DARING STRATEGY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 16, 21 January 1919, Page 2

DARING STRATEGY

ftitENßY’s Campaign SMASHING THE TURKS IN PALESTINE. The following interesting' account of the operations which resulted in the Turkish Armies in Pales ..‘a being smashed by the British, has been received from a Wellington man who took part in them, says the New Zealand Times. , (! Since the beginning of September we have manoeuvred and travelled much. I say “beginning” of September despite the fac,t that it was September 19th when we broke the Turkish frontier. , What happened three weeks, before'had an effect on the idtiraate attack and result. 'The apparent easy collapse of the Turkish Army is sure to detract more than it should from the greatness of the plans and manoeuvres that brought, "about .defeat. So give every credit to General Allenby for his disposition of his forces and his whole strategical arrangements. Perhaps now that Jhe result has been attained the campaign is apparently over here, and the war correspondents have ■had their say, I may not be censured for writing a few notes. In July we had had whispers of-a big smash in about six weeks. Putting two and two I estimated that about .September 15th would see the dash—as results proved a. very close surmise. In July wo started to move aimlessly. Cue division would leave the Jordan Valley, trek about a few days, settle clown, and then trek again. A. second would do likewise. Then the 3rd and 4th Divisions, of ./the Desert Corps changed bver and so bn. We all go,r, somewhat ’.fed up with the constant. shifting about, chopping and '•hanging back and forth. The only' division kept with- its ■ nose • religiously to the . grindstone was the Anzac Mounted Division. The unfortunate Anzac .Division remained all the time .in the line in the terribly hot Anja sector of the . Jordan. The remainder moved in and out, generally slowly and deliberately, but sometimes in apparent haste. Johnny Turk had good spies.. Fritz Frank was specially clever; 'Hut their reports of our movements must have more than fogged the.. German ‘•GkO.'C.'V conclusions. However, as wherever we migrated to wo always veered .towards the Jordan, they must have felt that the Valleyi would again see our desperate push. We ourselves

mpvedi right- across the front to near Jaffa and back most of the way. Then we went right back many miles down the line to seemingly a lengthy red. This obviously . definite withdrawal right out of the line misled 'the Turk. ■ He ;knew we must attack,'biiti he felt ' it would not be for some time. Early in September wild silent rumours commenced to be whispered with bated breaths. Operations. Secrecy. Secrecy. Everything was secret. Nothing was written. Little was spoken. Feeling something was about to happen no one knew exactly when or where.. Everything was left to .the, last minute. Then .millions of rounds' were nished to the front line. By stealthy night macheg. we rushed cut artillery from forest Jo forest, and by day hid i in the olive groves,, orangeries, wadis, j and among the hills. The last night j °ne of the Cavalry Divisions rushed |up from SO miles behind the line, whilst a second dash out of the Jordan right- .’across the front to- the sea coast, OPENING THE ATTACK.

Dawn of the 19th found us'all emerging from, our wadis, valleys, ,-woods, and fastnesses, and treakking north to a point about five miles inland from the sea ■ and- just- behind our fiiout trenches. K>ur heavy artillery opened up a very shout but terrific ’bombardment. Our monitors and warships were throwing- heavy shells along the enemy roads running: north,, and their back areas; their enfilade fire was accurate. Aeroplanes were swarming, overhead. Squadrons pf- planes- were flying past towards His far rear, bombing his railways, junctions, ■ aerodromes and dumps. More were over the . ing, -other flights were swooping and circling over us- as we went .forward, *•' Gur. guardians created a great sense-of relief, as we knew that .enemy, machines would be beaten,: off ..and - deterred .frombombing, us, also from learning our strength and our direction, and that we would be able ■ to- concentrate and push forward without . interrupt de!ay. This co-operation of £he<r (flVnjg.- quite bucked' the advancing cavalry and their horse artillery. Ihe second th|e artillery barrage moved forward, the Londoners, the Ghurkas, and other Indians of the Infautry Division dashed across the lir*., ifie moment it- was seep that the; trench system was broken • the GavaJrv brigades galloped up . and went n |brough wth their horse artillery and technical units hard on their heels. It was a great event : the sight of a lifetime. Going through the trenches, here and. there dead Turks, a strange/ H Tni'kish Fielcl Battery dratnm |y tiny horses j crowds ai, Turks advancing, pn ,our line. a S .^on£ ; % <

