A Great Battle

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10711, 5 November 1912, Page 5

A Great Battle

TURKS CAUGHT IN A TRAP

MOWED DOWN IN THOUSANDS.

A REALISTIC NARRATIVE

(United Press Association. — By Elec trie Telegraph—Copyright.)

THE DECISIVE BATTLE. A COMPLETE DEMORALISATION. TURKS CAUGHT IN A TRAP. (Received Last Night, 9.40 o'clock.) LONDON, November 4. Mr Martin Donohoe, the Chronicle's war correspondent with the Turks at Chorlu, was'one of the two English correspondents who were caught in the stampede.. He says that the irrevocable disaster which has befallen the Turks lias been followed by confusion. The rout, he says, was unparalleled since the days of Moscow, the completex military disaster since Mukden, and the greatest debacle since Sedan. Forty thousand Turks were killed, and Abdullah Pasha narrowly escaped I the gate of seventy-five per cent of J his artillery, who are captives. • The men melted like snow before tiie I summer sun. The disintegration was soon general. | and the demoralisation complete. j I By handfuls the army found its way J | back to Chorlu. I The Bulgarian artillery cruelly har- [ assed and mowed down thousands. ' The terrible scenes enacted will burn ' themselves into the memory. I Throughout the terrible fighting, the superiority of the Bulgarian artillery was pronounced. The Turks, unable to withstand the murderous fire, withdrew slowly. The gunners were dead, and a ma-' jority of their horses killed by the afternoon.' The Turks shelled Lule Burgas, but the civilians had previously fled, and therefore the non-combatants' loss wa~ insignificant. The Bulgarians launched infantry attacks, and stormed the town at the bayonets' point. The, greater part of the Turks had ! withdrawn, but the rearguard were j caught like rats in a trap. GALLANT' RESISTANCE. BY STARVING TURKS. FrERCK CAVALRY ATTACK.' I (Received Night, 10.? o'clock.) > LONDON. October 4. The fourth corps, though foodless for two (lays, stubbornly resisted, and died to a man. At the railway station, four miles from Lule Burgas, the Bulgarians were checked for a couple of hours. There the Turkish cavalry concen trated under Salih Pasha and Feud' Pasha. As the Bui gars approached tb/.'.v were.exposed to an unexpected raking fire from the batteries posted o'i; the hills'round the station. The shrap- ' nel tore their ranks and then Sal'h Pasha's cavalry, dashing from their concealment, swept like a tornado upon the exposed infantry. The Bulgarians turned, and tlv.i cavalry rode them down causing extraordinary havoc. Elated by their, success the Turks. pursued the retreating Bulgiriain. when suddenly tho Bulgarian machine gxms opened fire, tumbling the Tutv? and their'horses in a mangled mass.' Few who entered tho charge returned. Meanwhile the Bnlgars' heavy artillery caused tho Turkish garrison to retreat, but few reached the hills. Tho Turkish artillery then concentrated on the town of Lule Burgas. Houses were destroyed, and many Bulgarians were killed in the ruin*. The Bulgarians then got their artillery into position and the duel con menced. The Turkish positions were bad',? chosen, as they were lacking iu cover and had no trenches for tho supporting infantry.

A GENERAL STAMPEDE. TURKISH BATTALIONS ANNIHILATED. (Received Last. Night, 11.5 o'clock.) LONDON, November 4. The Tui"ks' only ray of hope lay in Mulctah Pasha's effort to relieve the pressure by turning the Bulgarians' left: wing. Abdullah Pasha was unable to accede to the second corps- appeal lor help at Bunarhissa<r, where the antmunition was exhausted, nor could the centre company accede to his request to hold their ground. At three o'clock on Thursday it was n caso of every man for himself and everything was abandoned. In the stampede across the Thracin Veldt iserenty-five per cent of the Turkish forces, were wounded and injured by the shrapnel, and out of two [battalions which arrived at Lule BurJ gas on the* day of the battle, thcte were only six alive at sundown. The second corps caught six Bulgarian spies, who vrm-o court-marshall-ed and shot.

SHELL FACTORY FIRED. FIVE LIVES LOST. (Received Last Night, 11.5 o'clock.) OBTTINJE, November 1 Owing to tho carelessness of a workman, a sholl factory at Antivari oanght firo and blow tip, killing five.

TERRIBLE CARNAGE. RELENTLESS BULGARIANS. TURKS MOWED DOWN. (Received Last Night, 11.5 o'clock.) LONDON, November 4. The Turks lost heavily, but their severe bombardment caused the Bulgarians to temporarily evacuate Luie Burgas. Towards evening the Bulgarians' advance became moro rapid. The infantry pushed forward with incredibly speed, while tho artillery took up their positions as coolly cs if Ihey were in peace manoeuvres. They knew tin.' range to a nicety, their markmansbip being superb and murderous. The Turks were poorly supplied with ammunition, the most of which t!v»y expended in tho morning's figlu. Many gunners stood at the guns un able to reply, and awaited deith which came swiftly, the Turkish front being harassed by a terrible fire. As time progressed it became sunply carnage, men falling in hundreds i 1 from tho appalling shell fire. ] Night fell upon foodless and sleepless men. for the Bulgarians seemed endowed with relentless energy. Dead encumbered the ground, doctors were few, and ambulance there, were none. The greater portion of the wounded perished during the bitter cold night. 'i'hc retreat for perhaps an hour was orderly, but. the pressure at the rear reduced the vanguard V rout. Two hours after sunrise the Bulgarians learned what happened to. Abdullah Pasha's and started in pursuit. They occupied Sak/.joz without ii shot being fired.

