CAPTURE OF JERUSALEM

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 71, 17 December 1917, Page 5

CAPTURE OF JERUSALEM

INHABITANTS ELATED

NIGHTMARE OF TURKISH OPPRESSION DISPELLED

NOT A SHOT FIRED UPON THE CITY ADMIRABLE WORK OF THE STAFF London, Decmber 14. Router's correspondent at Egyptian Headquarters states:—Surely never has the papulation of a conquered city received with deeper and more, heartfelt gladness invaders with w'lbnTiFiias not connection, kith, or kin. It is a tribute to the qualities of our race and tho reputation of our soldiers that thero is hardly a soul in Jerusalem but is elated at this fresh great siccess of the British arms. Jews, Arabs, Greeks, and Copts wore banded together in enthusiasm at our advent. The nightinaro of Turkish oppression | was dispelled by the thunder of our I guns outsido the town, and with the hasty flight of the last remnants of the Turkish soldiery Jerusalem awoke to a welcome dawn. When tho British General entered the town to take tho surrender, his progress was a moving and pathe:ic spectacle. His car was surrounded by a lingo crowd, hysterically laughing, crying, clapping their hands, and showering flowers niwn our officers. Relief and confidence were general and unmistakeable. These feelings were intensified by the knowledge that, in spite of provocation, not a single shrapnel or rifle nutlet had been directed upon the town.

Descriptive Account of the Offensive,

The offensive which resulted in such a gJotfciis success began on the night of December 7. For some days previously the Turks had been distinctly aggressive, and made several attacks on = onr positions, especially at Neby Samwil, which was then held by the Londoners. Four attacks succeeded each other, the Turks employing special storm troops. Tho final attack was preceded by such heavv shelling that the onemy was confident that our troops must have" Been blown off tlie summit, and advanced to tho assault with their rifles slurg.. Our lads allowed them to chcrT&n their delusion until they came quito close, and then dealt with them with rifles and bayonets. Every attack was repulsed with blnodv loss to the enemy. The Turks held a strong lino west, south, and north-east of Jerusalem. By dint of great labour they had dug trenches some way down the s.-opeof the last rise before the Holy City. They were protected in places with wire, and wero abundantly provided with machine-guns. Their urtillery dominated tho opposite crests, over which our men must advance, home, of tho guns were actually established iust. outside the walls of Jerusalem, matins it impossible to reply 10 their fire without endangering tho town. . ■ 'Unfortunately tho weather again played «s fal«e. Torrent o.F heavy raiii succeeded torrent; but :n spite of discomfort and exposure tne men moved into their positions under cover of tho night. Our attack pivoted on the Neby Samwil, tho dismounted yeomanry attacking north and north-east of that position. The Londoners, in 'a lino south of tho Neby Samwil, had to advanco duo east upon Jeni-nlcm.

Fighting Around Bethlehem. At the same time the "Welsh and somo of the county troops, moved up tho Hebron Road, threatening oomsa,lcm from tho south. Tho latter found Hebron evacuated, but encountered resistance around Bothlehem. Here also tho Turks had so posted their guns that counter-battery work would endanger tho sacred village, so our troops had to undergo the disagreeable experience of being shelled . without ability to reply. Nevertheless, they Dressed forward, and drovo out the Turks; and by midday on December 8 the Welsh and Cheshire troops wero two miles north of Bethlehem. Tho Londoners were ordered to afe tack They had to climb down a deep sfopo and half-way up a higher slope on the opposite side before they could como to grips with the enemy. The •round was so steep that it was impossible to bring held guns forward to support tho advanco. While one body made a direct frontal attack on the Turkish defences above the village of Ain Karim about dawn, tho Londoners on both flanks were in a position enabling them to rush tho Turkish works, which they stormed and captured. By 7 in tho morning tho whole of the enemy's works west of Jerusalem wero in our hands. The Turks, however, yet held a last line tn top of the ridge overlooking Jerusalem, and had posted numerous machinepuns in the houses of tho Jewish and German colonies on tho furthest outskirts of Jerusalem. Our gallant London lads charged up this ascent lato in the afternoon of December 8. It was a magnificent feat, and was crowned with coraplote success.

Turks Driven at tho Point of tho Bayonet. The Turks were driven at the point of the bayonet out of their line, the survivors flying on either side of Jerusalem. Their losses both at the works and especially during the final ttrugglo 'tin the ridge were exceedingly heavy. It is also true that throughout all tho fighting around Jerusalom they showed a most desperate spirit, and greater tenacity than during almost anv previous fighting. They stood their ground to tho last. During tho night the enemy withdrew north and east of tho city. At 8 o'clock on tho morning of December 9 tho Mayor and Chief of Police came out of tho city with a flag of truce, and offered to surrender tho town. Tho general commanding tho Londoners was instructed to accept tho surrender. At noon ho went forward, ?*-$ without actually entering tho Holy City, formally took over the city. Our forces swept through tho siibur.b:| to the north of the city. As tliey debouched from tho defile they woro subjected to machine-gun firo from tho Mount of Olives and tho ridge nrrth of tho city commonly known as Mount Scopus. This ridge was stormed with the bayonet, many 'dead Turks l>eing left round tho position, while the enemy was also cleared off the Mount of Olives with the assistance of the Welsh troops, who by now had moved up from the south. While the Londoners wero carrying all before them on their section, -ho dismounted Yeomanry were not less successful against their objectives. Further north the Turks were established in a strong series of trenches round tho villago of Beit Ikes. Theso wero carried with a rush in a most gallant manner, our line being advanced right beyond tho village." Some Turks who continued to resist in the village after we passed were subsequently ctsposed of. Tho dismounted men secured a good position, which enabled them to go forward. As soon as tho Londoners came through the suburbs of Jerusalem the dismounted men advanced, being materially helped by the Yeomanry s success. ' They reached tho road leading to Nablus, thus cutting tho line of retreat to the north. In theso parts the enemy suffered very heavy casualties. Oiir losses were comparatively light. Tho "Welsh, who had advanced

from tlio soulli, pushed across the road oast of Jerusalem leading to Jericho. Tho Turkish reinforcements who were advancing along this road, having been rushed up by tho lledjaz railway to succour Jerusalem, were held up and forced hack. Captures of Prisoners and Cuns. In tho course of the operations we captured nearly a thousand prisoners, three eu» s > nncl ina "y mnchine-guns, and also 700 wounded Turks lying m hospitals. Among the wounded were three British prisoners who had been captured. Tho correspondent pays a tribute to tho admirable- staff work and wonderful co-ordination of all movements. It was a master mind which conceived tho plans for capturing tho city without injuring a single stone. A good deal is known of what took place in Jerusalem in the early days of llio war, and tho manner tho attack en the Sues', "Canal was made to appear a Turkish triumph. What is not known is that the Turkish losses in pack animals at this period exceeded 45,000 dead from neglect, lack of food, and overwork. Tho people were so reduced that the inhabitants used to fight' for the bodies of tho animals which died in the streets.—lteuter. ADVANCE NORTimsToF JERUSALEM Tho High Commissioner reports:— London, December 15, 5.30 p.m. Palestine, official:—"North-eastward of Jerusalem wo further extended our lino .on Thursday. Wo captured 140 prisoners."