PALESTINE CAMPAIGN.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 30, Issue 16, 26 February 1918, Page 5

PALESTINE CAMPAIGN.

NEW ZEALANDERS AT JERICHO.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT,

LONDON, Feb. 24.

Mr W. T. Massey, telegraphing from Palestine headquarters on the 21st, says:— Sir Edmund Allenby’s army has driven the Turks from a strong position east of Jerusalem, the London troops capturing all he commanding positions overlooking the southern Jordan Valley, and Australian and Ncav Zealand mounted troops entering Jericho to-day. The enemy Avere entrenched in a series of hills Avhich Avere attacked by the London Infantry on Tuesday and yesterday on a I tAvelve miles front. The enemy i Avere defeated everyAvhere, and suffered heavy losses. The country is extremely difficult, consisting of a mass of hills, valleys, kloofs, dongas, and Avorn rockfaced hills. At one place the Wady-Farar has a perpendicular cliffside 500 feet high. But the infantry routed out the enemy from the trenches and cut and blasted them on the ridge and spurs of the mountain ranges, shoAving great gallantry. On Tuesday at daAvn they attacked a line about 20,000 yards in length. At some places the Turks retreated during the artillery bombardment, but in the centre one battalion had to assault .three times before Avinning the system of trenches. During Tuesday night the infantry moved up to attack the range from Tayat-od-Pumm to Ekteiff, the key to the Jericho-Jerusalem road, which runs through these hills. On the Dumm is the Good Samaritan Inn and the remains of Crusader HiU knoAvn to the Arabs as the Hill of Blood. I saAv the Londoners carry the hill in splendid style early after a most accurate artillery fire, but the enemy held on stubbornly at Ekteiff, Avhose southern face is as precipitous as Gibraltar. f Marching during the night the troops had great difficulty in the rough ground. One column took nearly eight hours to cover slightly over three miles. In some places the men Avalked in single file. The enemy Avas cleared off Ekteiff in the afternoon. Meanwhile the Anzacs moved through desperately-hard country, threatening the enemy in the rear. They Avere held up for a considerable time in a defile through Avhich only tAVO men could pass abreast, the Turks bringing several guns to bear on this point. By nightfall we had occupied all the positions commanding the southern Jordan Valley, and the Turks hurriedly retired. The Anzacs made a rapid march •next morning, entering Jericho at 8 o’clock yesterday. The Turks burnt the stores on the northern shores of the Dead Sea. Our operations Avill retard, if not entirely. prevent, an important source* of grain supply to the Turkish forces.