THE PALESTINE CAMPAIGN.

Otago Witness, Issue 3348, 15 May 1918, Page 24

THE PALESTINE CAMPAIGN.

TURKS AND GERMANS TAKEN PRISONERS.

A SUCCESSFUL RAID

rf* Palestine official: Our advanced troops holding Es Salt were withdrawn over the Jordan, a strong detachment remaining on the eastern banks securing the crossings. We captured westward of the Jordan between the 13th of April and the 4th of May one German and 45 Turkish officers, and 42 Germans and Bto Turks of other ranks, 29 ma-chine guns, and six motor lorries, inflicting casualties exceeding ours. The King of Hedjaz's forces on May 3 attacked Turkish parties working at the Wadi Jerdun railway station, northward of Maan, taking 25 prisoners and seriously damaging the line.

The British forces captured. 1000 Turks and Germans in Palestine in the last few days.

A CORRESPONDENT'S ACCOUNT. Mr W. T. Massey, writing from Jericho on Sunday, May 5, says: By dawn this morning an operation east of the Jordan was completed, which brought into our hands nearly 1000, Turks and Germans as prisoners, while we depleted the enemy force by many casualvisa and inflicted " loss on them in war material. It was another successful raid m the mountains of Gilead.

As we watched the Anzac Cavalry and British Yeomanry across the Jordan Valley in the intense heat they were hardly distinguishable through the dense dust cloud. Their fortitude and endurance during five heavy days' work excited the keenest admiration.

Since our previous raid on Es Salt and Amman, when the Hedjaz railway was damaged, the enemy had collected a large force to guard Shunet Nimrin, at the foot of a mountain pass leading from Ghoraniyeh bridge over the Jordan to Es Salt. It is hardly possible to conceive a position of greater strength or one more easily defended.

Once across the vallev, the road -winds up 3000 to 4000 feet. Es Salt lies between steep hills, and the mouth of the pass is flanked by hills, which a few determined men could hold against overwhelming numbers. Six miles northwards there is another track through a difficult route from the Jordan to Es Salt. It was decided that the Londoners should make an attack on Nimrin, keeping the Turks pinned '.had, whil'j the Australian mounted forces proceeded along the northern road towards Es Salt. Some Anzac cavalry were xnonntad in the foothills south of Nimrin to harass the enemy if they decided to retire by a rough track to Amman. On Monday night the Australian mounted men and the Londoners crossed by bridges over the Hgoraniyeh. The former moved aiong the east bank, and got a long way u-n the road before dawn. At daybreak ou Tuesday the Londoners engaged the enemy position at Nimrin, where the enemy were behind lines of sangas covering the road and all approaches to the hills flanking it. The An/.acs to the southwards faced foothills held by machine gunners, but got as far as they intended. The Australian mounted men, overcoming great difficulties of country on a narrow front, detached troops to envelop Es Salt on the north. By Wednesday they had surrounded the town, securing 350 prisoners and 29 machine guns. During the dark on Wednesday morning a large force of Turks from the Nablus area crossed the Jordan well north of Auja, and crept south along the river bank, which to a depth of over half a mile is a succession of steep mud hills and water-courses, peculiarly suitable for holding bodies of troops. " They moved towards Red Hill Ridge, a mass of broken ground. The Mounted Brigade of Horse Artillery guarding tho crossing had to give way before superior numbers, and abandoned nine guns, which they had only got into position alter extraordinarily heavy labour, and could not be hastily removed. The gun crews got away with tSi© teams.

Tho situation at this moment was pecu

liar, for we were across the Nimrin, with Turks in the rear, while the Turks' occupation of Red Hill ihight develop into cutting the road tho Australian mounted men had taken towards Es Salt. Anzac cavalry brought from the south made a rapid march to the high ground northward of this road. Their swift progress over the wide plain was easily observable through dust columns, but the Turks wero powerless. The Australian mounted men in their rear thus made good,- and preparations were made to remove the prisoners from Es Salt, troops being sent from Es Salt to Howelj to prevent the Turks from marching up the Nimrin-Ral road, others engaging considerable reinforcements from Amman and some from across the Jordan. Although greatly outnumbered, the covering troops very successfully held off the enemv. two attacks being heavily defeated. The Turkish dead about Es Salt worc numbered by hundreds on Friday night. The Australian mounted men returned from the plain, and this morning all troops were over except those guarding the bridgeheads. The Londoners' attack upon Nimrin was entirely successful, the enemy, until the last moment, being under the impression that it was an attempt to get through. A TURKISH REPORT. A Turkish communique claims that British attacks east of the Jordan on the 3rd inst. failed, with heavy losses, the British cavalry being beaten and dispersed.