TURKS SURRENDER EN MASSE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14283, 27 April 1917, Page 7

TURKS SURRENDER EN MASSE.

MAGNIFICENT WORK OF OUR ARTILLERY. (By Edmund, Candler.) TIGRIS FRONT, February 15. Our vigorous offensive to-day has cleared the Dahra Loop of the enemy, i The Turks, driven back on the Tigris, l have surrendered en masse. Some 2000 prisoners have been taken. j Fighting for this loop of the riverjha^i been the continuation of a long series' of actions, m which we ejected the' Turks from the Hai salient. The capture of Kut Liquorice Factory ' on the morning of the 10th gay^ us command of the mouth of the Hai on both banks of the river. The Turks have been bringing over reinforcements from the north to the south bank of the Tigris, and stubbornly resisting our farther advance west. When on February 11, we captured a point on the Tigris on the west side of tho loop we held a trench and picquet lino of 7000 yards from the Liquorice • Factory, closing m the bend within I which the enemy were strongly entrenched. On this front we developed a big drive northwards, which, culminated m this morning's action, when we 'drove the Turk on to his last foothold m thati loop of the Tigris. At 7 a.m. a small body of infantry rushed the ruins, an important point on our left, flank, whence the Turks could enfilade our advance. The enemy suffered severely from 'machine-gun fire m their retirement. "TOO MANY GUNS." After a bombardment, our infantry swept across the open m Irresistible waves and with (few casualties, considering the extent of the ground covered. ' ' As we approached the enemy's trench a group of Turks issued from the centre of the position and gave themselves up. This first surrender was infectious, and was repeated all along the line.

■ Prisoners came forward m a stream, waving white rags. For nearly an hour the procession was continuous. The Turks turned their guns on them, but with little effect. ; , "We do not wish ;to counter-attack," orte of them explained, "you have too many guns," and during the day no sierious counter-attack materialised. The limit of endurance of the enemy had 'been reached, and we pushed home our advantage. • In |the afternoon \v.e drove m another attack on the right flank of the psoition we had taken. The, enemy's garrison here had witnessed the morning surrender, and the issue was the same.

As our- infantry advanced the Turks threw down their rifles and broke out of the trenches, an unarmed horde. The stream of prisoners who came out to nteei the regiment attacking almost outnumbered them. PRISONERS' DANCE STEP. Our troops walked through them as they doubled past, running the gauntlet of their own gims. Ag they passed our trenches they wene a most pacific looking crowd, and kept up their white ragfkipping until they were out of sight. V)nce free of the British zone they showed relief at being captured by signs and cheerful gestdr^s. One or two broke into a kind of tripping step, not far removed from a dancel

Having carried these trenches, the infantry passed forward to the Tigris bank, thus isolating the Turkish extreme left, which aJso surrendered.

The troops had made the two main attacks m the morning and afternoon, and then proceeded to clear a portion of the Bend, into which remnants of the enemy had retreated.

At 6 p.m. the Turks were holding the rearmost trench on the river bank, and after dark this laat foothold we Tushed, and the remainder of the garrison left m the loop surrendered.

Points of crossing where the troop? wen© being ferried across the Tigris were shelled by our guns day and nig' Jit. . FINE ARTIfcLEJtY WORK. With the close of this successful day £h© clear weather broke. -Rain fell an torrents. The Turkish, prisoners satid : "We have been praying for this rain to hinder your advance. Now at last it ;has come — rtoo late."

At five m the afternoon our cavalry and infantry co-operatting, captured a point two miles south-west of our extreme left, securing us a line close to the Massag Nullah. / During the lasfc few days the Turks seemed to recognise that the battle for the right bank of the Tigris west of Kut was lost, and there wei - e indications ; of a« general retirement. On the twelfth they withdrew their bridge at Shur r mart.

All through, the co-operation between our gunners and infantry ha 9 been splendid, the artillery barrage lifting like a switch as our troops advanced.

Our guns have been equally effective as a screen to frontal attacks, m countering hostile batteries, and m covering our bombing parties ..working up communication trenches, '