A PALESTINE RAID.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16272, 24 July 1918, Page 5

A PALESTINE RAID.

ANZA«C CAVALRY'S "WORK.

The raid on Es Salt, in which the Ansae cavalry took part, is described m the "Morning Post" by Mr. W. T. Massey. Writing under date of May sth he says:— By dawn this morning operations east of th& Jordan were completed which brought into our hands nearly 1000 Turkish and German prisoners, depleted the enemy foicos by many casualties, and inflicted severe loss on them in war material. It was another successful raid in the mountains of Gilead. As one. watches! the Anzac cavalry and the British yeomanry and infantry returning across the Jordan valley iu the intense heat—hardly distinguishable through the dense dust clouds lifted Jby the strong, parching wind —their fortitude and endurance during five heavy days' work excited the keenest admiration. Since the previous raid on Es Salt and Amman, when the Hedjas railway was damaged, the enemy had collected a large force to guard Shunet Nimrin, at the foot of th© mountain pass leading from the Ghoraniyeh bridge over the Jordan to Es Salt. It is hardly possible to conceive a position of greater strength or one which could be more easily defended. Once across the valley, the road- winds up 3000 ft or 4000 ft to Es Salt between steep hills. The pass is flanked by hills which a few determined men could hold > against overwhelming numbers. Sis miles northwards there is another track through the mountains, while by j a third path alongside the Wadi Meidan lis a possible, though difficult, route from th© Jordan to Es Salt. It was decided that the Londoners make a holding attack on Nimrin, keep-, ing the Turks pinned there while mounted Australians proceeded by- the northern road towards Es Salt._ Some of the Anzac cavalry moved into the foothills south of Nimrin to harass the enemy if he decided to retire by the lough track to Amman. On Monday night the mounted, Australians and Londoners crossed the bridges at Grhoraniyeh. The former moved along the east bank and got a long way up the road before dawn. At daybreak on Tuesday the , Londoners were engaging the enemy positions at Nimrin, where the ,enemy were covering the road and all approaches to the hills flanking it. The Anzacs, to the southward, were faced in the foothills by machine-gunners, but got as far as was intended. 'The Australian Mounted Corps, overcoming the great difficulties of the country on a narrow detached troops to envelop Es Salt from the no:th. > THE TOWN IS ENVELOPED. By Wednesday they had surrounded the town, securing 350 prisoners and 29 machine-guns. During the dark hours of Wednesday morning a large force of Turks fronl the Nablus area crossed tho Jordan "well north of Au.ja, and crept south along the river bank, which, to a depth of overjialf-a-mile, is a succession of steep liiud hills and watercourses peculiarly suitable for hiding bodies of troops. They moved towards Redhill Ridge, a mass of broken ground.. A mounted brigade of horse artillery was here • guarding the crossing, and they had to give way before superior numbers, being forced to abandon nine guns, which' were only got into position after extraordinarily heavy labour and could not be hastily removed. The gun crews got away with the teams. The situation at this moment was peculiar, for we were across the Nimrin, in rear of the Turks, while the Turks' occupation of the llcdhill Ridge might develop into their cutting the road which the Australian Mounted Corps had taken towards E3 Salt. I

- EFFECTIVE COVERING MOVEMENT. The Anzac cavalry brought from the south made a rapid march to tho high ground north-west of this road, their swift progress over tlje wide plain being easily observable through the dust raised by the columns, but tho Turks wero powerless. The rear of the Australian Mounted Corps having thus been made good, preparations were made to remove the prisoners from Es Salt, troops being sent from Es Salt to Howeij to prevent the Turks marching up the Nimrin road. Others engaged considerable Turkish reinforcements from Amman, and some from across the Jordan. Although greatly outnumbered, the covering troops very successfully held off the enemy, two attacks being heavily defeated. Tho Turkish dead about Es Salt were numbered by hundreds. The prisoners wero brought over the Jordan and joined another large party, who, when the morning operations began were completely =un)ris<jd ire their bivouacs. Others hau come in from Nimrin on Friday night. The Australian Mounted Corps returned this morning, and all troops were over except those guarding the bridgehead. Tho Londoners' containing attack on Nimrin was entirely successful, the enemy till the last moment being under the impression that it was an attempt to get through.