New-York tribune., 1920-05-01
Poles Capture
$4,000 Reds.
Sixty Cannon
Resistance of Bolsheviki Is
Broken in South Ukraine.
and Polish Troops Are
Moving Along Dniester
Americans i'm 80 Raids
Aviators of kosciuskoSqu
ron Bomb Rail Centers
and Drop Propaganda

''Nh1|SHa w N, hPlIl oO by ne ASSOcl-
ated Press THE resistance of the
Bolsheviki has been broken in South
Ukraine, according to to-day's official
communique, which announces that the
Poles have captured Mohilev and are
now moving southeast along the
Dniester
The Poles have captured $4,000 pris-
oners, so cannon, hundreds of machine
guns and rs locomotives since their Of
fensive began, the commuaique adds.
Simultaneously with the cavalry and
infantry attack from the west Polish
armored boats sailed down the Pripet
River and met the Bolshevik fotilla
head on. A pitched battle ensued.
Two of the Bolshevik monitors were
sunk and four monitors and forty other
boats were captured. The remainder
of the Red fotilla retreated.
A great amount of food and stores
of ammunition and arp, supplies and
wireless station were taken with the
occupation of Czernobyl, the commun-
cation says.
Army Nearly Destroyed
A further communication issued by
the War Office to-day says:
Since the offensive began we have
nearly destroyed the Twelfth Army
In the resulting actions the 77th and
18th divisions have been destroyed.
The remainder of the >Bolsheviki are
treating East.
The enemy has suffered heavily in
killed or wounded
Czernobyl is ninety kilometers north
of kiev. The stronghold was occupied
on Thursday after severe fighting, the
Poles attacking from the west and
northwest. In the attack the Poles used
cavalry in covering the marsh lands, and
the infantry was protected by fighting
craft
Polish and Ukrainian troops. driving
toward Kiev from the northwest, have
occupied the town of Malin, on the
railroad about sixty miles from Kiev
The advance is continuing toward the
Dnieper River, except on the southern
sector of the front. where the Russian
Bolshevlk forces are making a stand
along the right bank of the Bug River
and are fighting stubbornly
Bolsheviki Rush Reinforcements
The Bolsheviki are rushing the 5th
and 9Th Divisions from the Caucasus
region TO reinforce the 18th Soviet
Army, which has its headquarters at
Kiev.
A wireless communication regarding
the Polish offensive has been sent 10
Polish newspapers by the press bureau
of the Soviet Foreign Office. 1t asserts
the Bolsheviki are not yet defeated and
have not changed their peace in
tentions.
"In view of the fact that the Poles
and the Russian Soviet government have
been unable to agree regarding the pro
posed meeting of the peace conference
at Borisov," the note says, "the Soviet
government is willing to meet Polish
delegates at Grodno or Bialystok, near
Warsaw, if the Poles will agree upon
a date"
The Kosciusko Squadron, composed
of American aviators, made thirty-two
raids and some flights more than sixty
miles within the Bolshevik lines, the
communique continues. the Americans
bombing and machine cunning railroad
centers and scattering propaganda in
kiev and other cities. At many points
the Bolsheviki used anti-aircraft
guns against the aviators and in
less important places concentrated
machine gun fire upon the pilots, who
always attacked from an altitude OF
less than 1000 feet. Two of the most
important raids were led by Lieutenant
Harmon Rorison, of Wilmington, n. c.