FALL OF BAGDAD CONFIRMED

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3026, 13 March 1917, Page 5

FALL OF BAGDAD CONFIRMED

SMASHING ADVANCE OF THE BRITISH

TURKS NOW THREATENED FROM ALL POINTS

The High' Commissioner reports:— London, March. 11, 5.5 p.is. s ! The rumour of the occupation, of Bagdad is officially confirmed to-day. ! Lieutenant-General Maudo telegraphs the announcement that the British forces occupicd the city early this mo mine. No further details have been received. DETAILS OF THE OPERATIONS. By 'Aesociatioit-Copyrishi. a London, March 11. An official report from Mesopotamia states: Wa made a surprise crossing of tho DiaJa, in. the moonlight oa Thursday and established a strolls post on the right bank. We bridged tho Tigris and a strong detachment marched tip the right bank, found the enemy six miles south-west of Bagdad, and drove him back two miles. We forced a passage over the Diala on Friday,. and advanced four miles towards Bagdad. Our forces on the right bank dislodged the enemy from the second position and bivouacked oil tho captured ground. Dust storms and a. violent gale forced hack tho Turks threo miles west-south-west of Bagdad 011 Saturday.—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo AsSn .-Router. A BUN DAY ACHIEVEMENT. (Rcc.. March 12, 6.20 p.m.) London, March ih Official: Bagdad was occupied on Sunday.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Asbh.Reuter. ■ ' PROGRESS OF THE RUSSIANS London, March 11. Wireless, per Admiralty 'Cress:—-'A Russian official report states: "Wo repelled an attempted Turkish offensive on the Sivas Road. As lie result, of fighting in the Hamadaii region, we occupied Saklrne, and pursued tho enemy, after a stubborn resistance, towards Basutun."—Aus.-N.Z. " Cabl* Assn.-Reuter. A TURKISH ADMISSION. Amsterdam, March 11. The Turks admit the- evacuation of Hamadan for strategical considera-tions.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE SITUATION REVIEWED (Rcc. March 12, 8.10 p.m.) London,' March 12. _ Military critics point out that there is a first-rate road behind Diala, and this, together with marshes, should enable the Turks to make almost an. impregnable front between tho Euphrates and the Tigris. Ths British victory leaves tho Turkish army in Persia in the air, and only precipitate retreat will save it. Mosul, on the Upper Tigris, from where tho Turks are operating, is a magazine comparable_ with. Sivas and Damascus. Mosul must now feed the armies which are facing opponents on two sides. The junction of General Maude and tho Russians at Hamadan will he tho next dramatic development.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. CLOSING IN ON THE TURKS (Rcc. March i 2, 11.10 p.m.) London, March 12. The main Russian, force is now 186 miles from Bagdad, as compared with 258 miles before the advance from Hamadan. Another column is at Senne, 72 miles north of Kermanshah, while the northernmost column has reached Beroze, 94 miles from Mosul, on the Bagdad Road, by which tho Turkish main supplies come from the north. Meanwhile, Sir Archibald Murray, from tho Suez Canal line, is pushing on to the borders of Palestine, .and the Grand Duke Nicholas is advancing in Armenia. It is now apparent that General Maude smashed tho Turkish army at Kut-el-Amara mors completely than was disclosed at the time. Throughout, laborious operations, extending over many days, he has inflicted terrible losses on tho Turks, who were often found dead in heaps. Thousands of prisoners have been taken. When the army lied to Bagdad onlv a remnant remained. The fall of Bagdad means more than tho rout of the Turkish army in Oriental eyes, and it is therefore doublv important. India has played a great and worthy part in General Maude's triumph. A very largo proportion of tho troops wcro Indian, and their pursuing cavalry, in taking Bagdad, were especially wclcomc to tho Persians. Half a million inhabitants of tho Bagdad provinces arc adherents of the Persian form of -Islamic faith. It is questionable how long Turkey will now be content to continue an alliance which takes her men to fight on the Russian fronts, whiln il; 11.15 failed to save her rich Eastern provinces. GREAT REJOICINGS IN 'LONDON ALLIED COLUMNS CONVERGING FROM ALL SIDES. (Rcc. March 11, 8.10 p.m.) London, _ March 11. Tho nows_ of the fall of Bagdad caused widespread rejoicings in London anl the provinces. It is reported from Amsterdam that the German engineers aro busy upon projects for the improvement of the Bagdad railway, and with a view lo obviating a ferry across the Bosphorns are preparing plans for tunnelling under water, or i:i the alternative, constructing a bridge of six hundred metres from Rumraellihissar to Anatolissa.—Tho "Timos." . J