The sun., 1916-12-26
Big BATTLE RACES
FOR DANUBE BRIDGE
TcutOns Fight Desperately to
Win Gate to Braila. on
Rumanian Side.
RUSSIANS WIN FIGHT
Cut to Pieces German Force
StOrming Positions In
Carpathians.

LONDON, Dec. 25.-Taking no rest on
Christmas Day. Won Mackensen's Teu-
tons are nghting TO drive the last Rus
sian from the northwest corner Of the
Dobrudja and capture the important
br~idgehead OF Macin. On the whole Ru-
manian front. in the C,rpathians and
on the plains OF Great Wallachia. fight
ing RACED all day.
In the dismal. frozen swainps about
Macin a stubborn struggle is kim
place. The Teuton attacks are strong
and in~cessant, and the Russian defence
tenacious. for once Macin Ia In their
hands. the Teutons can shell the i'm
portant Rumanian town Of Braila, across
the Danube.
Rraila. a railroad junction. Is stocked
with Rumanian oil and grain. rushed
there to ave II from the invasion that
swcp, the Rurnanians from Wallachia.
II is one of the three main bases OF the
present defence line In Wallachia. and
German heavy guns could play havoc
with the movements Of troops n the
work OF organizing the new front.
Can Gross the Danube.
The more serious possibility IL that
the Teutons could cross the Danube once
they took Macin. There II a bridge
across the river at that point. but only
a temporary bridge built by Russian en-
gineers when Russian troops frst began
to pour into the Dobrudja. II could be
readily destroyed by a retreating army.
Along the Wailachian front to-day the
Tctutons. aided by heavy guns. made q
series of fierce attacks near Rimnicu-
81 rat. The Russians lost a height, re
I captured 1t and finally had to abandon II
because OF the storm Of German shells
that swept its crest. Other heavy Ger
man attacks ere beatei back.
n the ice nd snow OF the Carpathian
forests both armies attacked. The Ger
mans charged repeatedly to snatch back
from the Russians the heights they cap
tured yesterday on the Moldavian from
tier. The Russians permitted the enemy
to advance. and at almost point blank
range poured into them a whitening rihe
III and storms OF hand .~renades. The
Germans fell | ack. leaving heaps Of dead
in the snow. The Russians took 226 pris-
oners. and two runs and 4 trench mortar
were capture
u U u10 Ma ne Are Nttockeu.
Another stubboi. i battle VAS fought in
the mountains a little to the south, near
the Oitoz Pass. There the line IL held
by Runsnians. The Teutons attacked
near the kas'no or Casinul River. south
OF the Vrancea Mountains. a range OF
the Carpathians. Tn Rumanians gave
way at some points
The official statements describing the
fighting ollow
The German statement reads;
Front OF Archduke Joseph-Near
Cimbroslavawk our patrols dominating
the advance ground repulsed several
Russian detachments.
North OF Sosmezoe. in the Oitus VAL
ley. our fire pushed back the Russians.
who twice attacked.
Army group II Field Marshal Won
Mackensyn-ln Great Wallachia new
engagements are in progress.
Our Dobrudja army has captured
lsaktcha and Is now attacking the
bridgehead Of MaCin.
The Russian Report.
The Russian statement. covering the
entire Russian front. follows
Rumanian Front-in the region OF
the kasino River and in the Vrancea
Mountains the enemy continued his at
,acks and pushed back the Rumanian
troops in some places.
From II A.. NJ. the enemy violently
bombarded our troops with light and
heavy artillery on both sides OF the
Buzeu-Rimnik road and the region OF
Saharychioul and Balenechioul. The
enemy fire was particularly fierce
north OF the road, where he launched
attacks and captured u height south
OF pakoyacheni. our troops counter
attacked n dislodged the enemy
from this height. but our detachments
soon abandoned IL as the enemy was
sweeping 1t with shells.
All enemy attacks in other regions
OF the left bank OF the Danube. which
were extremely fierce In the n~eighbor-
hood Of Drogul, were repealed by our
fire.
Abandon Dobrudja Towns.
In the Dobrudja the left wing OF our
troops abandoned lsaktcha and Tult-
cha. which places were occupied by
the enemy.
On the right Tank an artillery duel
took place throughout the whole day.
II was especially violent In the re-
gion OF the danube village OF Grecha.
Western Front-On the River
Bystritza our scouts made success
full reconnaissance In the region of
starry Lisic, capturing a number OF
prisoners. rifles and hand grenades.
In the wooded C~arpathians and on
the Moldavian frontier. in the region
north Of the Uzul Valley. the enemy By
several repeated attacks following
artillery preparation attempted to re-
capture the heights occupied by us yes
terday. our troops allowed the enemy
to approach our trenches and then
fred at almost point blank range and
also threw hand grenades upon them.