CAMPAIGNING IN SYRI

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 42, 13 November 1918, Page 7

CAMPAIGNING IN SYRI

± | RECENT OPERATIONS DESCRIBED i : _ i NEW ZEALANDEES PRAISEI j London, November 7.' An official report of the operations | the New Zealanders in Syria in Septeij her and October states: "The Brigal carried out reconnaissance work in tl Jordan Valley up to September 19. Tl enemy periodically shelled our waterij area. On September IS the Brigade pus' ed northward on the west of the Jordii Patron from the Auckland Mount) Rifles and the- Wellington Mounted Rift moved forward and came under fire from an enemy battery. A battalii of the British West Indies Regimen working in conjunction with' the mom! Ed troops, moved forward and, aft! severe iightiiig, drove the enemy from tj south bunk of the Jadi, Bakr. Durii the evening the Wellington Mounti Rifles took lip a position on the Wad The enemy fell back during the earl part of the next morning, and their pos tion was occupied by the British We Indies Regiment. On September 21 tl Wellington Mounted Rifles, with one se tion of machine-guns and an India mountain battery, occupied Fusail, caj hiring two machine-guns and 2G prisoi ers. • Patrols pushed well forward in tl direction of Umm 'Esh Shert. On Set tembor 22 the Auckland Mounted Rifll were ordered to cut the Jisr Ed Damij Nablus road. During the day hea\ fighting ensued, all the Brigade tnkin part. .Tut" Ed Damieh and a brid( across the Jordan there were capture after some sharp fighting, in which tl Auckland Mounted Rifles and the We lington Mounted Rifles took the chil part. The captures were 886 -prisoneij including tun commander and staff of tl 53rd Turkish Division, six guns, nil machine-guns, and a large dump. { "On September 23 the Brigade move on towards Es Salt and came in toucj with the enemy after a very tryiij march in the heat up steep mountai tracks. Es Salt was enveloped and caj tured. The corps did splendid work i an advance guard during the marcl skilfully capturing several enemy post) without checking our advance. In one ( these posts nine officers and 130 mei were captured. T.he captures at Es Sal included 538 prisoners, three gun 6, foii machine-guns, and a largo ammunitio' dump. Next day the Brigade move towards Amman, and on September 2 tho Brigade attacked Amman from tb north, while the 2nd Australian Ligli Horse Brigade attacked from the wesl They en mo under heavy artillery fir( Tho' Canterbury Mounted Rifles gallope forward and came under machine-gn! fire, and dismounted and attacked th enemy, supported by artillery fire, anj took the position at the point of th bayonet. Nineteen officers and a hundre other ranks, mostly Germans, and in eluding the officer commanding and tfc staff of the 14(ilh Battalion, and six ma chine-guns, were captured hero. On' troop oi the Canterbury Mounted Rifle immediately galloped forward and en tered Amman. The Canterbury Mountei Rifles then attacked in the rear of till enemy position east of the town, and ( genoral advance wns ordered. The Auolc laud, Canterbury, and Welling toi Mounted Rifles carried everything beforj them. Several hundred of the enemj surrendered in the trenches. The cap tures bv the New Zealand Brigade well 173 i prisoners, six guns, twenty-five ma ciiine-guns, three wireless plants, and < largo ammunition dump find stores. ! "From September 20 1 (? 20th) to Sep tember 29 tho Brigade was engaged 11 clearing tip tho battlefield. On Septembei 30 the Brigade moved south to Ziza tc support the.2nd Australian Light Hors* Brigade m guarding prisoners and cap; tured stores of the army from Moanj which had surrendered the previous day; From October 1 to October 3 the Brigade tfas engaged visiting and clearing up outi lying positions and places. On October 4 and 5 the Brigade returned to Jerichoj and on October 10 moved into rest camp at Richon Lo Zion Ludd. General Allenby sent a highly congratulatory message to General Chaytor's force after these operations."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.