Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-18
FALL Of ERzERUM
HITS TURKS HARD
Campaign Plans In Caucasus
Badly Disrupted, According
to Petrograd Belief.
RUSS FORCES SAID TO s:
HAVE REACHED BAlBURT
Both Trebizond and Sivas Possible
Detectives Of Grand Duke
Nicholas Men.

PETRoGRAD. February IS. via Lon
don, 2:20 p.m-The fall of Erzerum
the most important Turkish stronghold
In Asia Minor and for long time con-
sidered impregnable. offers the unpre-
cedented spectacle of a first-class fort
ress built on a steep mountain ridge
nearly a mile above sea Lowell yielding
to bayonet attack after only thirty-sfx
hours bombardment.
The operations were conducted under
the most severe weather conditions
the snow being deep and the thermom-
eter registering at times more than
80 degrees below zero Fahrenheit.
| The Turkish army defending Free
rum, taken by surprise under the meth
DDS adopted by the Russians, Is now
roads leading to Sivas. AS the garrf-
son apparently scattered in all direcs
lions, it Is assumed here that large
numbers of men were taken prisoners.
although official figures are still lack
| ing. Z!
| the Russian forces have reached the
| town of Baiburt, seventy-hve miles
northwest Of Erzerum, on the road to
Trebizond.
Attack Not Feared.
After the taking of Niskala, it ap-
peared that the Russian attack would
be directed upon the Turkish right
flank, and by rapidly transferring
troops the Turks made all plans to re-
sist the main assault from this quarter.
Apparently they mad little fear Of the
success of this attack because of the
strong character of the Notifications in
that direction. and even less apprehen-
sion of danger from frontal attack.
Bayonet Attack Wins.
Nevertheless. after the Russians sue
ceeded in taking by storm the f1rst-line
forts February 2, there began persist
emit bombardment Of the Turkish GEN.
ter. followed by a bayonet charge. the
impetuosity Of which swept the de-
tenders OFF their feet. The highest
tribute is paid to the bravery of the
Caucasian troops, whose charge is con-
sidered likely to go down in history as
one of the most brilliant feats Of the
war.
It is recognized here that the success of
the assault was due almost entirely to the
bayonet work OF these troops. since the
artillery preparation was insufficient In
intensity and duration, according to mill
tary experts to reduce even a strong field
position.
Campaign Is Disrupted.
The wiping out of this Turkish base
tends to disrupt the whole Caucasus cam
paign of the Turks, as it not only served
as base Of the operations in the eau
casus, but also of those in Mesopotamia.
Its fall leaves no strongly fortified point
between Erzerum and Sivas, about 230
miles to the west, and brings more to tho
upon Constantinople from the east
An attempt to retake Erzerum 10 an
ticipated. but there are enormous dimcul-
ties attending the bringing up Of Turkish
Turkish forces in Mesopotamia cannot he
spared. The alternative for the Turks
seems to be to draw upon those at Con-
stantinople, from which all possible routes
toward Erxerum are long and arduous.
The most practicable is by railway to
Urfa. whence ii would be necessary to
march overland more than 200 miles. The
Black sea route to Trebizond has become
domination Of the Black sea littoral.
Possible Future Operations.
Few forecasts are made as to tho fu-
ture of the Russian operations beyond
Erzerum. but pursuit of the Turks. who
are retreating in bad order. according to
the reports. is assumed to be vigorously
under way and Sivas is regarded as the
next probable objective Of the Russian
armies.
The capture of Erzerum has had the
effect of making more secure the Rus
sian position along the Black sea coast
and those of the southern flank at
Alashgard. while the possibility Of a
successful Russian thrust toward the
British expeditionary force in Mesopo-
tamia seems to be increasing.
The victory is taken by the Russian
military authorities as the first signal
token Of successful cooperative action
among the allies. This belief is ex.
pressed in interviews by diplomats Of
the allied powers In Petrograd.
Although the onlcial bulletin men.
tions seventy guns captured. 1t 10
known that the fortress contained 500
new pattern Krupp heavy guns, be-
sides an equal number Of an older pat
tern. 1t is assumed these were aban-
doned. and from the precipitate nature
of the evacuation 1t is not believed the
Turks took time seriously to disable
them.
GERMANS ADOPT DEVICE