CAMPAIGN IN PALESTINE

Otago Witness, Issue 3327, 19 December 1917, Page 22

CAMPAIGN IN PALESTINE

SURRENDER OF JERUSALEM. INVADERS WARMLY WELCOMED. In the House of Commons, Mr Bonar Law staled that Ceneral Allenby reported that on December 8 he attacked positions west and south of Jerusalem. The Welsh and Home Counties troops, advancing from Bethlehem, drove back the enemy, and passing eastwards of Jerusalem established themselves on the Jericho road. Simultaneously the London infantry and dismounted yeomanry attacked strong positions to the west and north-west, and established themselves astride the Shechem road. The Holy City was thus isolated and surrendered. Mr Lloyd George read a telegram from General Allenby announcing that heentered Jerusalem afoot on December 11. Guards have been stationed at the holy places, and the Mosque of Omar has been placed under Mohammedan control. It is understood that General Alleaby and his staff entered Jerusalem on foot, their purpose being to emphasise the fact that the city has been liberated, not captured. General Allenby, in his telegram, added that the population of Jerusalem received him well. A PROCLAMATION. Mr Lloyd George announced in the House of Commons that a telegram from General Allenby stated that a proclamation in various languages was read to the population of Jerusalem from the steps of the citadel and posted on the walls, addressed to the inhabitants of " Jerusalem the blessed and the people dwelling in its vicinity," announcing .that it would be placed under martial law r , which would remain in operation as long as military considerations made it necessary. The proclamation continued: "However, lest any of you should be alarmed by reason of your experience at the hands of the enemy, I inform you that it is my desire that every person should pursue his lawful business without fear of interruption. '*-Furthermore, since your city is regarded with affection by the adherents of the three great religions of mankind, and its soil is consecrated by the prayers and pilgrimages of multitudes of devout people belonging to these religions for many centuries, therefore do I make known to you that every sacred building, monument, holy spot, shrine, traditional site, the endowment of pious bequest, or customary place of prayer of whatsoever form of the three religions, will be maintained and protected according to the existing customs and beliefs of those to whose faith they are sacred." A Palestine official message states: North-eastward of Jerusalem we further extended our line on Thursday. We captured 140 prisoners. A GERMAN ADMISSION. A German' semi-official statement admits that the evacuation of Jerusalem was involuntary, but declares that the reason the city fell was that the Turks and Germans desired to prevent ground sacred to all God-fearing peoples becoming the scene of bloody fighting. The statement adds that the town is worthless from a military point of view. DETAILS OF THE OFFENSIVE. TURKS SUFFER SEVERELY. Router's correspondent at Egyptian headquarters reports: Surely never has the population of a conquered city received with deeper and more heartfelt gladness invaders with whom they had no connection of kin. It is a tribute to their qualities as a race and the reputation of our soldiers that hardly a soul in Jerusalem but w r as elated over this fresh great success of British arms. Jews, Arabs, Greeks, and Copts were banded together in enthusiasm for our advent, the nightmare of Turkish oppression having been dispelled by the thunder of our guns outsid3 the town and the hasty flight of the last remnants of Turkish soldiery. Jerusalem woke to a welcome dawn when the British general entered the town to take its surrender. His progress w r as a moving and pathetic spectacle. His car was surrounded by a huge crowd, hysterically laughing and crying, clapping their hands, and showering flowers on our officers. The relief and confidence were general and unmistakable, these feelings being intensified by the knowledge that, despite provocation, not a single shrapnel or rifle bullet had been directed upon the town.

The offensive, which resulted in such a glorious success, began on the night of the 7th. For some days previously the Turks had been distinctly aggressive. They made several attacks on our positions, especially Neby Samuel, which was then held by the Londoners. Four attacks succeeded each other, the Turks employing special storm troops. The final attack was preceded by such heavy shelling that the enemy were confident our troops must be blown off the summit. They advanced to the assault with their rifles slung. Our lads allowed them to cherish the delusion until they came cpite then they dealt with them with rifles and bayonets. Every attack was repulsed with bloody loss to the enemy. The Turks held a strong lino south and north-east of Jerusalem, and by dint of great labour they had dug trenches some way down the slope of the last rise before the Holy City. The protected places were abundantly provided with machine guns, and their artillery dominated the opposite crests, over which our men must advance; some guns were actually established just outside the walls of Jerusalem,

