The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-11-23
WRANCEL'S AIDE TELLS HOW
BARON LOST FIGHT in CRIMEA
First Story Of Downfall Il Given
10 Associated Press at
Constantin0ple

Constantfnople. Nov. 2a-The nrsi
story Of the downfall o. General Baron
Wrangels white" army was given the
correspondent today by one ~ Baron
Nrangei's own officers who had Just
arrived here. General Wrangers de-
feat was ascribed by the officer q Dc
0ver-eonfdence 81 General Mran
and lack q appreciation o. the sirens
of the enemy forces
The operations across The Dneiper 10
October. the officer said. had shown
Tie h0lsheyiki concentration 20 be more
considerable Ehan had been anticipated
and this induced General WranEsl 20
give np his positions In Taurida and
withdraw within the Crimean fort-
iled positions where he waited the boil
sheylki offensive c0mplacently.
The principal reason given by the
officer for the success % the b0lshevikl
was Improvement IN the railroad sys-
tenn and the disposition ~ considerable
b0lshevlk reserves. These Included
the Budenny cavalry. whlch was re-
formed after the Polish VICTORY and In
creased with fresh units after tn fall
ure of the attempt 90 0utfisnK The
kakhovka hridgehead. after wnich Cen
erai Wransel resolved 70 cyacuste
Taurida.
The bolshevlki. however. started
their drive two days earlier than Gen
eral Wrangol planned % retreat his
retirement Of the second and third
corps 20 perekop leaving the remainder
OF his army, except tha Don cossacA
corps. on the Tschongar Tsthmus.
While this retreat was going on. the
Don corps counter attacked IN a north =
westerly direction and successfully
reached the Dnelper where the panic
stricken bolshevlki destroyed tho pom
toOn bridges.
General Nrangel then hastily re-
formed three corps under General ku-
llepoff. which. after a brief resistance
against the bolsheyikl moved south
ward % cut on Budennys cavalry
which was advancing With cNtreme
rapldlty toward the southeast from
point north 81 ka&hovka. hndennS
cavalry already had reached Salkovo
and was threatening % cut on the re-
treat ~ General Wrangel's right wing
The bolshevikl taking advantage OF th'
freezing Of the Putrid sea crossed ano
outnanked General Mrancels advanced
Ing Ia considerable strength az Armian-
skl-Bazar They thus were enabled q
advance the main body Of their artll'
lory without difficulty % perekop
where their superiority Ia guns gay'
them the advantage IN q frontal attacl
on General Wrangel's principal lines.
In the meantime the b0lsheyiki wer'
eQncentrating against Wrangefs righ'
n4nk. The heroism Of the defenders
during these operations against over
whelmineiy superior forces was mas
nincent Nrangel's forces did not hayl
time % e00k az sleep, a. the bolshey4k
constantly were throwing Ia reserves
Nrangel, without reinforcements, wal
az great dlsadN antage.
The struggle around perek0p lAstcg
long enough 20 enable the evacuation
q is defenders. Then fNe left flanl
was withdrawn on Ssbsstopol, the RICH
flank on Yalta and Fe0dosia. and tn
kuban division on kertch. The evac'
uation OF SebastopOl begun November
AZ. and ended on the fourteenth.
General Wrangel was the last 10 leay'
when standing on the deck Of the Rus
sian steamer Kornllon ne could SCI
small bands Of enemy h0rsernen SLOW
81 crossing the summit 81 the Ions
ridge north Of the city. Mrensel
evacuation of the Crimea was Y
marked contrast % that ~ Odessa. L
was executed according % plan viii
a minimum loss. after such severe
defect.