SUBJECT OF INTERVENTION.

M. POINCARE'S IDEAS. (Received November 4, Sa m ) ' BERLIN, November 3. \ M. Pomccare, French Prime Minister, has submitted to the Powers the Jonn which intervention should take, i It is understood the form meets with tin? general approval, although Atn-ti-ia. desires to negotiate separately with Servia. BUDAPEST, November 8. The newspaper Pester-Lloyd, com- I menting on tho Balkan situation, savs that Austria is fully determined u> adhere to her policy of territorial abstinence.' ST. PETERSBURG. November 3. M. Sazanoff, Russian Foreign Minister, has authorised a statement i.:v which he notes Austria-Hungary's declaration in regard to confining herself to the matter of economic in- ' terests, which, he believed, could be vatisfied without prejudice to tho Slav States. PARTS, November 3. The newspaper Le Temps publishes* an interview with the Bulgarian •Charge d'Affaires. The;'' latter states that popular sentiment will not a! low the Allies to restore a freed people to Turkish rule. Europe must not repeat the Berlin Congress, and adjourn final liquidation on.the .subject. CONSTANTINOPLE. November 3. The newspapers bitterly contrast Europe's changing views with regard .to the status quo in the Balkans sinoo tho success of the Allies. '- POWERS' REQUEST., . PASAdES THROUGH THE DARDANELLES. CONSTANTINOPLE, November 3. Tho Powers have requested ' rho Porte to permit a warship of each nation to pass through the Dardanelles.. ADRIANOPLE. EXPECTED TO FALL SHORTLY. (Received November 4, 8.20 a.m.) VIENNA, November 3. The newspaper Reichpost states that tho fall, of Adrianople is expected next week. The capitulation of. the city might be hastened, but King Ferdinand has discountenanced a. ruthless bombardment. DESPERATE FIGHT. MASSACRES BY TURKS. ' ('Received November 4, 8.30 a.m.) SOFIA, November 3. It is reported that the Bulgarians' have surrounded Shevket Torgut Pasha's division on the heights east of Serai. After a desperate light !;he Turks broke through and fted to Oltataldeja. The Bulgarians, during the battle of Imle Burgas, captured eighty guns and 160 ammunition waggons. The Turks, during the retreat fro-n Baba Eski, massacred 200 persons of all ages and. sexes. HEROIC ASSAULTS.

(Received November 4,9 a.m.) VIENNA. November 'l The Reiohpost emphasises the hernia assaults on the Turkish centre during the second day of the Birnar Hissar battle. Undismayed and unshaken by the appalling Turkish 'ire. the Bulgarians raptured the heights at the fourth charge.

A STAND TiKrNG MADR. T3OMR EXPLOSION". November 4. 11.30 a.m.) SOFIA. November 3. A remnant of the Turkish forces is makl-ng ;i stand, between Soraj and Chorln. The bombardment of Adrianople is proceeding. All the roads, loading to Cliatnlcleja

present a grim spectacle, dead 'md dying soldiers, weapons and clothes being scattered about in every direction. , Christians in the forefront of the Turkish lines of battle endeavoured to attract the notice of co-religionists in the opposing lines by making the" sign of the Cross. GREEK ARMS. TURKISH ATTACK THAT FAILED. (Received November 4 9 a.m.) ATHENS, November .i The fifth division, marching on Monastir, camped near Nalbankoi, and there repulsed a Tureo-Albanian night attack, and in turn, at dawn, attacked and routed the enemy. The latter had two hundred cavalry and one thousand infantry killed, and seven of their guns were captured. PREVEZA CAPITULATES. (Received November 4, 10 a.m:); ATHENS. November" 3. Preveza lias capitulated to tb& Turks. (Prev'esw. is a seaport of Albania, European' Turkey, at the entrance to the Gulf of Arta, lonian Sea. Tt is 49 miles south by west' of .lamina.)

TURKS CLAIM A SUCCESS.

(Received November 4. 10.10 a.m.) CONSTANTINOPLE, November 3.' Turkish reports state that. the Greeks were defeated near Vodena, 40 miles east-south-east of Monastic. It is alleged the Greeks caught between the Turks, at Salonika, and ftho Monastir ferce.

SURRENDER TO THE SERVIANS. (Received November 4, 10 a.m.* BELGRADE, November 3. Boletinatz. » famous Amaut( Albanian} chief, with 15,000 followers, .surrendered to the Servians at Mitrovitza, teftmhiiK of the- railway front Salonika.