PALESTINE VICTORY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17430, 26 September 1918, Page 5

PALESTINE VICTORY.

I TURKISH EFFORTS AT FLIGHT. | ALLIED NET CLOSING IN. Auitraii&n and N.Z. Cablo Association and Router. LONDON, September 24. Palestine official: Eastward of the Jordan the enemy is withdrawing to Amman (on the IledjaV, railway). Australian, Now Zealand West Indian, and Jewish troops aro pursuing them, and have reached Es Salt, capturing guns and prisoners. Our cavalry in the north occupied Haifa and Aero after slight opposition. Tho prisoners are increasing in number, Sjjgnd the total largely exceeds 25,C00. "wiving Hussein's Arabs . have occupied Maan, and aro harassing bodies of the enemy retreating along the Hedjaz railway to Maan. , COMPLETENESS OF VICTORY. TURKS IN DEPLORABLE POSITION. HOPELESS AND IRRETRIEVABEE DEFEAT. THOROUGHNESS OF AIRMEN'S WORK. LONDON, September 24. Mr ,W. T. Massey, writing from Nablus on Monday, says : In conversation with me to-day a general with experience of many wars said: *•' There has been no more complete victory in history than General Allenby's annihilation of two Turkish armies west of the Jordan." This one sentence describes in epitome with absolute truth the operations during the last five days of this magnificent Imperial army in Palestine. The Turkish Seventh and Eighth Armies have been practically wiped out, and the very small numbers who succeeded in getting across the Jordan in isolated batches are a mere fragment of the force opposed to -us on the morning of the 19th. They are almost entirely without war material, and it is extremely doubtful whether one gun or a lorry or anything on -wheels got away. A few batches in the hills are holding out in inaccessible spots, and it may be a day or two before they are all rounded up; but victory will be final and complete, and probably unparalleled. . To crown the efforts of General Allenby's army, to-day the cavalry captured the important port of Haifa and historical Acre, and also Es Salt. The result will have a far-reaching effect. Then our Arab allies have captured Maan. There are indications that the enemy is leaving his strong positions east of the Jordan, particularly about Es Salt and Amman. It is clear that the Turks are willing to sacrifice troops in the Hedjaz, and to leave the Turkish army in the Yeman to its own devices. What effect this sot ft, staggering knock-out blow will have on them may be imagined. At present it is known that the number of prisoners greatly exceeds 25,000. It is certain that this number will be exceeded, for in my movements over this wide battlefield since our forward push started I have always heard of larger estimates than the official claims. As a matter of fact, : there are groups of men sitting trader white flags awaiting our a-cceptance of their surrender. More than 260 guns are now located within our lines, and possibly more will be found. The artillery ammunition is in vast quantities everywhere, some depots being acres in extent. As the Turk 6 manufacture only small-arm ammunition, if they try to raise new armies to take the place of those destroyed they must call " on Germany for every gun, means of transport, and the instruments of war required. Assuredly our victory has put the Turks in a desperate position. To-day I saw one of the most remarkable sights which a soldier ever gazed upon. No-veteran with long experience in many fields with whom I have spoken had seen the like. From Balata, where the road from Nablus falls through the craggy hills in narrow passes to the Wadi Farah, there is a stretch of more than six miles long covered with debris left by the retreating army. In no section of Napoleon's retreat from Moscow could there have been a more terrible picture of hopeless and irretrievable defeat. In this area alone 87 guns of various calibres and fully ICOO horse and oxen-drawn vehicles, and nearly 100 motor lorries, cars, field kitchens, water carts, and a mass of other implements block the road, with carcases of thousands of animals and bodies of dead Turks and Germans. This was the work of the Irish, Welsh, and In- ■ dian. infantry and the artillery pressure behind. The convoy of the indomitable British and Australian airmen in front had forced the enemy over hills into the road, and just as their guns had begun to shell the retiring transport the airmen swooped down to within 200 ft and bombed the head of the column. Our airmen's work was done with surprising thoroughness. One flight after another took up the work, until the whole column was one vast broken mass of enemy troops. Seeing that escape with vehicles was impossible, the enemy fled to the hills. Some, in endeavouring to find an outlet up the Biesan road, fell into the hands of our cavalry waiting for them. Others accepted the inevitable, and sought refuge in our lines. For effectiveness and systematic bombing it would be difiicult to find a parallel to this destroyed column. The operations working up to this debacle were magnificently conducted. Irish and Indian troops played a great part. In 36 hours they marched 21 miles as the crow flies over a continuous succession of mountains and deep, rocky valleys, fighting incessantly against an enemy who was striving with much conspicuous gallantry to delay the advance. The whole nature of the country was in the enemy's favour, but the Irish and Indians brooked no opposition, and fought with superb courage. Just before the Balata road was in sight the Turks tried hard to compel the •Irish to halt. Where the' Nablus road passes Hurawarah, about five miles south of Nablus, there is a wide flat, surrounded by hills. The Turks held the summits with numerous machine guns, and it was obvious that it would take a great deal i to drivo them out of their prepared positions. Tho Irish and Indians therefore extended widely, and advanced across the east plain. When the Turks saw that our infantry meant to get on their flanks, they started to retire. This took them into the plain. Then our Yeomanrv swung out from behind the hill and made a brilliant charge, sabring many Turks. Then, wheeling to the left, they got the village, and more > prisoners and material. : To-day our airmen have been busy in 1 the Es Salt a.nd Amman area, bombing • the enemy on the move. They also ati tacked the railway station at Mafrak (further north), and the station and aercdromo at Derra, obtaining direct hits, including one on a hangar. 1 ARTISTIC TURKISH EUPHEMISM. OFFICIAL CAMOUFLAGE. Admiralty, per Wireless Press. LONDON, September 24. A Turkish communique states: Very , skilful rearguard fights are facilitating the accomplishment of our plans on both ' sides of tho Jordan.

DEALING WITH THE PRISONERS. | A DIFFICULT PROBLEM. | PATHETIC SUCCESSION OF j CONVOYS. Router's Telegrams. i LONDON, September 24. (Received Sept. 25, at 11.20 p.m.) tt i Utcr ' 6 corros P OlKieri( ' at the Palestine Headquarters, writing on Tuesday, states: A few hundred Turks left behind at Haifa resisted our advance. The configuration of tho ground, with a marsh on ono side of the road and the slopes of Mount Carmel on the other, prevented our troops from deploying on an extensive line and sweeping up the Turks, who were thus able to concentrate a fire on a narrow front. The men gradually worked their way forward to drive out the Turks from their positions. However, they held out till the last. The population gave the men a most enthusiastic reception, even German colonists participating in the welcome. These Germans are mostly quiet emigrants from Wurtemburg, who came to Palestine on conscientious grounds. They complain bitterly of tho Turkish exactions. There was some looting by the natives before the entry of the British, the Turkish commander having told the i inhabitants to help themselves to tho Government stores, ae there was no time to destroy them. However, everything for orderly administration, was taken over without the slightest hitch. The disposal of thousands of prisoners is a real problem. II is a pathetic sight to see an unending succession of convoys, more than 2000 strong, in charge of a few guards, wearily footing it along the dry, dusty roads towards the railhead. The men look weak and exhausted. Many fall out and are picked up by lorries. USEFUL HARBOUR SECURED. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, September 24. (Received Sept. 25, at 10.10 p.m.) The British capture of Haifa is regarded as important, providing a useful harbour, with a railway in the direction of Lake Tiberias. The Turks eastward of the Jordan are falling back towards Amman, along the Hedjaz railway. Their situation is critical, owing to their communications being broken at Deraa and the fact that the Arabs occupy Maan.