GALLANT RAID ACROSS THE JORDAN.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 110, 9 May 1918, Page 5

GALLANT RAID ACROSS THE JORDAN.

TURKS OUT-MANOEUVRED IN CLEVER OPERATION. LONDON, May S. Further describing the British raid across the Jordan to Es Salt, Mr. W. T. Massey, official correspondent with the Palestine Forces', writes: —Once across the valley th? road winds Up 3000 ft to 4000 ft. Kβ Salt lies between steep hills, at the mouth of a pas?, flanked with hills, which a few determined men could hold against overwhelming numbers. Six miles to the north there is another track through a difficult route from the Jordan to Es Salt. It was decided that the Londoners should make an attack at Nimrin, keeping the Turks pinned there, while, the Australian mounted troops proceeded by the northern road towards Es Salt. Some Anzac cavalry were posted in the foothills to the south of Nimrin, to harass the enemy. It was decided to ireitire on the rough track to Amman on Monday night. The Australian mounted men and the Londoners crossed the bridges at El Ghoraniyeh. The former moved to the east bank, and got a long way up the road before dawn. At daybreak on Tuesday the Londoners engaged enemy positions at Nimrin, where the enemy was behind lines of eangas, covering the road and nil approaches to the hille flanking it. The Anzacs to the south wore faced in the foothills by machine-gunners, but got as far as was intended. The Australian Mounteds, overcoming the great difficulties of the country on a narrow front, detached troops and had enveloped Es Salt on the north by Wednesday, surrounding the town, securing r>so prisoners and '20 machineguns. During the darkness on Wednesday morning a large force of Turks from the Nablus area crossed the Jordan well north of the Auja and crept south along the river bank, which to a depth of over half a miie is a succession of steep mudhills and watercourses, peculiarly suitable for hiding bodies of troops. They moved towards Red Hills ridge, a mace of broken ground. The mounted brigade and the horse artillery guarding the crossing had to give way before superior numbers. They abandoned nine guns, which had only been got into position after extraordinarily heavy labour, and could not be hastily removed. The gun crews got away with their tram*. The situation at this moment was peculiar, for we were across Nimrin with the Turks in our rear, while the Turkish occupation of Red Hills ridge might develop into the cutting of the road, which Australian Mounteds had takeil towards Es Salt. Anzac cavalry brought from the south made a rapid march to the high ground north-west of this road. Their swift progress on the wide plain was easily observable through dust columns, but the Turks were powerless. The rear of the Australian Mounteds was thus made good. Preparations were made to remove the prisoners from Es Salt, troops being -sent from Es Salt to Howelj to prevent the Turks marching up the Nimrin road, and others engaging considerable reinforcements from Amman and some from across the Jordan. Though greatly outnumbered, the eoveriiig troops very successfully held off the enemy, two attacks being heavily defeated. The Turkish dead about Eβ Salt could be numbered by hundreds. On Friday night the Australian Mountede returned. This morning all our troops were over the river except those guarding the bridgehead. The Londoner*' attack at Nimrin was entirely successful. The enemy, until the last moment, was under the impression it was an attempt to get through.— (A. and N.Z.) A Turkish communique claims that British attacks east of the Jordan on May 3 failed with heavy losses. British cavalry was benten and dispersed. (A. and N.Z. and Reuter.)