ANOTHER SPLENDID VICTORY NORTH OF JERUSALEM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16798, 14 March 1918, Page 5

ANOTHER SPLENDID VICTORY NORTH OF JERUSALEM.

TROOPS ADVANCE DOGGEDLY IN DIFFICULT COUNTRY.

TWOFOLD OBJECTIVE OF SIR EDMUND ALLENBY'S DRIVE. Australian and N.Z. and Router. (Reed. 8 x>.m.) LONDON, Mar. 12. A Palestine official report states: We further advanced astride of the Jerusalem-Nablus road, inflicted considerable casualties, and captured several machine-guns. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON. Mar. 12. Mr. W. T. Massey, official correspondent, reports from Palestine headquarters on March 11: Stern fighting in mountainous country between Jerusalem and Nablus has given Sir Edmund Allenby's army another splendid victory. The operations were as difficult as anything in Palestine. All the objectives were gained, though the Turks fought desperately to retain positions they thought impregnable The efforts made by the British infantry and Australian Light Horse were magnificent on ground which is a continuous succession of steep, rocky hills, deep valleys and watercourses. We have beaten back reinforcements of the enemy ten thousand yards on a front of approximately twenty thousand. Great wadis with sides like cliffs, intersected the country. The guns were frequently man-handled. In ono place tho artillery was lowered by ropes, and a long lino of men hauled them lip the other side. There was only one road, and a large portion of the force was employed to make pack tracks, which were later improved for wheels. British troops blasted a road out of a mountain, and had lorries running over it next day. The advance began at dawn on Saturday. Tho Welsh captured Ei Asur, the most commanding position in Palestine, and engaged the enemy on the top with bombs. Suddenly tho bombing ceased, and the Turks came over the top, but a counter-attack swept them down with Lewis guns and left us in secure possession of tho hill. Dismounted Yeomanry and Irish troops on tho left made excellent progress. When I was in their area to-day they hold positions commanding Turmus, Aya and Sinjer. London troops were busy in tho Jordan Valley to prevent reinforcements coming down the Boisan Road. They met a good deal of opposition in occupying Abu Telful and Beidudit. The enemy never had a chance to use tho ford over the Jordan, where the Auja joins tho river. Welsh, Londoners and Australian Light Horse operated in the hills, which are unsuitable for cavalry, admirably protecting the flanks and thus releasing many infantry. We have now obtained a line of great strength from which we can see the plains of Sharon and Esdraelon. PARIS. Mar. 12. The Journal des Debats states that Sir Edmund Allonby has a double objective, firstly to cut the great transverse road through Samaria, secondly extending east in the Valley of Jordan, threatening tho great line of north and south communications between Damascus and Mecca. ' If he cuts the railway to Hedjaz the Turks in Arabia will bo in a critical position. British aeroplanes are already bombing the railway.