POSITION IN SERBIA.
Nish fell on Friday afternoon, after three days’ resistance by the “tenacious Serbians.” Attacked on two sides, and outnumbered by the Bulgarians alone, the Serbians were bound to lose the town. It is to their honour that they have held it so long, the campaign having been in progress since Oct. 6th.
Tuesday’s reports from Berlin show that up to Monday the Serbians were still holding a short stretch of the Belgrade – Nish railway. The enemy had advanced southwards to Aleksinec, which is eighteen miles from Nish. It is reported that the Serbians in their retreat have blown up the tunnels.
The Germans have taken Krushevac, a fair sized town mid-way between Kragujevac and Nish, and evidently a hospital station, for the enemy found there 1,500 wounded Serbians, and seized large quantities of nursing supplies. They also claim 3,000 unwounded prisoners.
THE ALLIES’ ADVANCE.
On the Franco-British front in Serbia actions are developing. The French front extends east of the Vardar up to Gradsko and the Bregalnitza river, about ten miles south of Veles.
West of the Vardar they have made equal progress, and, having crossed the Cerna, have extended their left towards Isvar, where the Bulgarians were repulsed from the Babuna Pass.
The Serbians are also reported to be giving serious check to the Bulgarians in the neighbourhood of Vrania. The Allies’ landing at Salonika proceeds energetically. According to a Berlin Press statement 300,000 Allied troops have landed.
‘MID’ SNOW AND ICE
The Italians have commenced the bombardment of the south front of Riva, the fortress at the head of the Lake di Garda, which commands the road to Trent from the south. At the same time a protracted attack on the Col di Lana has been crowned with success and the Italian flag now floats amid the snows on this great height, which was an Austrian bulwark on the road to Trent from the north-east. Vienna admits its loss, but asserts it has been re-captured.
SUBMARINES AT WORK.
The German cruiser Undine (2,715 tons) has been sunk by a British submarine in the Baltic. She was struck by two torpedoes, and went down in three minutes. The crew of 260 were saved with the exception of nineteen men. One officer and six men subsequently died from wounds.
The British Admiralty announces that on Friday last H.M. armed boarding steamer Tara was attacked by two enemy submarines in the Mediterranean and sunk. Thirty-four of the crew are reported missing. The Tara was a Glasgow steamer of 6,322 tons.
The War Office announce that the British transport Ramazan was sunk by an enemy submarine by shell fire on the 18th September off the island of Antecythera, in the Aegean Sea. Of about 380 Indian troops on board 75 were saved. Twenty –eight of the crew were saved. The survivors reached the island in their own boats.
Enemy submarines in the Mediterranean have wrought mischief among Allied shipping. One vessel sunk is the Yser, which before passing under the French flag was the notorious cotton steamer Dacia.
RUSSIANS PRESS GERMANS.
The Russians continue to hold up Von Hindenburg’s armies in the north, whilst they press their offensive in the south successfully. An enemy advance towards Schloch, on the Gulf of Riga, has been stopped, and along the Drina towards Dvinsk the Germans have been pushed out of positions.
On the Styr and the Strypa fierce fighting goes on near Komarovo and Siemikawce. Great efforts by the enemy to secure these villages have been frustrated, and his abortive attacks have cost him great losses.
The German reports says that despite “extraordinary high losses” the Russians continue attacks. It is also represented that the Austro-German forces, under General Von Linsingen, were able to throw back the Russians north-west of Czartonysk, and that they captured 2,000 near Siemikowce, but it is now admitted that the Russians “still hold a portion of the village.”
ANOTHER LINER SUNK.
Yet another outward-bound passenger liner has been sent to the bottom by an enemy submarine. In this case the victim was the large Italian ship, the Ancona, of nearly 10,000 tons. The outrage took place in the Mediterranean off the Sardinian coast, and the murderous craft is stated to be German, although flying Austrian colours.
The Ancona was bound from Naples to New York with 422 passengers and a crew of 60. One account says that 270 survivors have landed at Bizerta, but a message received late on Wednesday night puts the number at 161. Lloyd’s agent at Bizerta estimates that “300 were drowned, mostly women and children emigrants.”
