LIGHTING IN EGYPT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3569, 2 October 1916, Page 3

LIGHTING IN EGYPT.

SPLENDID WORK AGAINST TURKS.

. ENEMY FORCED T0- RETIRE

MANY PRISONERS TAKEN.

WELLINGTON, September 28. The Minister of .Defence, (the lion. J. Allen) has received from General Headquarters of tho. Egyptian Expeditionary Force the following account (dated. August 18) of the part taken in the recent operations in Sinai by the Australian . and New Zealand Mounted Division. Tho account was prepared under tho orders of Sir Archibald Murray (general officer commanding the division): — " Tho enemy appeared in strength in the Quatia district on the evening of July 9. . From then until August ho was watched and harassed, and gradually.drawn on day and night, by tho Ist and 2nd Australian Light Horso Brigade (which included the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment), alternatively assisted by an Ayrshire battery. . Early on August 3 the enemy ocoupio'd Quatia, within striking ■ distance of our position at 'Romani. Having, in view that the morrow (August 4) was tho last day of the Bnirat, and that the Turks would probably attack on that day, the Ist Australian Light Horse Brigade was left out to hold an outpost line of about three miles to coyor all entrances to. the platoau on the south-west flank of ; tho Romani position, f This outpost line-had to be taken lip after dark on the evening of the 3rd. Nevertheless it withstood the enemy's main attack from midnight till 4 a.m. on the 4th, when the Ist Brigade ipas reinforced by the 2nd, and then the two brigades, as previously arranged, pivoting on the extreme right of the infantry position, gradually withdrew to a Mno which had already been , decided upon, covering the right flank' and rear of the Romani position, and also the railway. By the time tho New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade (which included the sth Australian Light Horso Regiment) and the sth Mounted Brigade (Yeomanry) were approaching the high sand dunes west of Romani, and on the enemy's left ilank, the rogiment of the 2nd Australian Light Horso Brigade joining up with the left of the Yeomanry Brigade near the Pelusini Railway Station (about live miles west of Romani). The 3rd Australian Light Horse Brigade in the meantime was advancing towards the enemy's left* rear from I3ir el Ducidar.

I t About 11.a.m. tlio enemy's main attack, arrested by tlie Royal Horse Artillery of the Anzac Mounted, Divi- : sion (Territorials from Inverness, Ayr--1 shire, Somersetshire, and Leicestershire) and by the rifle and machine-gun 1 firo, which, was contributed to considerably by the infantry postg on the right of . the Romani position, appeared to have exhausted itself,« but held its ground, and. about «this time their right flank attack developed on the south-east front 1 of the Romani position. This was, however, easily boateji. back by ' the infantry posts-. During the whole day the Romani camp was heavily shelled by the enemy with guns of various calibre, including 6in howitzers mid heavy guns, and no less than seven .aeroplanes dropped bombs on the camp and lighting troops. At 5 p.m. the supporting infantry (North of England ' Territorials), -having got 'into position south of the Pelusini station, Lliß New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade and tho sth Mounted Brigade (Yeomanry) attacked the enemy's left Hank from the west on the high sand dunes throe miles west of the Romani camp, christened a few days previously ' { Mount Royston. after the brigadier of, the 2nd Australian Light Jlorso Tiri- i gade. , I "Tho Nov.- Zealanclers and Yeomanry, supported by the Territorials, made a very gallant attack on 'Mount Royston, and it 1 was taken, with nbout 300 prisoners; about 5.30 p.m. "What remained, therefore, of tho enemy's main attack was held up in cxtrorrioly difficult country, high, soft srrnd dunes on two «ides, hy throe, brigades of the Answer Mounted Divisions and a brigade of Yeomanry, with a brigado of Torritori:»ls supporting, and a counter-attack was then launched, tlie mounted troops and infantry drivinc: the- enemy hack towards Quntia. until it whk too dark to move. Tho troops then lay down for thV' night, just .where they stood. IVForo »lawn the ndvjm^f: «-ns' continund, and over 2000 prisoners wore taken, the enemy being driven hack' gradually on their prepared position at Ou.'itifi and Abu Hnrnra. Those positions were attacked by our troops later' in tin? .afternoon. v\bu ■ liamra 'was occupied by our infantry, but the enemy managed to hold on to 'Qimtia until nightfall! when he' withdrew, under cover of darkness./ "On tho Gth our infantry occupied Quatia, and the" mounted troops pushed on in pursuit, no serious engagement taking place 'until. Bisu ol Abd was reached," where a pifcclnxl battle; was fought between tho Anzac Mounted Division and the enemy's rearguard of 6000 infantry amjl several batteries of guiis of various calibres. The 6000 infantry in the trenqhes, , supported by heavy guns, proved too strong for the iJOOO rifles then available in the-Mount^ ed Divisions. Attempts to push the enemy back or to get round his flanks wcro stopped, and the enemy .made several counter-attacks, on our troops: The last one, was made about 6.30 in the evening, on the centre of our line, being of si. most determined character. Ifa was in these attacks that the enemy suffered most heavily. Tho division was withdrawn a short distance for the night, having inflicted severe casualties on the enemy, and caused him to burn .tho bulk of his stores. "The engagement was resumed on tho, following day, and. was continued until the 12th insfc., when the enomy evacuated their position during the night, being pushed to'the extreme limit of the oasis area. "The performance of the Ist and 2nd Light Horse* Brigade on the early morning of August 4 was extraordinary, considering that both mnn and horses wore worn out with watching .and harassing an advancing onomy for si. fortnight,-and the attack of the Xmv ZealandtTH iind the Yeomanry on Mount Royston wa,s a- very brilliantfoat. Tho shooting of Territorials and horso artillery was most effective, and groat gallantry and endurance wore shown by the gunners at Bir 101 Abd on tho 9th. Although 39 horses of t-hn Ayrshire Battery were killed, and though tho enemy wore within 200vds of the guns,, the 5 gunners, assisted by , the light horsemen, managed to cot them away and into a better position. The coolness under firo of the divisional and brigado signallers .was remarkable, alul the newly-formed field .squadron worked day a-nd night digging and improving the wells, and. making areas •suit-

able for a bivouac, which otherwise would be impossible. The work of ,tho field .ambulances and regimental muflical officers raid stretcher-bearers under the most trying conditions of desert warfare is beyond all praise, and the efficiency of the Army .Service Corps contributed very greatly to the success of tho operations, lonp; convoys ot camels going and coming without the slightest hitch throughout. "Tho enemy, trm'> to the tradition.-; established in G.uMijioii, fought likf gentlemen, and prisoners havo stated ■that any of our wo;md<-d- that have fallen into his- hands :<v(i the very few prisoners taken sire b;ii)K v>'ri\ treated. A messa-KO was luft. on :i ni-.tit-o board at Oghratina'ssiying t.!i;u fjieut. . of tho .Now Zealand Mounted Rifles, was a prisoner, and was a jientlciijan, and w.'i-s dining in' their officers'- iness 1. Tho- equipment of the enemy appears to ki.ve been e\C-olbnt in every doj-ail', particuin-rly his hospital equipment. Two complete field hospitals fell into the hands of the nio-.ru.te-d .division.

"Congratulatory nx^sago-s were rncoivod from the Xi$ r, from his Hiidimivsn the Sultan of K-typt. from tho Chief of tiie Ininc-rial Gyno.rnl Stnti, from i.ho Sirdnrof-Hi- Kjryptiaii army, from (Jonoral Hirdwwd. and Irom General Russell (cninrnmiding the Ivew Zealand Division in. Prance). 11