BRITISH COUP IN PALESTINE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 197, 9 May 1918, Page 5

BRITISH COUP IN PALESTINE

BIG HAUL OF MINERS

A STIRRING STORY

(Reo. May 9, 0.10 a.m.)

London, May 7. Mr. W. T. Massey, writing from Jericho on Sunday, states: "By dawn this morning a;, operation east of the Jordan was completed which brought into our hands nearly a thousand Turkish and German prisoners, depleted tho enemy force'by many casualties, and inflicted severe loss on them in war material. ■ It was another successful raid in the mountains of Gilead. As wo watched-the Anpac oavalry and British Yeomanry and infantry returning across tho Jordan Valley in tho intense heat, hardly distinguishable through tho dense dust clouds, their fortitude and endurance during five heavy days of work excited the keenest admiration. Since the previous raid on Es Salt and Amman, when the Hojaz railway was damaged, the , enemy has collected a largo force to guard Shun ot Nimrin, at the foot of the mountain pass leading from the Ghor Aniyeh bridge over tho Jordan to Es Salt. It is hardly possible to conceive a position of greater strength or ouo more easily defended

The Attack on Essalt. Onco across tno valley the road level winils up tnree to four thousand feet. Essalt lies between steep hills., The mouth of the. pass is Hanked by hills which a few decermined men could hold against overwhelming numbers. Six miles to the northward is another track through a difficult route from Jordan ti) Essalt. It was decided that tho Londoners should inako tho attack ou Nimrin, keeping tho Turks pinned there, while the Australian mounted troops proceeded along tho northern roud towards Essalt. Some of the Anzac cavalry were mounted in the foothills south ot .Niunln to harass the enemy ii ho decided to retire along the rough track ti> Amman. On Monday night tho Australian horsemen siiid the Londonors crossed bridges at Hgoraniyeh. The former moved nlong the oast bank and got a long way up the road before dawn. At daybreak ou Tuesday the Londoners engaged tho enemy's positions ut Ninirin, where the onomy lay behind lines of sangas covering the road, and all tho approaches to the hills flanking it. The Anzace to the southward were faced at tho foothills by machine-gunnel's, but got as far as they intended. The Australian mounted troops, overcoming great the difficulties of the country on a narrow front dotached troops to envelop Essalt on tho north. By Wednesday they had surrounded the town, soouring 350 prisouers and twentynino machine-guns.

Loss of the Guns. During tho dark of Wednesday morning a large force of Turks from the Nablus area crossed the Jordan well north of Auja, and crept south along tho river bank, which, to a depth of over half a mile Is a succession of steep niudhills and watercourses peculiarly suitable for hiding bodies of troops. They moved towards the Bed Hill Ridge, a mass of broken ground. Our mounted brigade of horse artillery, which was guarding the crossing, had to give way before superior numbers, and abandoned nine guns, which had only been got into position after extraordinarily .heavy labour, and could not bo haatily removed. The guD crews got away with tho teams. The situation at this moment was peculiar, for wo were across Nimrin, with the Turks in rear, while tho Turks' occupation of Red Hill might develop into cutting the road whloh tho Australian mounted troops had taken towards Eseatt.. The Anzac cavalry was 'brought from the south, and made a rapid march to the high ground north-west of this road. Their ewift progress across the wide plain wae easily observable through the dust columns, but the Turks were powerless. Tho Australian mounted men's rear was thus made good. Preparations were thon made to rmiovo the prisoners from Essalt, troops being sent from Essalt to Howelj to prevent this Turks marching up tho Nimrin Road, others engaging considerable reinforcements from Amman and some from across the Jordan. Although greatly outnumbered, tho covering troop? very successfr&y hold oil' fte onomy, two attacks being heavily defeated. Tho Turkish dead about Essalt wore numbered by hundreds. By Friday night tho Australian mounted men wcro returning from the plain, and this morning nil tho troops were over except thoso guarding tho bridgoheadft. The Londoners' <ittiick on Nimnn was entirely successful, tho enomy until tho last moment boinj under tho impression thai; they would nttempt to got through.—Aue.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

/ THE TURKISH REPORT. . (Rec. May 9, 0.10 a.m.) London, May 8. A Turkish communique claims that tho British attacks easit of tho Jordan on May 3 failed, with heavy losses. Tho British cavalry was beaten and dispersed.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reutor.