PALESTIVE VICTORY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17171, 26 November 1917, Page 6

PALESTIVE VICTORY

TURKISH LOSSES GREAT. ANCIENT ASSOCIATIONS. Cairo, November 13. Reuter's correspondent a't the British. Headquarters in Palestine, telegraphing yesterday, said: "Tho enemy has now lost more than a third of his artillery and the preater part of his storeo and munitions. This depreciation of his strength explains tho anxiety that the Turks aro reported to be manifesting far to the rear. The main body of tho Turks, as already stated, retired northward, but two divisions opposite our right flank aro reported to be slowly falling back along the Hebron road. These troops, which aro known as the 'Lightning' and 'Tempest* divisions, have not yet made a display of the qualities which might be considered to justity such high-sounding titles. Only tho Yildirims (o'fcherwiso the 'Lightnings') have been in action, and that against W<?lsh and Home county troops, who proved themselves non-conductors, compelling tho Turks to streak in the opposite direction. " In regard to our other flank, it seemed as though the Turks intended making a stand on tho north bank of the Wady Sukerier, and our outposts were shelled from that position yesterday. Our troops, however, drove them backward, and our cavalry crossed the Wady near the sea. It now seems as though the Wady Surar wiH bo selected as a barrier to our further advance. Certainly it offers great advantages for defence, as the Turkish rear would rest upon the Jaifa-Jerusalem railway, which would furnish invaluable lateral communication. " The furthest point reached by the Australian patrols is Tel es Harfish, which is almost generally admitted to be on the site of the ancient Gath, one of the five Philistine king cities where David twico . sought refuge from the wrath of Saul. Ashdod, Askelon, Gaza, and Ekron axe the other four cities, of which the first three are already ours. Ekron, tho modern Akir which is not far beyond our advance posts, - was the seat of tho worship of Beelzebub, the Prince of Lies, whoso fame became so great that the early Christians cdhsidered him equivalent to the Arch Enemy himself. Certainly it would appear that we are Hearing his sanctuary, if multitudes of flies constitute an indication, because since we crossed the Turkish lines these pests have become daily more intolerabla "Although some doubt the identity of Tel es Harfish with Gath, there is no question of its association Crusaders, notably Richard, the Lion-hearted, since the ruins of the once famous Tour Blanche still crown its summit, which commands a magnificent view of the surrounding cbuntry. "As a matter of fact, the' whole region we now occupy is simply teeming with Scriptural and historical associations. Scarcely a well, wady, or village but reminds us of favourite childhood stories. It was in Wady. Sunt, one ofithe offshoots of the Wady Snrar, that David fought Goliath, . while the Cave of Adullam (10 miles northeast of Hebrin) is within range of our guns. Tho once .prosperous and thicklypopulated country has been blighted by centuries of Turkish misrule. ■ .

Yildirim ia probably the modern form of Ilderim (lightning), the name given to Bajazet I, Sultan of the Turks from 1389 to 1403, owing to the rapidity of his movements. He conquered Bulgaria and a great part of Asia Minor. Macedonia. Servia, and Thessaly, and defeated the allied Hungarians, Poles, and French at Nicopolis in 1396. He was defeated by Cimur at Angora in 1402 and taken prisoner.