my. The artillery of all classes numbered about 1,500 guns, but
there was a marked shortage of really powerful cannon. The horse and
field artillery were armed with Krupp quick-firers of 3-inch caliber,
and the heavy and the mountain guns were from the Creusot works in
France. The infantry was armed with the Austrian Mannlicher rifle, but
of these arms Rumania possessed barely enough to arm her 600,000 men.

Shortly before she definitely made her decision, this stock of arms
was considerably augmented by shipments from France and England, and
even from Russia, but on account of the fact that they must be shipped
by a dangerous sea route and then across Russia, the time of transit
covering six weeks, she was probably not very well supplied with
ammunition.

CHAPTER XXV

HOSTILITIES BEGIN

The first news of the actual fighting was given to the world through
an official Austrian communique, dated August 28, 1916, announcing
that, during the preceding night, the Rumanians had begun a determined
attack on the Austrian forces in the Red Tower Pass and the passes
leading to Brasso. On the following day another report added that the
attempted invasion had become general and that the Imperial troops
were resisting attacks in all the passes along the whole frontier.
But, added the report, everywhere the Rumanians had been successfully
repulsed, especially near Orsova, in the Red Tower Pass, and in the
passes south of Brasso. In spite of these successes, however, the
Austrians were compelled to retire their advanced detachments to a
position prepared in the rear, as planned long before, because
overwhelming forces of Rumanians were attempting a far-reaching
flanking movement. As a matter of fact, the Austrians, never very
determined fighters, and now especially demoralized by the recent
success of the Russian offensive under Brussilov, were giving way all
along the line before the Rumanians under General Averescu. On the
same day a Rumanian official report gave a long list of villages and
towns which the Rumanians had taken beyond the frontier, their Fourth
Army Corps also having taken 740 prisoners. Within two days Averescu
had advanced so rapidly that he was in possession of Petroseny, north
of the Vulkan Pass, and of Brasso, beyond Predeal Pass. His troops
were pouring through the Tolgyes and Bekas Passes up in the north in
steady streams, and were advancing on Maros Vasarhely, a military base
and one of the princi