BEYOND JERUSALEM.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXVII, Issue LXXVII, 4 January 1918, Page 5

BEYOND JERUSALEM.

TURKS DRIVEN FROM RIDGES.

CHESHIRE. LADS' GALLANT CHARGE.

(Special Cable.)

JERUSALEM, Dec. 17

During the last couple of days our troops east of Jerusalem have been actively straightening our line. When the Turks were driven from their defences west and south of Jerusalem some of their number retired north upon Birch and others eastwards, where they joined the reinforcements coming from Jericho. These troops have lately been conducting a sort of guerilla tactics, and, have split up into numerous small bodies. They attack oui* outposts and snipe our patrols, generally making themselves nuisances. The country between Jerusalem aud the Jordan falls so abruptly and is intersected with so many ravines and wadis that such tactics are greatly facilitated. In order to improve the line the i troops from the Home counties were oordered to take certain ridges which confer a wider range of defence. The attack was made at dawn to-day, and all objectives quickly achieved. A hundred and fifty Turks, including five officers, were taken prisoner. The Mount of Olives makes the most i wonderful observation point in the world. In the clear atmosphere objects five or six thousand yards away look as though -within pistol -shot, and you only realise the distance when th c seemingly close shell-bursts of our guns are known to be really ,at the maximum range. The winding course of the Jor- | dan is clearly visible, and a number of I small -inotorboa'ts skimming the Dead Sea. I -witnessed some Of the fighting this morning, and although 3000 yards away I could see every detail. STORMING THE HEIGHTS. [ The objective was a rocky escarp- ! ment projecting six or seven feet above i the saddle between two hills. The attack on this part was made by troops from Cheshire. I saw the lads deploy in open formation and swing round the [ slope Of the hill, which was held by us, ■to climb to the position of .the enemy. As they 'came into View a burst of machine gun and rinc fire showed that the enemy was alert. The Turks could be seen lining the ridge and pouring a I rapid fire on the steadily-climbing in--1 fantry. A small projecting plateau was the first Objective, and when within a few yards of the top the gallant lads charged and gained the crest, whose' late Turkish occupants could be seen scuttling beyond and finally dropping behind the wall. Our -shells were falling freely among these rocks, and the Turks had a good many casualties. 1 could see them carry off the dead and wounded, sometimes by the legs and shoulders rand occasionally slung over the back. Our stretcher-bearers were heavily 'fired on as they were collecting the wounded. They nevertheless persisted with admirable coolness and gallantry. Reinforcements joined the :party on tho plateaus before the final rush was made which would yield possession of the whole ridge. Further to the right, where the Sussex troops had made their attack in the early hours of dawn, th§ 'Turks from a couple ot neighboring hills 'kept up an active fusilade. One small party of 30 men advanced in the open and threw themselves on the -bare ihillside. BRAVE TURKISH PLATOON. These w rere •immediately .the target for our guns, which doused them with shrapnel and 'high .explosive, while >a machine gun cai :a neighboring height peppered them lihexally. The small ;puffs of dust raised by the impact of the bullets could be traced as they crept up among them. Nevertheless the Turks grimly stuck to their places. Now and again one man would a;eiire to the rear. One .ms just crossing the crest when a lyddite shell burst ahead of him and a 'crumpled heap was c-arried off a, few minutes 'later. But the rest of the grojip must have borne .-ch&rnied lives, because they tS&emed .impervious to the gruelling-, tusing their rifles freely whenever a •.target presented itself. On ■$. neighboring knoll the emtmy was less Imcky. The guns caught them ■crossing the top, ; .and half a dozen bodies dotted the ground a little later. A machine gun was ibnought to this crest, but, the first shell gnust have knocked j out the machine guni^r, and soon afterI ward* a couple of mm rushed forward from behind a rocky outcrop and carried away the machine gun, which, did not speak again on that Jylltop. The reckless Turks in clinging U$ the posi- ( tion under such a heavy gunfirV* seems to confirm the report that many were greatly distressed at the loss of Jerusalem, which they would like tp recover at all costs.

The spirit was not general, however, 1 and th.c prisoners yesterday included" some youngsters more fit for the school- j room than the battlefield. THE FIGHTING WELSH. In all operations since the inception of our offensive the Welsh troops and home counties affiliated, with them have taken an important and gallant share. It was they who captured Kuweylfey Ridge, which ensured the success of our turning movement after the capture of Beersheba. The position was difficult to take, because it had to be approached on the steepest side, where the Turks simply rolled bomba among the attackers. Also it was not easy to hold when won, because access was less difficult from tbe north. The Turks, with important reinforcements of fresh troops, made six desperate counter-at-tacks, as they were determined to outflank our right, but the 6plendid endurance of the Welsh defeated the Turkish plan and largely contributed to the success of our operations.