A GREAT TURKISH DEFEAT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17427, 23 September 1918, Page 6

A GREAT TURKISH DEFEAT.

In Palestine General Allenby has executed a masterly _ movement agiu'nst tho Turks from the line extending from Kefr Salin, near the coast, to Wadi-el-Aujeli, a fewmiles north of Jericho. Evidently he has waited for tho favourable weather" and for the Arabs to advance far enough cast of tho Dead Sea to protect his flanks at the river crossings east of Jericho. No doubt also his effort was needed to counteract the Turco-G-erman successes in North-west Persia and in the Caucasus, where they have taken the important oil-producing centre and Caspian port Baku. So effectively have Genqral Allenby's plans been carried out that tho main body of' the Turks has been virtually surrounded, though" it is known that 18,000 prisoners havo been taken, many more are still to come in. Except those Turks who have escaped on horseback, it seems that the rest''wall be taken in a few days. The. official correspondent with General Allenby's army says the Turkish Palestine arnyy has been smashed, and tire extent of the British cavalry advance northward appears to confirm his statement. Nazareth, which the British have entered, is north of tho Haifa-Biesan railway, and'.63 miles due north of- Jerusalem. General Allenby appears to have carried out a great turning movement against the Turkish right flank resting on the sea coast." In this operation he had the assistance from naval units lying off the coast. As soon as the flank was turned he poured through his cavalry, and got behind the Turkish communications. While the Turks were in a state of apprehension the infantry rushed forward astride the Jerusnlem-Nablus road through high and broken country halfway between the coast aixl the Jordan. Meanwhile the Australian mounted troops and yeomanry advanced between the highlands in tho centre and the Jordan; but their advance does not seem to havo been so rapid as that of the cavalry on tho west. As soon as the Turkish right was broken and rolled up towards the JerusalcmNablus road, General Allenby's cavalry advanced rapidly northward over the coastal plain, and reached the Haifa-Biesan railway. ■ The cavalry, having crossed that railway a#d having no enemy troops to the north, suddenly faced eastward astride the railway, and advanced half way to Biesan and capturcd Nazareth, a few miles north tho railway. Infantry reserves must have been held in readiness to

follow tho cavalry as quickly as possible in order to take up positions facting eastward and advance against the JerusalemNablus road and the railway from Nablus to tho l'laifa-Biesan railway lino. All tho country from Joppa to the important part of Haifa lias been clearcd of the enemy halfway between the co'ist and the soa, and the British now hold Nablus, ftamariii, Jenin and El Afuleh, and Naziiretli. '.Ilirbroken Turkish army lias abandoned nearly all its war material.