THE ADVANCE IN MESOPOTAMIA

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3063, 26 April 1917, Page 5

THE ADVANCE IN MESOPOTAMIA

FURTHER SUCCESSES GREAT HAUL OF BOOTY ■ I The High Commissioner reports:— .. . ■ ■ 1 .. -■ , , ~ London, April 24, 2.30 p:m. An .oftoial -message from Mesopotamia states: Samara Station (70 miles north of Bagdad) was captured yesterday. Th*. captures, include 16 locomotives, 224 railway trucks, and two barges containing munitions. . GENERAL MAUDE'S 'REPORT . Maude (the British .Commander in Mesopotamia)'-reports:' The battle on the right bank .of the Tigris, between Samara and Istabulat, continued during the night of the 22nd. There wae severe iand-t<Hhand fighting, and numerous enemy counter-attacks. We drove out the enemy who stubbornly defended the .position, whioh 'had been, elaborately pre' pared -and contained iron-roofed.dug-outs. We pursued the'enemy and ocmi pied the. Samara Station on the 22nd. The enemy had hastily destroy ed all that was possible. Our captures include .sixteen locomotives ' The enemy's casualties on the'2lst .and 22nd were heavy.—Aus-N Z Oahln Assii.-Eeuterw ■ ''.''• Vjttule . , THE BRITISH ADVANCE IN PALESTINE ! . ... ' ENEMY'S MAIII POSITION REINFORCED. ~-.., . , . ' „ ' 'London, April 24. An olneial message from Jigypt states: — Reinforced Turkish forces hold a stronglyrentrenchedi position from Gaza towards Beersheba. The organisation of the positions we had gained in front of the Turkish main line is,proceeding satisfactorily. We blew; up an am munition dump at Gaza—Aiis.-N.Z. Cable Afisn.-Reuter '