ON SINAI.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 316, 28 December 1916, Page 5

ON SINAI.

THE BRITISH VICTORY. EGYPT SAFE FROM INVASION 1 AUSTRALIAN ANU N.Z. CABLE ASS’N] London. Dee. 27. file "Daily Clnonicle’s” Cairo correspondent says the evacuation of El Arish ends tne Turco-Germau pretension to attack the canal.

The Turks quitted their most important strategic point east of Egypt, and relinquished a strong natui r] position offering many difficult pointl- - assailants while part of the Bntish column was at the railhead. The concentration began at davbreak. The rolling desert all dav presented a wonderful spectacle. .\s far as the eye could reach lines 01 Australian and New Zealand horsemen with Yeon-anrv. Camelrv and Territorial Infantry wound over the high scrub-covered sand dunes. Some were hidden in valleys, others cutting the skyline like black razor blades.

The airmen 10,000 feet up escorted the columns and kept off enemy machines. The airmen from dawn to dusk, besides patrolling to protect- the column, denied any opportunity to enemy to reconnoitre. Meanwhile heavily laden trains carried forward stores, while a thousand transport camels followed. The fighting force moved in uncanny silence on a comparatively narrow front.

Information was brought to the railhead early in the evening that the Turks were leaving El Arish, and it yas decided to push forward a division to secure the town which, after a difficult night inarch, the horsemen and camelry had complete, ly surrounded at daybreak. The bulk of the population remained and welcomed the troops with unfeigned relief from Turkish extortion and oppression. The majority were hungry and immediate arrangemets were made to feed them. El Arish was several times bombarded from the sea and were proof needed of the navy’s desire to spare civilians and of the navy’s good gunnery it could be found in the fact that while the strongly built stone fort on the southern edge of the town was demolished, hardly a mudbrick house among many in the immediate vicinity was touched.

MARCH OVER THE DESERT.

REGIMENTS SCALE DIZZY PATHS.

[AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSN.j

London, Dec. 27.

Mr. Massey (the “Daily Telegraph’s” correspondent), writing iiom El Arish, warmly praises the horsemen and camelry for their day and night march in extremely difficult country, and the'great precision of. the movement which enabled the town to be surrounded.

Mr. Massey accompanied the convoy.to El Arish. He says that the first, eight miles consisted of rolling billows of sand and deep valleys with plentiful scrub. The dunes have sharp crests and steep sides like cliffs, necessitating long tortuous windings. .The hoofmarks in the terrific gradients showed that whole regiments had scaled giddy paths in the yielding sand. It was almost incredible that these intrepid horsemen had ascended these seemingly impossible steeps. The difficulties near El Arish appeared insurmountable. Perhaps this explains the Turkish neglect to construct trenches. Yet all were overcome.

WELL BEYOND EL ARISH.

[AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASs’n]

(Received 28, 10.25 a.m.)

Cairo, Dec. 27

The situation in the Sinai Peninsula is developing satisfactorily. The mounteds are now well beyond El Arish. The southern portion of the Sinai Peninsula is being cleared. A BRUSH WITH THE ENEMY. in the Adriatic. [AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASs’n] Rome, Dec. 27. A naval comm unique states: Several enemy ships ou the night of December 23rd attacked small guardships in the Otranto canal (the entrance to the Adriatic). 1

French destroyers espied thejn and a sharp engagement ensued. The enemy fled pursued by the Allied forces and escaped in the darkness.

The enemy’s loss is unknown. A French destroyer and one guardship were slightly damaged.

Another version of the Otranto fight states that an Austrian squadron endeavoured to force the strait. French destroyers came to the rescue of the patrols and subsequently Italian and Allied naval units partook in a violent duel. The enemy escaped in the darkness.