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Show RUSSIANS FORCE BACK AUSTRIAN Troops Evacuate Bridgehead Fortifications on the Dniester River Under Pressure of Superior Numbers. MADE BRAVE FIGHT Austrians Finally Cut Way Through Enemy Position Colonel Leads Heroic Troops to Place of Safety. London, March 21, 11:20 a. m. Austro-Hungarian forces, operating northwest of TJscieczke, on the Dnels-tor Dnels-tor river, near the Bukowina border were forced by the pressure of the Russians to evacuate tho bridgehead fortifications and to abandon their transports. Under cover of night they succeeded in reahing tho Austrian Aus-trian posts northwest of Zale Szozky north of Czernowitz, according to the Austrian official statement issued today. to-day. Tho official statement pays' a tribute tri-bute of admiration to the bravery of the Austrian troops who gave way only on account of the superior strength of the Russian attacking forces. for-ces. It adds that the only means left to the AustrlanB to avoid capture was to break through the Russian positions posi-tions at Uscleczko and thlB they did with complete success. Made Bravo Fight, Tho statement follows: "After six months of brave defense tho bridge fortifications northwest of Uscleczko collapsed on Sunday evening even-ing and were ovacuatod. Although the Russians succeeded In tho morning morn-ing In causing by means of explosions a breach 300 meters wide, the garri- son which was attacked by forces eight fold superior, held out seven hours longer, notwithstanding all loss-1 es in the face of tho most violent ar-1 tillcry and infantry fire. It was not until five o'clock In the afternoon that I the commanding officer, Colonel , Pflanckh, determined to evacuate the destroyed fortifications. I "Smaller detachments nnd the' wounded men reached the south bank , of tho Dnelster In boats. Soon, however, how-ever, it was necessary to abandon the transports under tho concentric fire of tho enemy. There remained foi our brave troops, composed of Em peror's Dragoons and sappers, only , ono way to escape capture. They were under tho necessity of cutting a i way through Uscleczko which was strongly occupied by the enemy to our troops ensconted on the heights north of Zalo 3zczky. j March Through Enemy Position. "The march directly through the enemy's position succeeded. Under cover of tho night Colonel Pflanckh led his heroic troops to our advanced posts northwest of Zale Szczyky, where he arrived early Monday morning. morn-ing. "The battles for the bridge fortifications forti-fications at Uscleczko will remain for all time a glorious page In the an nals of our army." |