Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-21
'ERzERUM CAPTORS
. TRYING TO CUT Off
RETREAT OF TURKS
Main Armies May Be Sur
rounded in Rapid Rus
sian Offensive.
PRESSING ADVANTAGE
GAINED ON BOTH FLANKS
Along Black Sea Coast, Sea
Forces Cooperate With
Troops on Land.
PUSH on TO MUsH AND KOpH
Next Objective Is Diarbekr, Within
Striking Distance of Bag
dad Railway.
PRESSING ADVANTAGE
GAINED ON BOTH FLANKS
PUSH on TO MUsH AND KopH
Next Objective Is Diarbekr, Within
Striking Distance OF Bag
dad Railway.

PETROGRAD. February 90 ivia Lon
! dom. The Russians arc pressing the
advantage gained at E.rzcrum on both
hanks ON the right along the Black
/ Sea coast by the cooperation Of tho
sea and land forces they are driving
the Turks from one position after an
other TO the east OF Trcbizond and il
against that important seaport will
not he long deferred.
IN the, last two days tho Russians
have occupied witdjc (Widie' and
pressed forward ten or twelve miles
eastward. The fleet has DESTROYED in
succession several shore batteries
which might have been OF assistance
70 the Turks and by keeping we'll in
advance Of the land forces aud hy de-
S,royinE bridges over several streams
In the path of the retrcatinr Turks mas
rendered their retreat more difficult.
| Thc fleet has been working SO close
10 the shore that the w0rships have
been reached by rifle fire from the
Turkish troops, while on the o,ncr
hand, the ships have spread confusion
in the ranks cf the Turks by dropping
shells among them.
| on tho left flank. after the occupa-
ton OF Noph. the Russians pushed m
to Mush and Achlat, the latter on the
north shore OF Lake Van. From Eorh
to Mush. sixty miles over 4nourtaii,
roads. they fought several battles. and
occupied Mush by storm.
DIARBEi<R IS NENT
OBJECTIVE OF RUSSIANS
/ Tho Turks fed southwark 70 Diar-
beltr, the next objective of tho Eus-
sian army. Once in possession OF
Diarbekr. il is only days march to
The Bagdad Railway. the last r"maln-
ing communication into Syria
| The rapid Russian offensive b.rond
Eracrum. II is believed here makes it
possible that the retreat OF the TURK
ish corps operating along the Black
Sea coast and Of those troops who
were active in the NTush district before
| the Russian occupation will he entirely
cut of, and that the main Turkish
armies viii be surrounded This fate
has already ovcrtalScn the Thirty
/ fourth Tivision of the Tenth Corps,
! which was ordered from Olti 70 Free
ram before tho fall OF the fortress. AS
| telephone communications between
this group Of Turkish forces and tho
| ra' riSon at l:rzcrum had been entirely
! destroyed by tie Russians. the Thirty
! fourth Division marched scrcnrly on
II ErZorum without suspicion that the
fortress was tnen about TO SURRENDER.
These troops reached E.rzer,m from tho
northwest 1T the very moment that the
| Devc -Eoina limo of forts fell into Rus
| sian hands. and the army which they
had come to assist was in full retreat.
IN" road over which they had passed
WAS instantly occupied by Russian
cavalry. and rs they were compici ely
surrounded. there was no alternative
but TO surrender with guns, cquipmcnt
and artillery.
TURKISH CORPS ALMOST
SURE OF BEING CAUGHT
II IS regarded as almost inevitable
| that the Turkish corps retiring alon.
! the Black Sea coast under the dcstruc-
| tive fire OF the Russian fleet and tho
pressure OF the Russian armies will he
caught in the same sort of tran as
the Turkish troops falling back from
Wide TO fiumiSh khaneh still have
4 greater distance To go than the Rus
sian troops which are advancing from
ErZorum To cut them off
ON the Turkish right flank. where
| the Ninth Corps is operating. the Turks
hnd themselves in the same precarious
position. since all the roads of re-
treat 10 the north arc gradually falling
under Russian control The retreat OF
III" Turkish armies everywhere is i'm
. pedcd by deep snow, and the difficult
character OF the country. They are
withou, food and lack war supplies and
, there seems to I've little possibility oe
'heir Offering even temporary resist
ance OF any strength TO the Russian
advance.