IN PALESTINE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12067, 24 July 1917, Page 5

IN PALESTINE.

ENEMY CAVALRY ATTACK

DRIVEN BACK BY BRITISH MOUNTED RIFLES.

AnMralian nnrl X,Z. Cable Association. (Reoe.ivod July 24. noon.} LONDON, July 2.3. An Egypt official message states: — Two enemy cavalry regiments on July P-) pushed nine miles westward of Roorshoba. Our mounted forces drove them bark to Becrsheha. AVe snccessfuly raided trenches south-westward of Gaza.

A special correspondent of the United Service, writing of the operations in Palestine, reer u tly said :--'' The enemy's line extends from, the Avest of Gaza Lo tlm south of Bcersheba. J.t is not eontinuous to Beershelia, but the enemy is gradually strengthening and linking up his ' defences, which have, been rendered as formidable as pick and shovel, unlimited barbed wire, machineguns, and German military genius can make a place naturally suited tor defence The enemy's lines. Avhich praeticiiilv skirt, ihe road to Beorsheba, have been strengthened by powerful redoubts, with advanrrd posts some di.staneo ahead of the. mam positions. Ga/.a is picturesquely situated amid verdant wardens ami the red roofs of tho white houses are conspicuous lor miles. It shows little signs of damage, as wr; are mercifully sparing it, the horrors ol bombardment. Since, the lighting m ■\nril the situation Ims been comparatively calm. Raids and patrol skirmishes are freepicn:. The Australian Lird,t, Hm-.-.e has been prominent in the hitter Our gunners constantly worr.> the foe. bombarding the least movement in the enemy portion, day or m-dtt Our aeroplanes are constant flouring the Turkish lotion. iim l discovering targets ioi oi . . t 1 ]n,. v The Turkish artillery is _genoi.il :s inactive and careful of shells it js only lavish if a. special target is oflcred. CAVALRY DASTTPN HOLY LAND. TVR K RAlTi~pi'-S-rROYED. (Bx MR W. T. MASST-jY, in the r<on- ' ' ,l on -'Daily M:ul- ) REEORE fiAZA (Palestine), May 2P ! 6'te«' again the Turks been made to tool the full force ol a I ritish cavalry stroke. The < ommander-ni-rhiei 'dcaded upon .he deslruction n ,l,c Hue south-east of Heersbeba and llio mounted troops end Ihe <b sort co!- „ nm< under Majoi-Goneral ( hauvel a another ol thdse (lashing puds an huh have characterised all the operat inns o ,1 1P ...ilnnin since the occupation o IM Arisl. at Christmas, attacked more than a twentv-milos. length of lim siinultanecnislv iiiid destroyed il ljeyond repair, except under complete reconstruction. The operation a\ as even more important than the wreckage of flm line sugrrests. for the Turks ;.yp short of railway material. They looked to this section of the line to furnish some badly needed material, but they wdl not liml a, sound rail or sleeper. The nio-ht bofore, last two columns moved ouT on their destroying missions. The. Camel Corp« Wt on a thirty-two miles march to Auja, a police post on the Turco-Egyptian frontier. They had previouslv destroyed the bridge there and spent yesterday in smashing Urn whole of the. railway eastwards to AA adi Elabiad, including many culverts over wadis (streams). Being well to thoAvest of Beersheba, they had more time than the cavalry, whose, operations Avere timed to cease at ten o'clock. Tho task of smashing the railway between Asluj, fifteen miles duo south of Beersheba,'and Sadaj, was entrusted to field engineers and An/,ne and Imperial mounted, troops avlio had been specially trained in methods of rapidly destroying a line. They were covered by the remainder of the troops. Those, splendid troops moved south and P-a.st from dusk on' Tuesday till dawn yesterday for moro than thirty miles. They we're delayed somewhat by the extreme darkness 'of the. night and a dust storm obscuring tho stirs ami making it difficult to see the. tracks. One demolition party arrived at. AsIr.ij at six of clock and the other Sadaj at ;even. AYorking towards each other, by ten o'clock, they bad destroyed ten miles of line, including three bridges of l wenty-four arches Aviili substantial slone and concrete, pillars. Not, one length of rail remained whole, and every bolt had its head knocked oft. While tlios engineers were blowing up the railway ihe cavalry made a strong (lemonstriil ion against Rcrrsheb:!, got wit liiir five miles of the town, heavily shelled and destroyed the raihvay bridge to the north, and drove oil' two Turkish cavalry brigades which appeared to the. .south during the afternoon.