing of fresh reserves, was gradually checked. : The Turkish line was eventually completely broken, and, being hemmed in, the Turks retired with heavy loss. It was the battle of Kirk Kilisseh over again. The Turks began with a courageous rush; then their broken ranks became panic-stricken. The panic spread to the entire Army Corps, four divisions of which i were shattered and dispersed in disorder. The Turks had entrenched themselves in several strong lines on either side of Lule Burgas. The Bulgarian artillery took up a position on flank of the entrenchments, and shell- \ . ed the lines. The rout was complete, j threatening tlie last line of defence at Ghafcaldje. • , .. ' The Bulgarian. infantry showed remarkable contempt of death.

EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF. .. (Received November 2> 9 a.m.) CONSTANTINOPLE. Nov. 1. The Turks held' their own . well at Kirk Kilisseh until the fatal night; attack in general, when it was a case of sauve qui peut. The Turks then discarded their coats and boots.

FANATICS AT STAMBOUL. THREATENED MASSACRE. BULGARS WITHIN TWENTY-FIVE MILES OF CONSTANTINOPLE. (Received November 2, 9.10 a.m.) CONSTANTINOPLE, Nov. 1. Fanatics in Stamboul, aroused by the Turkish defeats, threaten to; massacre Christians. A more stringent, state of siege has been ordered. The Bulgarians are within twenty-five miles of Consts.„uinople. . Owing to Turkish atrocities after their recent defeats, the Bulgarians intend to command the capital in the interest of Christians. Sofia reports the capture of Utromitza.

UNWONTED ACTIVITY. OF BRITISH DESTROYERS. (Received This Morning. 1.5 o'clock.) LONDON. November 3. Thero is unwonted activity at* Portsmouth among the sixth and seventh destroyer flotillas. Several bittleships are preparing to put to sea. The authorities explain that the activity is on account of the quarterly mobilisation. Thi<? explanation is considered tinsatisfactory, the general opinion being'that the flotillas are bound for the East.