THE PALESTINE CAMPAIGN.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16160, 14 March 1918, Page 7

THE PALESTINE CAMPAIGN.

ALLENBY'S ADVANCE. FURTHER BRITISH PROGRESS. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Reulor's Telegrams.) (Received March 13th, 3 p.m.) LONDON, March 12. A Palestine official report states: — "We made a further advance astride the Jerusalem-Nablus road. "We inflicted considerable casualties on the Turks, and captured several machine-guns." RECENT OPERATIONS REVIEWED. (By Cable—Press Association —Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, March 12. Mr \V. T. Massey reports from. Palestine Headquarters on March 11th, that stern fighting in mountainous country between Jerusalem and Nablus has given General Allenbv's army another splendid victory. The operations were as difficult _ as anything in Palestine, but all objectives wore gained, though the Turks fought desperately to retain positions which they thought impregnable. The efforts made by the_ British infantry and Australian Light Horse were magnificent. In ground which is a continuous succession of steep, rocky hills and deep valleys and watercourses, we have beaten back the reinforcements of the enemy 10,000 yards on a front of t.pproximately 20,000 yards. Great wadis, with sides like clnrs, intersected the country, and the guns were frequently inan-handled. In one place the artillery was lowered by ropes. A Ion" line oi men vaulted them up the ~ther side, where there was only one road. A large portion ol the force was employed to make pack tracks, whicn later were improved for wheel tramc. The British troops blasted a road out of a mountain, and had lorries running over it next day. The advance began at dawn March 9th. The Welsh captured TellAsur, the most commanding position m Palestine, and engaged the enemy cn top with bombs. This suddenly ceased, and the Turks came over the top, oat a counter-attack swept them down with. Lewis guns and left us in secure possession of the hill. The dismount-

Ed yeomanry and Irish on the left matte excellent progress, and when 1 was in their area to-day they he'd positions commanding Turmus Aya on»i binjer. The London troops were busy in «.ne Jordan Valley, to prevent reinforcements coming down the Beisan road. They met a good deal of opposition in occupying Abu Tclfnl and Beiduda, but the enemy never had a chance to i se their force over the Jordan, where the Auja joins the river. The Welsh, Londoners, and Australian Light Horse operated in the hills, which are unsuitable for cavalry, the admirable protecting llank thus releasing many infantry. We have now obtained a lino of great strength, from which- we .-an see the plains of Sharon and Esdraelon. GENERAL ALLENBY'S TASK. PARIS, March 12. The "Journal des Debats" states that General Allenbv lias a double objective. Firstly to cut- the ineat transverse road through Samaria, ami secondly to extend east in the valUy of ti:e Jordan and threaten the ureal line of norJiv and south communioatiens between Damascus and Mccca. If he cuts the railway to Hedamaz, tlie Turks in Arabia will be in a driticpl position. British aeroplanes are already bombing the railway.