m.m. -guns in portion. Everywhere are, clouds of sand and dus,t as bur brifies and regiments of Indian Cavalry, glish Yeomanry, • and Australian (Ljght. ißorse surged forward. Thdy were in front, in rear, and besides us, "Always in formation, but sometimes slightly. Jammed together and mixed, W© all pushed over the heavy sand tracts. Going like blazes we streaked over the country forward, north, north over (Sand ydlurfes, (hillocks, pasture?, valleys, reedy swamps, clutivated paddocks, often the wild countryside. His line once broken on the sea coast the Turk wag rolled up and swung round inland to Tulkeram, Jiljilta towards Nabulus and the Jordan, Each of our Cavalry Regiments had its appointed task. Some dashed for Haifa, most turned inward at the junction at Asiwar, and rushed east to cut communications running through El Lejjan, Afuleh, Nazareth, Jenin, Beisan. Soma (paused l at Ate i war junction, but for ' many ‘hours the remainder were passing eastward up into the mountains and through the pass of Kerkah. a rough passage easy of defence and; difficult of attack. Some halted awhile at El Lijjar, the pass entrance from the East, Others went oa ,to Afuleh, with its aerodrome and) railway junction.,' Here the railway at Nabulus was cut. Some pushed ,north,.of here to Nazareth, in the higher altitudes. Ours pushed ever onward . down the valley of 'jlezreel, to Beisan, at. the north end of the Jordan Valley and some SO miles above Jerichb. the main body occupied this position, squadrons pushed north almost to the , sea of Galilee, whilst ’ stronger bodies of horsemen went down the valley and formed a line-running about 15 to 18 mileg south of Beisan, Thus they turned the flight across the Jordan to the mountains of Moab or Hedjas. In a few short hours the Turk lino had beep and his positions .almost completely encircled. . •

The cavalry numerically were only a fraction of; the strength of the Turkish army, had he known it. It was a great feat of daring, and as daring usually does, this risky manoeuvre, succeeded. It- was really,-a marvellous performance. One of the finest cavalry feats in ; the history of modern warfare- .we have been .assured’, ' \ DESPERATE FIGHTING.

The infantry were desperately fighting the Turk in front- of Nabulus and Jericho, Ammon ‘ and Es Salt. The Turk had massed for the break on_ his left wing where he could -at a pinch retire across the Jordan into the hills and get away by the Hedja s railway to .Damascus. His line of anticipated flight, we, know now, had, been to the Jordan, then up the valley past Beisan and across lisr Hijamia, and, by way of east of the sea of Galilee to Deeraa Junction and north. He had rather imagined that if the British broke through, they would probably gallop, for about- 20 miles and then , camp down till the infantry came up and consolidated. But this fwaa a mor.d desperate enterprise. Allenby was after a big victory and was prepared to take. big risks. And he worn Whilst the Turk was retiring slowly from in front of Nabulus and Jericho, whilst his right wing, broken near Jaffa, wa s swinging back and rolling past El Tulkeram, Jilpilia, towards Nabulus, the British cavalry were going north like Ha'des, north'and north, 'not 20 miles, but at least 50 miles, past- all prepared turning, positions, of Turkish defence. . Some were going even farther north.

