ADVANCE IN PALESTINE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14447, 6 November 1917, Page 3

ADVANCE IN PALESTINE.

DRIVING THE TURKS BACK

COUNTER- ATTACKS REPULSED WITH HEAVY ENEMY LOSSES.

PRECIPITATE RETREAT OF THE

ENEMY

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association) LONDON, November 4. Headquarters, Palestine, reports :— , Our advance yesterday morning amounted to depth oi 800 yards on Umbrella Hill on the right to 2000 yards on Sheik Hasson, on .the seashore west -of Gaza. ■ . ", : ■ •>• Th^ .-Scottish and East Anglian troops shared the honors in the fighting, f our counter-attacks being repulsed with heavy enemy losses and all our gains being maintained, and at the end the positions were consolidated. | -~On the right flank ,our infantry dislodged the enemy from Abu-ir-Geig station, eight miles-., north-west of Beershoba, where there 'ik an abundant supply of water. .* Tlie enemy's rotreat was so precipitate that lie had ik> time to destroy the new pumping plant. The operations '. aro importantly dependent on water supply; hence the value \of > these successes.

'Cavalry* brushes { occurred in the hilly country- some miles* north of Beersheba, thVTurks' being di-iyeh in the direction of Dhaherw.es. Th^ir^bmmunications in the rear suffered heavily from the fire of our artilleiy'jVwhicih" blew up three ammunition dumps and damaged the railway.