PALESTINE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 145998, 3 December 1917, Page 3

PALESTINE.

GOOD PROGRESS MADE. - - - I BRITISH NEAR JERUSALEM. LONDON, Nov, 80. Router’s correspondent,,- writing from Egyptian headquarters on Thursday, says the troops have made great progress since the last dispatch. 'i he-nd-vance poses non- hold the hill of Ncby Samuel,'which was the'Mount Ivoy of the Crusaders’ day, wlicre they obtained the first view -of the Holy City. Wo advanced from the west, threatening the main roads loading to Jerusalem and Shcehcm, the modern Nahlons. Onr progress was not easy or undisputed. These Judaean hills' lent! themselves to defensive tactics, being hare rocky slopes, intersected by deep and narrow defiles. ' Only one tolerable road is left, which the Turks mined in several places. ‘ We restored it without much difficulty. The. rain last week greatly intensified the discomfort of the men. The nights are already extremely chilly. ' The Scottish troops made a pathway six miles long and helped to manhandle the guns to enable them to he brought into effective action. Despite otherwise unfavourable circumstances tlie Turks put up a stout resistance at' Latronn. where tlie JalFaJerusalem and Gaza-Jerusalem mads meet. They held more tenaciously (he ridge of ■ Knvy el Tenah, the Biblical -ICirjalh .Tearim. where they onl' - yielded to a bayonet charge by the Ghnrkas -ami Somersets. - supported by Miitshires. The Turkish headquarters serin to have hern transferred to Nahlons. The main strength appears concentrated at this place and Tnkeram. noth of whieh arc- joined by a strategic railway running to Handeh, and they jiho lin'd Nahlons, fVmmshef. and Jerusalem, with the chief display of strength in the neighbourhood of Birch el .lid, het--1 'tier known as IJidcon. Yesterday and the previous day the enemy exerted considerable pressure along our front. The attacks at Nehy Samuel were beaten oT. Our aviators have accounted for nineteen enemy planes since the beginning of the advance, Palestine official.—Huy enemy rushed our advanced works on Thursday night on the south hank of the “Nahraiya, in the vicinity of Birkeet el .Tamos, establishing himself close to our lire. The Australian mounted men on Friday morning surrounded the detachment. taking prisoner 14?. Wo took .TOT! prisoners on Friday at Beit Fr cl Fokka. SOME MINOR ENGAGEMENTS.

BRITISH VERY SUCCESSFUL. (Received Doc. 3. 11.45 a.m.) LONDON, Doc. 2. Egyptian headquarters reports: — There has l>con a considerable- amount of desultory fighting at various parks of the line and fortunately the res nits have been uniformly to our advantage. On the left, north-cast of Jaffa, the Australian Light Horse carried out a clover operation, resulting in the bag qf a number of prisoners near Bir-Kekel-Yamous, south of the river Aujn. ■ Yesterday at dawn the Turks found themselves surrounded without the least hope of escape. Last night a further 200 wore captured. The Imperial Camel Brigade, oper•ating on their right, drove the Turks from the trenches, inflicting many ensualries on the fleeing enemy. ■Tfie -dismounted Yeomanry from Shropshire. Cheshire and Wales attacked the enemy advance, posts at Bcitur-el-Foka, in hilly ground, six miles west of Bites, capturing 300 prisoners.'while the Scottish drove the enemy from a ridge north-west inflicting numerous casualties. These figures bring the,total : number of prisoners to practically 11.000, including 470 officers. In the centre the_ Yeomanry and Notts and Derby Regiments drove lutck the enemy and captured, prisoners. The'Turks have latterly been making much more liberal use of-artillery and were uarticularly spiteful at NobySanuiel, the famous height which some identify with the Mizpah of the -ancient Hebrews. It is crowned with ■what was once a Crusaders’ church and is now a Moslem sanctuary, covering the reputed grave of Samuel. Although deeply venerated by all 'Moslem opinion the mosque was made, the target for the Turkish guns, which damaged the tower and shrine, hut the old crusading walls stand a lot of punishment even from modern high explosives. ‘lithe - enemy also attempted an attack on bur position, which was easily repulsed by the London troops.