making it impossible to reply to their firo without endangering the town. Unfortunately the weather again played us false. Torrent of heavy rain succeeded torrent, but, despite the discomfort and exposure, our men moved into their positions under cover of the night. Our attack was pivoted on Neby Samuel, dismounted Yeomanry attacking north-east-ward of that position. The Londoners, in line south of Neby Samuel, had advanced due east upon Jerusalem, while at the same time the Welsh and some county troops moved up the Hebron road, threatening Jerusalem from the south. The latter found Hebron evacuated, but encountered resistance around Bethlehem. Here also the Turks had so posted their guns that counter-battery work would endanger the secred village, so our troops had to undergo the disagreeable experience of being shelled -without the ability to reply. Nevertheless we pressed* forward and drove the Turks out. By midday on the Bth the Welsh and Cheshire troops were two miles north of Bethlehem. FINE WORK BY LONDONERS. LONDON, December 14. The Londoners, in order to attack, had to climb down a deep slope and halfway up a higher slope opposite side before they could come to grips. The ground was go steep that it was impossible to bring the field guns forward to support the advance. While one body made a direct frontal on the Turkish defences about the village of Aihkarim about dawn, the Londoners on both flanks were in a position enabling them to rush the Turkish works, wdiich were stormed and captured, and by 7 in the morning the whole enemy works west of Jerusalem were in our hands. The Turks, however, yet held their last line on the top of the ridge overlooking Jerusalem, having posted numerous machine guns in the houses in the Jewish and German colonies on the farthest outskirts of Jerusalem. Our gallant London lads charged up this ascent towards the late afternoon of the Bth. It was a magnificent feat, crowned by complete success. The Turks were driven out at the point of the bayonet from their line, the survivors bolting from either side of Jerusalem. Their losses, both at the works and especially in the final fight on the ridge, were exceedingly heavy. It is also true that throughout all the fighting around Jerusalem they showed a most desperate spirit and greater tenacity than in almost any previous fighting. They stood their ground to the last. During the night the enemy withdrew to the north and east of the city. At 8 o'clock on the morning of the 9th the Mayor and Chief of Police came with a flag of truce offering to surrender the town. The general commanding the Londoners was instructed to accept the surrender, and at noon went forward without actually entering the Holy City, and formally took over the city. Our forces swept through the suburbs to the north of the city, and as they debouched from the defile they were fired upon by machine guns from the Mount of Olives ridge, north of the city, commonly known as Mount Seopus. This ridge was stormed by a bayonet charge, many dead Turks being left round the position, while the enemy were also cleared from the Mount of Olives with the assistance of the Welsh troops, who had by now moved up from the south. While the Londoners were carrying all before them their section of dismounted Yeomanry were not less successful against their objectives. Further north the Turk 3 were established in a strong series of trenches round the village of Beitikes. These were carried in a rush in most gallant manner, our line being advanced right beyond the village. Some Turks, who continued to hold out in the village after we had passed, were subsequently disposed of. The dismounteds secured a good position, which enabled them to go forward as soon ar the Londoners came through the suburbs of Jerusalem. The latter advanced, being materially helped by the yeomanry's success, and reached the road leading to thus cutting off the retreat northward.

Our casualties were compai'atively light. The Welsh, who had advanced from the south, pushed across the road east of Jerusalem leading to Jericho. Turkish reinforcements, who were advancing by this road, having been rushed by the Hedjaz railway to the succour of Jerusalem, were held up and forced back. In the course of the operations we captured nearly 1000 prisoners, three guns, and many machine guns, also 700 rounds of ammunition. There were three British prisoners who had been captured at Gaza. The correspondent pays a tribute to the admirable staff work and the wonderful co-ordination of all the movements of the master mind which conceived the plans for capturing the city without injuring a single stone. A good deal is now known of what took place in Jerusalem in the early days of the war. The attack on the Suez Canal was made to appear a Turkish triumph, but. what was not known is that the Turkish losses at this period exceeded 45,000 dead from neglect, lack of food, and overwork. The people were so reduced that the inhabitants used to fight for the bodies of tho animals which died in the streets. KING GEORGE'S MESSAGE. Official: Tho King has sent the following message to General Allenby : —"The occupation of Jerusalem will be received throughout the Empire with the greatest satisfaction. I heartily congratulate you and all ranks on the success of the achievement, which is a fitting sequel to the troops' hard marching, fighting, and organisation, whereby the difficulties of supply, transport, and water were overcome. I rejoice that your skilful dispositions preserved intact the holy places." In tho House of Commons Mr Bonar Law announced that • General Allenby proposed officially to enter Jerusalem to-morrow. In the meantime steps had been taken to safeguard the city and the holy places. The capture of Jerusalem has in some degree been delayed owing to tho great

care taken to avoid damage to the sacred places in and around the city. REJOICINGS. The Patriarch of Jerusalem has telegraphed to the Pope that the city is unnot a shot having been fired against it. The Pope lias ordered a world-wide celebration of the deliverance of Jerusalem. Special celebrations were held in various places of worship in London, these including a "To Deum" in St. Paul's Cathedral, to mark the capture of Jerusalem. There was a great Jewish demonstration in Odessa on learning of Britain's plans regarding the Jews and Palestine. Fifteen thousand Jews ]:>articipatcd in a procession two miles long. The demonstrators marched past the British Consulate and asked the Consul to convey their gratitude to Britain. The London newspapers applaud General Allenby's brilliant tactics. There was a demonstration in the Houeo of Commons after Mr Bonar Law's announcement that Jerusalem had surrendered. A solemn "To Deum" was held in Westminster Cathedral on the night of the 12th inst. Big Ben rang directly the victory was announced. MESSAGE TO GOVERNOR-GENERAL. The Governor-general has Teceived the following telegram from the Secretary of State for the Colonies: " Jerusalem was surrendered to General Allenby on December 9 after successful operations by our army in Palestine against the enemy positions which encircled the Holy City. Brii tish officers, accompanied by British, French, Italian, and Indian Mohammedan guards, are on their way to safeguard the city and the holy places. I am confident that this great historical event will be hailed with satisfaction through the Empire.—(Signed; Long." MR MASSEY SAYS A FEW WORDS. News of the fall of Jerusalem • was an-, nounced by the Prime Minister in a speech at the opening of the East Coast Freezing Works at Whakatane, and the announcement was received by a large number of people with loud applause and cheers. Jerusalem, Mr Massey said, had been taken and re-taken many times during the past 2000 years, but he trusted, now that it had been captured' from the Turks by the British troops, that the Sacred City would remain in possession of the British, nation.—(Hear, hear.) The New Zealand troops had taken no unimportant part in the operations leading to the capture of Jerusalem, and he had the greater pleasure in calling for cheers for the successful force. Cheers were given with great heartiness.