Afliwar Junction reached, the cavalry at length turned inland across the Turkish rear, .the horses picking up renewed energy gaining the harder ground of the mountains. The dash had ■ upset the Turk calculations, ®e had imagined that days would elapse before we arrived at the Junction where he turned up the Kerkah Pass. .He 'had hoped' the retiring forces could prepare defences at El LijJan and at El Afuleh. He had never foy a 'moment expected us at Beisan, his main line of retreat, for days at. least. In fact .he had -bodies of troops at each of these places, but they had been pursuing; the calm tenor of their life’s routine. In fact they., hardly knew the attack was commenced at Nebulas', before pur horsemen .were upon them at Afuleh railway junction. Crossing the Turkish ,tfencl| system we had found his breakfast quite hot. At Asiwar i(also ‘ called Sunrah) his supply dump was intact, and we fed our horses from his supply train. The proof pf our dash was shown on ,arrivr mg through the Keyfcah Pass, ’iivhefe. one climbs between mountains, twisting and turning, and where, at places, the road is_ cut deeply, ini the ; hills in tortuous winding, ( a magnificent'. spot for closing the : pass. Half ah hour’s journevt after emerging on to the rolling. fVbrai |hjtel .pass- pup' .vantfe party. of 'lndian Lancers came: uppn a body of German Turk machine gunners hastening to close pass, spreading across the, the ma-!, chine-gunners hurled ■ themselves- to the ground opened , tip, The .lihncfera spurred their horses -in a wild, desP®F a, te. charge. Their lightning deei-’ slop saved them completelv; ’Suffering only one man casualty, they killed and' wounded over one hundred GermanTurks, arid the others hastily aurrendered. The ground was haid-baked- and full of sun'dried cracks arid fissures and terribly treacherous for thS horses. In their stride many placed* 'their" legs fh : cracks and fell heavily with .broken” legs. If the Germans had commencedtheir march an, hour -earlier add reach-

Ed th© pass stronghold 'jthe course ‘of the campaign inaji have been changed., ~ '> : ; . yii the contrary, our cavalry, swooping down on Afulfeh, surprised th© ivi-, tatoxs..: calmly enjjoyihg* life. - Fiiwiinjs na vnlrpv.machine gtonehic WMii vrads of , their back door they handed' seven planes intact. : ; Some. Ihoura later two surprised, aviators on ’ blissfloating down froxh the skies iWetei * , taken aback 1 -by: the chalrige that tneyi. did not damagb their machine*. JL»iinan, von Sanders is reported to have gone: north, , through Nazareth, only an artivaL The Turkish hands ona encountered on,-the further tr ek <Jown the ValJey of Jezrul to. IBeisan '(ancient'Bethshan) hadf., generally- been .too surprised to pnt- np, a ;great, resistance. - vl,/ enplihernend of thfe <Wdan, Valley , we eptead out with arms open the retiring. early bird' -Vho, had not yet. learnt that all his communications had been severed, and S' th S nd rifcish Norsemen n£L 9 . e y ' hi , dden in hills preS d i to rede ve them as the’ Turk hurried to evade the heartv^-r!

brace'of .the infantry, climbing, over his front j fence. It wah days before; most of the Turkb realised' | that their flight was cut, off. At ’ (Beisan we were right across his line / of flight. Once he , had commenced to fly . and his telegraphs were cut, he was ignorant of the course of the battle. Gradually the main force became aware we were across hji s rear, but in what numbers or exactly where they could not find out. Many fled. in disorder and gave in quietly on arriving. Many retired in good formation as brigades and regiments towards the north-east, expecting .and hoping to get across the Jordan , above Beisan. These were bitterly surprised,-and sometimes sought for a break. Most were famished and exhausted. Our chief role developed into receiving them and pushing them off in long convoys to-Pales-tine and Egypt. There were so many, we ignored' the stray s who roamed the countryside. They came in in assortments. ..e were always glad to collect the haughty Germans, who were loud in their complaints against the Turks. In a couple of. days our division collected quite four times its size in prisoners.

Anxious to push on, we patiently sat down the few days the remnants of the Turkish lightning army were "delving themselves out of the mountains to become prisoners. When we again set off they were still trickling in, exhausted and famished. But 75,000 prisoners; had already' been counted. Our campaign should really ha,ye ended .here, I am led to believe.. The. whole of' the Turks would have been enveloped. In a way we had more thna realised expectations. But I understand_the role of the Hodjas Arabs was to,cut off, and finish the Fourth Turkish Army, Their failure caused us to 'continue the flight to Damascus. ' Much has been wrUten of the Arab army of the King of ‘die Hedjas, of our brave Jewish battalions, and of the French military force. For political reasons it is lamentable that much bosh is written. It is so untrue, Wo have no great admiration for these. (To be concluded.)