A COMPLETE; VICTORY

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14875, 25 September 1918, Page 5

A COMPLETE; VICTORY

TURKISH ORGANISATION GONE

AN IRREMEDIABLE DISASTER

LAST AVENUE OF RETREAT

CLOSED

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association)

London, Sept. 23,

Mr W. T. Massey,. , writing from Palestine Headquarters on Sunday, states :—There is still-a groat deal of clearing up to do, but the first battle is practically over. General Allenby has secured one of the most complete victories in the war.

A few unimportant sections may have got a-way in dribbles, but the Turkish armies have ceased to exist as armies, having been killed or captured. They have also lost almost their entire war material of every description. If a new army bo created for Palestine and Syria, the Turks must provide not only men but the mechanism of Avar. Nearly all their' guns on this front, transport, rolling stock, and engineers' stores have fallen into'our hands.

The infantry alone have taken 270 guns. The cavalry have,been, too busy securing prisoners to count or send re J ports of.their gun captures.

• I have been over a largo proportion of .the battlefield', hundreds of square miles in extent, and have seen the debris of the routed army. I realise that

''. cable; -NEWS,.

[Pbesh Association.—Copyright. )

it must be some time before a full statement of the enemy losses is possible; but this much is certain—bold strategy, backed by victorious action of enthusiastic and determined troops, obtained a victory for the Allies from which the Turks cannot hope to recover.

To-day's news is as good, as on the preceding days. In the Jordan Valley we made important ground., A few of the enemy had come down from Nablus, and got across the Jisr-ed-Damieh ferry. New Zealanders at eight o'clock got across the track to stop this exit, and rounded up 800 prisoners, including the staff of the\Commander of the Turkish Fifty-third Division. Apparently it brings bad luck to command this, division, for in the first Battle of Gaza the Australians caught the commander in a carriage. At one o'clock to-day the New Zealanders crossed the Jordan and secured the Damieh bridgehead, east of Jericho. The infantry who rolled up the enemy from the west had little to do to-day beyond taking the surrendor of isolated parties; but they increased their captures of guns.

Irish, Welsh, and Indian infantry operating about the Nablus road got *ell north and east of Nablus, adding to the discomfiture of ' the retreating enemy.

The Irish covered 21 miles, fighting over mountains, in thirty-sis hours.. Cavalry approached Kiefr, Karma, and Seffarieh, north of Nazareth, yesterday. To-day Yeomanry and Indian cavalry beat off an attack on the road north of Nazareth, from the direction of Haifa. The British and Australian airmen are carrying en as usual. They chose a ne-v field to-day. They attacked motor and other transport trying to escape on the Shiblo-Seisam road. They dropped four tons of bombs, inflicting severe damage to men and | material.

i. *n niy'wanderings, I have seen the extraordinary success achieved by airmen. "In these operations on tha Ful-keram-Nablus road the pilots flew at a very low altitude, and dropped bombs. It was impossible to miss the road which for miles was choked with smashed lorries, wheels of transport, dead men, and horses. Having broken up the transport columns, making it difficult for tho men to move, the airmen returned and machine gunned the troops, who were endeavouring to hide. \l-]EVhat they accomplished in this neighbourhood was ropeated on the Damieh road and elsewhere. The airmen's total casualties inflicted on the enemy must rea<h high figures. All prisoners speak with dread of the sound, of aircraft. One feature of this battle has been tho magnificent dash of the Indian troops. The veteran soldiers from India were expected to do well. They have lived up to ,• their high, reputation. Young battalions who replaced whito troops sent for service an trie Western; front,-were a^trnknown-quantlty,; but tKese* young-; Indian.' Battalions. c»ite through, the' ordeaJ.', 'magnififeently. They fought1 like seasoned" warriors, and cheerfully answered any call.- Divisional commanders tell me that they are delighted with-the Indians' valour under all conditions. Forty-seven hours of continuous fighting and marching tested them to the utmost, and they behaved superbly, their only ■.fault being too great eagerness to push.on. In Thursday's tremendous attack- against the coastal defences officers.had to re-

strain the men from rushing into our artillery barrage. These took the place of some Londoners who were sent to

France. They were tremendously keen, to preserve the record of the..division. The Indians, with the Londoners, who were first in. Jerusalem and were the first over the Jordan, wanted to bo first through the.coastal defences. They succeeded, and went on and secured the crossing of the "Wadi Falik for cavalry. They advanced north-westward of Tulkeram, covering the astonishing distance of 22 miles .inrlSk-haurs, including trench,, fighting and, actions.in the open/ This wonderful- performance* is an example of what the ,young 'Indian battalions are capable oh All are of practically the, same quality. a For skill in hill fighting it is hard to find a parallel to this incident. There was'-a stern struggle for the Bietlied Hills, 5000 yards from Nablus, on Friday. "When these* were captured it was ' decided to taJ&CK" the station, which, was commanded on the south by a high steep hill. : The Sikh .Battalion crept up the irregular slopes in;.the moonlight, Caught the garrison entirely unprepared, and rushed and surprised the German machine gunners. There was not one single casualty among-the Sikhs: ■'■--..■ •■- . The Indians marching over the hilly country had to leave all artillery, except mountain guns, behind.