PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 1, 23 September 1918, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

On the reports thus far available, Olsehali Alixnhv's latest attack in Palestine seems likely Lo rank as one of the most successful of the war. Dislodged by a surprise attack from a strongly fortified line, the Turks have been thrown back in disorderly retreat, and thc_ only question open at time of writing is in regard to what limits they are. capable of setting to the disastrous defeat they have suffered. When the liat-tlo opened the Turks were established on an elaborately fortified line extending ear;!, south-east' from the coast of Palestine about, ten miles north of Jafia._ Their principal lints of communication on this front consisted of a railway which runs north, parallel with the coast and at a distance from it of about ten miles, as far (as Till Kcra-m (twelve miles , north of the line on which the battle opened), and then turns east and slightly south to Nablus. Standing in the hill country about twenty-seven miles from the coast and a, little over thirty miles north of Jerusalem, Nablus was an important enemy base. Besides being a railway town, it js an important roacl centre. After running duo north from Nablus for twentyfive miles the railway connects with the lino from Haifa, on the Bay of Acre, to Damascus. As news stands, tho Australian Light Horse have not only reached Tul Keram (twelve miles. north of the starting point), but arc astridethe east and west section of the railjway between Tul Kerara, and Nablus. Ancbta, which they have captured, stands approximately midway between these places, and at Anebta, as an official message states, they have cut off "largo bodies of tho retreating enemy with guns and transport." Another cavalry force. —British, Indian and Australianhas captured an important road centre in the coastal ione nineteen milee north of th~e line on which_ the battle opened At the same time a forward movement has been made west of the. Jordan, and the infantry, which acquitted itself magnificently in the opening assault, is now rapidly pressing forward , in the wake of the cavalry. One of the most sensational items of news relates to the operations of tho Arab forces .of the King of Hejaz which arc co-operating with General Allbnby's army by attacking the line of the Hejaz railway. The British official report states that strong detachments of the Hejaz Arabs have severed the enemy's railway communications, northward, southward, and westward of Deraah (Derat). This place stands on the Hejaz railway 75 miles east of the Bay of Aero and about thirty miles east and slightly south of the Sea of Galilee. It is the junction of the Hejaz railway with the lino running west to Haifa, on the Bay of Acre. _ The importance of Derat appears in the fact that tho only railways available to tho enemy as lines of communication with the front on which he is now so desperately beset in Palestine are those running south froii} :i Damascus to tho region of Derat. There are two such railways, however, the one on which Derat stands and another ' which runs at its nearest approach about ten miles north-west of that place. Unless the Arab attack extended to this second line'the enemy was left in undisturbed possession of one railway feeding tho Palestine front. Hitherto the operations of the Arabs against the Hejaz railway have been in the nature of damaging raids, and they as a rule retreated before Turkish reinforcements. Such raids, however, when they arc planned and executed with an eye to maximum damage and tho kind of damage that will take a considerable timo to repair, arc capable of adding heavily to tho enemy's difficulties.- In the present case it is likely that' the Arab operations are a very valuable contribution to the British victory. , If his railway communications cast of the Sea of Galilee were completely severed for any length of time the enemy would be desperately handicapped.

As a whole the results of General AiiLENBY's stroke are bound to .be great and far-reaching. Only preliminary reports of the captures of men and material effected are _ as yet available, but in the conditions that have been created the enemy's total losses arc bound to be enormous. A very considerable advance by the British forces is equally assured. It is by no means llnlikely as affairs are shaping that the advance will be rapidly carried forward to tho Bay of Adrc, ivhich contains the best harbour on the Palestine coast, and to the railway which runs inland from Haifa.

A message just received makes it quite- plain that the British victory is on the greatest scale. Though not official, it com&s from Mil. Massby, a correspondent of repute. Hd states that tin* places captured include Nazareth, which stamlrabout 30 miles north of Nablus. This means that the railway running inland from the Bay of Acre lias already been passed in the advance Mu. Massey mentions that 13,000 prisoners arc in hand and (hat many have yet to bo counted.