Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1916-05-05
MANY PATHS OPEN
FOR THE RUSSIANS
Fall Of Erzerum Important Vic.
tory For Entente Allies.
MARCH ON TURK CAPITAL?

Several possibilities are opened up
by Grand Duke Nicholas capture Of
Erzerum and other Turkish positions.
Will his victorious army, which thus
has forced its way through the back
door Of Turkey. attempt to reach
Constantinople through the mountain
passes of Armenia? Will it send an
expedition north to Trebizond, on the
Black sea. through an equally forbid.
ding country? Will 1t descend the
Euphrates with the idea of relieving
the British position on the Tigris? Or,
and this seems the most probable So
luton. will 1t descend the Euphrates
to the point where it is crossed by the
Bagdad railway? The latter achieved
and this alternative could be INDUCED
ina march on Constantinople or one
across the desert to Aleppo, where Is
said to be gathering the Turko-Ger.
man army for a second attempt to
capture Egypt and the Suez canal.
Some military experts believe that
the recent activity shown by the An
glo-Indian force on the Tigris and the
Russian armies in Armenia and Per-
STA was begun and developed with
the idea of serving as deterrents to a
second attack on Egypt, just as 1t is
| expected that an offensive Of the al.
lies on the Saloniki littoral will shortly
be developed with the same end in
view.
Distances Greatest Handicap.
The distances, however, are so vast
that at no point can military operations
at present be made to illustrate this
theory. From Constantinople to Erie.
rum is 74O miles; from Erzerum to Kut-
el-Amara, the immediate objective Of
the Anglo-Indian force on the Tigris, is
$40. and from the Russian advance in
Persia to Kut-el-Amara is 25O miles,
while Erzerum. the Russian position in
Persia, and the Anglo-Indian position
on the Tigris form broken line whose
nearest point to the Suez canal is 725
miles.
On Jan. the Russian general staff
issued long report on the army Of the
Caucasus from the time the grand duke
had taken command, on Sept. 5. to the
end Of 1915. According to this report,
the Turks had begun to prepare for the
Russian offensive in Armenia as early
as November, when the Third Turkish
army, anticipating the German-Aus.
trian drive in the Balkans and the re-
t1rement of the Franco British forces
from Gallipoli. had been ordered to the
region between the Russian lines and
ErZerum.
The plan of the Third army was as
follows: The Ninth and Tenth corps
were to advance to Olh and form an
offensive wing, whereas the Eleventh
corps was ordered to hold its power.
fully organized position and to attack,
through strategic demonstration, the
weight Of the Russian troops. In case
the latter took an energetic offensive
the Eleventh corps was ordered to fall
back on the fortress Of Erzerum, car
rying along with it the Russian troops.
| At the proper time the latter would
be attacked by the Ninth and Tenth
corps, together with such REINFORCE.
ments as could be sent from Constan-
tinople. 1t was the intention Of the
Turks to use the great fortress Of Err
zerum on the left flank or in the center
as circumstances might demand, feel
ing sure the Russians could not muster
a sufficient force to envelop the city.
The grand duke knew all this by
Dec. l. Without displaying any activ-
ity or signs Of re-enforcements on this
line in Armenia he sent a column
south into Persia in the direction Of
Hamadan, where it defeated a large
force Of Persian insurgents, Turks and
1000 Germans. At the same time,
with the main army not deployed, but
divided into ten columns, each flanked
by large forces Of Cossacks. he began
his advance on Erzerum.
| He was lured on. as Enver Pasha
had intended, by the Eleventh Turkish
corps. but before he could be attacked
by the Ninth and Tenth these corps
had been isolated by the superior Rus
sian forces to the south of Erzerum.
and the Eleventh corps was driven
into the city.
Germans Are Re-enforced.
This was on Jan. % last. On the
same day re-enforcements with many
German officers were started from
ConstantinOple, and it was announced
that Field Marshal Baron holman Won
der Goltz. formerly military adviser to
Enver Pasha. had been placed at the
head of the Turkish forces in Armenia.
Won der Goltz arrived at Erzerum on
Feb and at once assumed command.
Between ten and fifteen miles south
Of the city the Ninth and Tenth corps,
REINFORCED by Field Marshal Liman
Won Sanders with most Of the Turkish
First corps and 10000 Germans. who
up to Dec. Is had been engaged at
Gallipoli. attempted to prevent the
Russian columns from enveloping the
city on the south, but before the relief
corps could effect junction with the
other two it had been attacked and
compelled to retire.