CAPTURE OF GAZA

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3048, 9 April 1917, Page 5

CAPTURE OF GAZA

NEW ZEALANDERS AT CLOSE

QUARTERS

London, April 6. Mr. Massey (The "Times'" war correspondent), writing from near Gaza on March 27, states "The swift movement was characteristic of the Egyptian. Expeditionary Force. It surprises' the enemy in the foggy dawn on the great Gaza Plain. The fog prevented the development of the attack until 1(J o clock in the morning. This was deeply, unfortunate, because the capture of Gaza depended on speed, for, being within fiiteen miles, another" two hours of daylight would have meant the fall of the oity. The battlefield ivas separated from _ the sea by two miles of sandhills, in which Turks were entrenched in a perfect labyrinth of deep trenches and redoubts skilfully sited, with a garrison consisting of seven Turkish regiments with Austrian gunners. The country is intersected by nullahs and wide precipitous -cracks. Tho cavalry crossed \Yadi Guzza for ah enveloping movement. Its banks were forty feet higb, and perpendicular. The Anzacs and the Yeomanry horse batteries cut into the banks and built ramps. . All the movements were carried on during the fog, and were done by compass. Afterwards it was seen that enemy reinforcements of cavalry were coming from a base in the Jjidea Hills, and at Beersheba. The artillery preparation seemed , to lift up sections of the trenches. Then the infantry marched to the attack, taking advantage of every scrap of cover. The Welsh Territorials were engaged in hand-to-hand fighting in a bewildering maze of trenches, conquering their tenacious opponents by the evening. Meanwhile portion of the Anzacs and the Yeomanry were ordered "to close in from the north-east to assist the. infantry. The Anzacs began taking trenches at sunset. The New Zealanders got to close quarters, and had eorne desperate fighting until the close approach of the enemy's . reinforcements necessitated a withdrawal of the cavalry, it being between two fires. f Next afternoon the Turks .made ■ a tremendous effort to break our line, and for two hours the fighting was magnificent. Our shrapnel ranged perfectly and smashed the lines of attackers, while the machine-guns' caused heavy casualties. The 'Anzacs, Yeomanry, and infantry were all splendid. The New Zealanders captured two hundreri men and' some howitzers.- Tao Turks, endeavouring to prevent the removal' of these, entered a country house which was enfiladed iby New Zealanders, who loaded the howitzers and demolished the house. The New Zealand Brigade's casualties during the day were two killed and twenty-nine wounded. They took 225 -prisoners. Another instance of dashing bravery was an amazing fight between eight armoured cars against 5000 infantry and artillery. The cars were pushed forward ovor rough, trackless ground. The enemy tried by every means to capture the cars. They fought sometimes in line, sometimes in column, but the cars mowed down the Turks at ranges of 25 yards to 300 yards, and ran the gauntlet for two hours. One assailant was killed and four wounded. The Turks lost in killed' and wounded at least 850 men.—The "Times."