The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-24
5000 SERBS FALL
INTO BULGAR HANDS
Made Prisoners in Pristina
District-Many Guns
Are Captured.
BATTLE IN RAPEC GORGE

BATTLE IN RAPEC GUkGE
speessi Csoie DespsfeA 10 1ns Sos.
LONDON. Nov. 23.--The continued adj
vance OF both the Autro- German and
the Bulgarian armies In Serbia u an
from Berlin to-day. The night
ing centred about the Austro-German-
Bulgarian attempts to take Pristina n
Mitrovica, both Of which arc still In
Serbian hands.
Tho Serbian opposition In this region
~ now In the nature Of rear guard
actions, according to the German official
statement, which avs that 5000 Ser
bians were aiken prisoners in ihe Pris-
tina district. The statement follows:
North of Mitrovica and north ana
northeast of Pristina the enemy was
thrown hack In rear guard battles.
Bulgarian forces fighting southeast OF
Pristina are VIGOROUSLY
In the region near Pristina 5000 ser
bians were made prisoners and twenty
two machine gums and forty-four
cannon were captured.
Montenegrins Dislodeed.
The official statement Aasusd at Vienna
to-day regarding the Balkans says:
The Austro-Hungarians fighting in
the district Of Cajvice have elected
the Montenegrins from ths positions
on the northern slope Of the JOKES
Mountains.
East Of Gorasde the nshting con
t.nues. An Austro-H Hungarian detach-
ment from Nova-varos IL approach
ing Prjepolje.
AZ Novi- Basar the army q Gen.
Won koevess captured nifty mortars.
eight field guns. 4.000. 900 rounds Of
cartridges and much war material.
The enemy. who stM remained to the
east Of the town. was driven on by
German troops and 800 prisoners were
captured.
An Austro- Hungarian column ad-
Vancing In the 1bar valley captured
% the north Of Aitrovtca three Serb
1an positions. when night fell . fourth
position was taken by surprise. We
captured 200 men. six guns. four ma
chine guns, ammunition and horses.
Army Of Gen. Won Oallw4ts: South
ward Of the Prepolat ridge. between
Leskovac and Mitrovica, We captured
1.S00 SerbiansI
In the east and southeast the hrst
Bulgarian army In spite Of the tena-
eious resistance Of thu Serbians, 10
steadily gaining ground.
Details of a French repulse arc con-
tanned in a. press agency despatch from
French headquarters at Kavadar, north.
east of Prilep. received here by way OF
Paris. The despatch In dated November
81 and say that after q bloody battle
In the gorge OF the Rajec. u tributary OF
the Cerna. the French retired from Z
point north Of Drenovo to the right bank
of the Cerna. The distance owe which
the French retreated IL not Ereat-per.
haps three or four miles-but the repuls<
means that they have been thrown bach
across the Cerna, and any offensive BY
them Is delayed through the necessity
Of crossing the river again.
French Hold RaJec Gorge.
The French still hold the Ra3ec Gorge
the despatch says n also the bridge
head at Bojharsti. which controls thu
heights opposite Gradisce.
The official communicate issued by the
French War Office tonight regarding the
operations Of the army Of h Orient
follows:
After the engagement Of November
10 and 20 on the left bank Of the
Cerna the day of November 81 passed
without fighting In this sector, as also
was the case in h sector Of Stru-
mitxa.
The situation on tho Rajec is described
By one Of the correspondents with tn
French army. The granite walled gorge
he says. is a strong natural position, blu
il avnOaaI IN arfillarv Are fro-, tho a,r
rounding heights. A narrow, rapiS
stream runs through the gorge.
The Bulgarians opened their attacl
with a heavy artillery FIRE from the hills
throwing %shrapnel into the gorge below
from gun mounted on both banks of tn,
Vardar. into which the Cerna runs
few miles to the north Of Drenovo. II
the infantry fighting which followed tn
bayonet played a prominent part.
The Bulgarians are rushing reinforce
ments from Prilep. the correspondent
says. and the French have had to with
draw from any positions on which a con
oentrated attack was made. since the,
have not the necessary meant Of trans
portation to effect quick shifting O
forces.
An official statement was given GU
by the Serbian legation In Paris to-da,
announcing a Serbian victory over tn,
Bulgarians west OF Velika Plana anS
Mount Zetovatz. Velika Plana Is ff
teen miles northeast Of Kursumliya
through which the Austro-German lin,
as described in Berlin official dispatches
runs. The Serbian announcement woult
Seem to indicate either that the Austro
German-Bulgar line in this region ha
been pushed back a considerable dis
tance or that the statement received b,
the legation was issued several day
ago., before the more recent Bulgarian
gains, and was delayed in transit.
serbs Defeat BulgaPs.
The statement says:
Battles occurred recently on the
old Serbo-Turkish frontier. The most
important encounters were fought to
the west Of Velika Plana and Mount
Zetovatz. We inflicted a defeat on
the enemy at the latter point, captur-
ing five mountain cannon.
The Serbian Government has beeI
moved again. this time from Mitrovitxi
to Prizrend. near the Albanian border
according to an Athens despatch. whicl
adds that the diplomatic Corps ha
moved TO Petch, in Montenegro.
Another Athens despatch quotes
Serbian official statement as saying hi
The Serbians have regained the Veles
prilcp from and are now rushing re
endorsements to the small bands whicl
have been holding some Of the height
dominating the western extremity of tn
line.
According to n despatch from Genev;
10000 Austrian troops have been con