IN MESOPOTAMIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 3344, 17 April 1918, Page 15

IN MESOPOTAMIA.

A BRILLIANT SUCCESS. RQuter’s special correspondent in Mesopotamia telegraphs from Khanbaghda on March 30: Pursuit by armoured cars was pushed yesterday 73 miles up stream from Anah. More stragglers were brought in, and most important booty. Ammunition dumps were found at Haflitha and Anah. The captrp-es comprised 12,750,000 rounds of small-arm ammunition and 20,000 rounds of gun ammuniiton. The captures since March 25 include 6734 prisoners and, much war material. Our total casualties were only 157 killed, wounded, and missing. The correspondent pays a tribute to the extraordinary endurance and rapidity of movement of the troops, armoured cars, and aeroplanes contributing to the success of the pursuit and the raid on Anah, by which we completed the demolition of enemy war material on the Euphrates front. A Mesopotamia correspondent, describing the brilliant success on the Euphrates on March 26, states: Tiro attack on the Turkish central positions began at 2.30 a.m. on the 25th. It was bright moonlight. The Turks opened fire on the attackers, but the first two lines of trenches were taken with slight loss, and those the attackers held until the artillery came up. They then resumed their advance. By 11 o’clock the final lino of trenches was easily captured. An_ attack was then made on tho northern positions, which were carried with trifling loss, largely owing to the remarkably accurate barrage. The advance was continued at 3 a.m. on the 26th. Meanwhile the cavalry, by making a wide circuit, cut off the retreat of the enemy, who endeavoured all night to break through the cavalry barter, but were repulsed everywhere. The surrender was a dramatic spectacle, the enemy emerging from dust storms at various points and laying down their arms. Even more dramatic was an episode next day, when black masses of the enemy were discovered in rough country. The British scaled the ravine, and eventually the white flag fluttered on a_ hill, The enemy had surrendered, with their transport. Tire flay was occupied in rounding up small parties by means of armoured cars. Mr Lloyd George states that the Turkish armies in Palestine and Mesopotamia have been destroyed. It is reported from _ Constantinople that the Turkish army consists of scattered and demoralised remnants, and it is impossible to reconstitute the many depleted units. Tiiere are numerous officers m Constantinople without any commands. No German assistance has been received for some considerable time.