TURKISH WAVES OF ATTACK.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14492, 2 January 1918, Page 3

TURKISH WAVES OF ATTACK.

y brc^^n sy ;^msH ftkb.,, I OUR -M3-N.: ■IS-_LSN_X' V LIKEI ROCKS.' TURKS PAY HEAVY PRICEL . (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association,) \ (Received January 2, 11.40 a*hi.) yAVy-.:. LdN-DON, Jan. IV ■ •Reuter's Palestine despatch, continues : It> s^n • became evident :that a^etg'ip^ push; was . contemplated^ 'The' fir_t>|-•tack.waej-TJeliyered at 1.20 in the morning,' but broke before, reaching our position..'"'' "v'\ -r"'-' ; "'"-.' ' "'.--■•• ' 'V;-' Then ,-in quick succession the enemy delivered- attack upon attack. ' 'His men fell back, were reinforced and driven forward, 'always ini'-ihcre-aihg numbers'.' One small post on our left, held by a couple of companies, was attacked by four separate. lines, five luiudred.of,,t|e en<-ny."pa^ici^ating in the final assault? but although they got close our men stood Jike -rocks, and) (Bduiots y ield\a foot. .' V Each .wave was .opnipelled^ -to fall back, leaving "-'a, 'toll of dead round about Tel EliFuF.. a--.. • .-J3ight attacks followed 1 upon obe another. The-linp swayed ;'ba,ck*.vards and fo-l'W'a.-rds.. .".* •'■• '. " -' ,: ■■• ;, % A "'furious assault before dawn -was' followed toy a lull in the storm, which so far has failed, to make the slightest impires.Jpn. V __3very kn-ew; th_t th'e fate of Jerusalem was dependent on his tenacity, arid nothing could be finer than our 'tense, grim steadfastness. The Turks employed the morning hours organising for one last desperate effort, which w..^ .delivered at one o'clock* but without any liappiejc.,_esult,.f^r Jjh'em.'y ..'All the enemy V "offence. V* which was s^pportedj-ry, strpng^artillery "* five upon an"d to -the -tear .rdu^p^itio'ps, failed to i'i eld him the smallest success, and, battered and broken, he was forced ito- withdraw. -' . ' ,! A~ •' ■.'■ •■ . His . attacks .., easjty oi ,* Jerusalem . were caj-ried out with- riot l.ss "determination, although in, smaller force. The:'''p-]rt-cjpal bone of contention here*, was the ridge between two hills, finally ,so hotly shelled .'as to hei, untenable by either side, hut the Welsh troops definitely established themselves after dusk. "The fighting lasted 'without*' intermission ;,-day. v.-:The Turks /paid* a heavy price for their'" attempt' to' oust -these men, 260 dead being counted before our positions. „ Tlie nature of the ground did not, permit much use of "the "bayonet, but there was the liveliest exchange of grenades. One .detached post east of Bethlehem, completely surrouha&i, held/out until ,re. lieved the following lnof'h'ing- ' V. r '■' .While the Turks were malcing" fur!-: oiis, if ineffective, assaults northeast of Jerusalem, our high command decided that the moment" had _ome for the counter stroke. Consequently, the Irish troops and dismounted ' yeOm'aiiy' -advanced against the Turks' communications and positions . dominating the Nablus' 'road'. ' The countiy through y&ich we had to advance wds' the "most, impossible conceivable v .Some of the hills were so precipitous tha. tlie guns dahgled in the air while .being hauled to the positions. The men had to climb on one another's shoulders. _„..;.., Yeomanry advancing 1 , upon ' ' ' __t-i__h forestalled attacks the ehehiy V"wa_ 'organising and got among the Tft.ks with -the bayonet, accounting for. . hundreds killed on the spot. Three machine guns were captured. '• . ' ' . * v '■ ''.By 'nightfall of the 27th these -troops had advanced two and'a-half miles 'on a nine-mile, front, which, in ..view of ..the terrain ? was a i'enia_lca_ie feat.-'-- V": •■■ -The advance continued next day, position after -.position falling with the slightest opposition, so completely were they caught, thanks to their ill-judged offensive. | -Reverting to the situation in front of I tlje Londoners; the ..,cbrrespondi_nt' r says the enemy's assaultChaving --failed, and finding his rear threatened -he began tb withdraw north. The Londoners immediately pressed forward . 'an£.-*-;eaßily> brushed aside the Turkish rearguards'. IRr was evident his morale "was badly shattered, as he fled to Errairi, a strong,

position on tlio silo of 1.-irnah in Benjumin, as soon as shells - began to drop near. On the 29th the dismounteds captured Rahmallah and the Londoners Biirch, while the Welsh pushed forward arid linked up with the Londoners east of Erram.