THE PALESTINE CAMPAIGN.

Otago Witness, Issue 3339, 13 March 1918, Page 15

THE PALESTINE CAMPAIGN.

Palestine official reports state: We advanced northwards to a maximum depth of 5000 yards on a frontage of 12 miles, astride and weatward of Jerusalem and Kabluh road. We encountered little opposition. Between March 5 and 7 our lines astride of Jerusalem and Nablus road was steadily advanced, almost unopposed. The maximum depth attained was three miles, on a front of 18 miles. Wo successfully bombed the railway and an aerodrome at Elkutrani on Monday. We dropped a ton of bombs on the railway at North Maat and the encampments east of Jericho on Tuesday. The enemy blew up the Jordan bridge at El Ghoraniyeh "on Wednesday. Turkish official: On the Palestine front during advanced post engagements the enemy occupied Djiba temporarily, but our counter-attack drove them back. THE BRITISH ADVANCE. Mr W. T. Massey, writing from Palestin© Headquarters on February 20, after detailing the difficulties ol the advance to the Jordan, says: "Wo beat the Turks, who are now in full retreat. The valley of tho Jordan is being patrolled by us." What is probably an artillery record has been established in tho Jericho operations. Our guns began firjng from an altitude of 2900 ft abovo "sea "level, and when we finished our guns were in action in the Jordan Valley 1100 ft below sea level. Mr Massey reports, under date March 6:

During tho past week the Turks have had much to think about. In various sections of the line- hardly a day has passed without the enemy being compelled to yield positions of value. The most important of our advances wero north and .west of Bireh (nine miles north of Jerusalem, on the Nablus road) three days ago, when the Welsh and Homo Counties troops made a strong attack on both sides of the Nablus road on a 12-milo front, and pushed back tho enemy a mile and a-half. This operation in the hill country, taken in conjunction with the capture" of Jericho and the high ground to tho west of Jericho, gives us immensely strong lines round Jerusalem. In the continuation of our line westwards Irish troops forced the Turks from the broken country, while the enterprise of tho south-western county soldiers in tho foothills was fully rewarded by the ground gained. One night the Indians rushed a hill 4Coft high, and completely surprised the Turkish garrison. Our aerial supremacy is beings maintained. Though tho German aviators show signs of more activity, they pay dearly for it. In the last two days we mado long flights over tho Dead Sea to harass the enemy communications with Hcdjaz, and dropped many bombs on Katrani station and tho camps and aerodrome west of Kerak, excellent results being observed. Yesterday we bombed a station south of Katrani. [Kerak is eight miles east of the Dead Sea, near its southern end; and Katrani which is on the Damascus-Mecca or Hedjaz route, is 25 miles east of tho southern end of tho Dead Sea.]