TURKISH FORCES ATTEMPT OFFENSIVE M PALESTINE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16824, 15 April 1918, Page 5

TURKISH FORCES ATTEMPT OFFENSIVE M PALESTINE.

FRUITLESS ATTACKS LAUNCHED AT THREE-MB^ Australian and N.Z. and Beater. (Ruei. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON,""ApriI M.-r. ' A report from Sir Edmund Allenby, Commander-in-Chief in : is ' ; tine, states: There was fighting all day on' the coastal sector on Wed-;.: nesday. Turks and Germans, who penetrated our advanced positions ; in the direction of Berukin and El Kefr, were ejected. Wii'advanced 1 ' • . our lines at several points, and inflicted substantial losses. Turkish. attack on the east bank of the Jordan, in the vicinity of El Ghoraniyeh ' '. on Thursday broke with heavy losses under artillery fire. Our mounted troops pursued the retreating enemy to within a short ' distance of Shunetnimrin. An attack astride of the JerichctNabhft-: '"; road, west of the Jordan, was also repulsed. v -.. . ; ,-r- -.-«■, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. " .CAIRO,. April; 12. Mr. W. T. Massey, official correspondent with the Palestine army, ' writing from Palestine on Thursday, says: For three days there has been heavy fighting on the foothills east of the Plain of Sharon. The Turks have been reinforced by German battalions and Turks from the Mesopotamia front. Despite the fact that the enemy was fighting from prepared "defences, with strong artillery support, he has been forced J = back several thousand yards and lost the ridges and hills and some important villages. Some Germans are serving in the ranks of the Turkish battalions, suggesting that the enemy considers the Turks, after six months' constant defeats, require stiffening. Our attack began at dawn on the ninth and was delivered by West County and Indian troops, from the line of W&di Ballut, a wide watercourse, now dry, with very steep banks. We rapidly gained ground, capturing German and Turkish prisoners and the villages of Bafat and El Ke.fr, which remained in our hands, repeated counter-attacks failing., with , heavy losses. At Berukin, a 2200 ft hill, there was stout fighting till" 3.30, when we captured it. The enemy is holding up the advance with many machine-guns hidden between boulders. A counter-attack delivered south of the village was broken up by artillery. Just as it was getting dark the enemy strongly attacked from the ridge on the west, but was driven off with heavy loss, and all the ground gained was held. During Wednesday night further progress was made. Mr. Massey, writing again in the evening, says: The enemy gathered under the banks of Wadi Leshara, and counter-attacked through an olive grove and got into our line. We rapidly collected a force and drove out these, comprising Germans and Turks, inflicting numerous casualties. Those who succeeded in getting away retired over the ridge. Numbers of counter-attacks elsewhere were easily . repulsed. The country is Very difficult, there being no roads.