LIBERATION OF PALESTINE

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 127, 31 May 1919, Page 10

LIBERATION OF PALESTINE

OPENING OF "THE TENTH

CRUSADE"

The Rafa victory had the effect of practically clearing the Turk out of Sinai He soon afterwards withdrew his southern forces, and from then on Sinai .was to know hint no more. This accomplished, preparations were at once made for what the campaigners were pleased to call "Tho-Tenth Crusade"—the conquest of the Holy Land after centuries of Turkish misrule and oppression. Across the border the. British, Australian, and Now Zealand troops could soe the green hills of "The Promised Land." Like the .Israelites of old, they, too, looked .upon,

it with longing eyes, for they had just completed a full twelve months in the desert, and had been schooled well enough in its trials and mysteries to wish to bid them a permanent adieu. But the mystic, trackless wastes had not been unkind to them; they had given them three pronounced victories, and had taught them the all-essential knowledge which was to bring them epoch-making successes in tho coming campaign.

Those successes, however, were not de- I stined -£o bo immediately forthcoming. Failures, serious failures, were ahead in the form of the First and Second Battles of Gaza. Immense preparations were made for the new advenfSHro which was arousing intense interest throughout the Christian and Moslem worlds; the opposing forces were both greatly strengthened, and by the middle of March the railhead from the Suez Canal had reached Rafa. A reconnaissance by the New Zealand Mountod Riflos on 23rd February rovealed the fact that Khan Yunus, a small town about four miles on tho road to Gaza. 20 miles from Rafa., was held in strength; but pressure induced, the Turks to withdraw and retire on their main stronghold, Gaza. The Desert Column had now ceased to bear its name, and from that time onwards waa known as the East Force. FIRST BATTLE OF GAZA. The First Battle of Gaza was fought on 26th and 27th March, .1917. General Murray's plan of battle was for the cavairy and camelry to pass to tho east and take up positions north of Gaza, thereby cutting off the enemy's lino of .retreat, while the British Infantry Divisions .assaulted tho town in front. Early in the morning of 26th March the cavalry, comprising tho Imperial and Anzac Mounted Divisions, crossed the Wadi Ghnzza unopposed, and, screened by a fog, had occupied its assigned positions by 10 o'clock, capturing the commander of the 53rd Turkish Division and his staff in the process. The Yeomanry and the Camel Corps engaged the enemy further east, the-latter putting up such a good fight as to practically annihilate the 3rd Turkish Cavalry Division. The Infantry attack on the town had been proceeding for some time when at 3.30 in the afternoon the Anzac Mounted Division and Yeomanry were ordereu to assault from the north. The New Zealand Brigade occupied the centre, and, advancing, captured two 4.2-inoh Austrian howitzers, which, they turned on the enemy and retained, in spite of desperate counter-attacks. Detachments of

Australians and New Zealanders actually forced their way into Gaza itself, whore they engaged in lively bayonet fighting. They, however, came under the heavy fire from machine-guns stationed in various houses, and suffered severely, those who did not fall being eventually made prisoners. fThe mounted men retired during the night, as also did the Infantry, and the battle was renewed on the following morning. Tho Turkish garrison meanwhile had been heavily reinforced, and the cavalry being without water the battle was broken off. The attacking force suffered 4000 casualties, 'while those of tho Turks were officially . estimated at 8000, including 950 prisoners. The Turks also lost two guns, captured by the New Zealanders. SECOND BATTLE OF GAZA. The Second Battle of Gaza was- destined to end in another British failure. It was fought on 18th and 19th April, the openI ing moves being made on-tho 17th. Id this battle, even more fiercely contested than the first, tanks were employed by' the British for the first time. The cavalry were assigned the task of,keeping off the Turkish forces in Beersneba, while the Imperial Camel Corps assisted the Infantry attack. Though the Navy assisted with big gun fire from the sea, , small progress was made by the Infantry Divisions and Camel Corps when the main assault was delivered on the 19th. The New Zealand Brigade was sent in to support an attack delivered, by the Ist Australian Mounted Division and: the Camel Corps in the centre; it advanced under heavy shell fire, occupied a low ridge, and held on under ai hot- fire for the rest of, the day. During the night the. British forces were .withdrawn- to the Wa-di Ghuzze—a desert riverbed which, they were to know for some months to come.

The failure of the second attempt to take Gaza, resulted in General Murray being replaced by General Allenby, the future "Conqueror of Palestine." Other changes saw Major-Goneral Sir H. Chauvel, Commander of the Anzac Mounted Division, promoted to the command of the East Force; ho ivas succeeded by Brigadier-General Chaytor, New Zealand Brigade, who was promoted Major-Gen-eral; the New Zealand Brigade command in turn went to Colonel Meldrum, who was created Brigadier-General. NEW COMMANDER'S PLAN OF CAMPAIGN. General Allenby, immediately upon his arrival, made elaborate preparations for overwhelming the Turkish forces. "The Tonth Crusade," which had made a' false start, was now, under his leadership, to become a triumphant success. The Turks had decided to hold Gaza permanently, and spent the interval between the second failure to take it and the opening of General Allenby's offensive in strongly fortifying the GazaBeersheba line, a distance of, thirty miles, making it, to all intents and purposes, impregnable. With their prestige restored by the Gaza successes the Turks were well content; nothing could be done against tho Beersheba flank, because, to the east arid south of this Biblical town there is nothing but a great expanse of waterless desert, and it was "quite impossible" for any attack to come from there. General Allenby's men and horses wore only of the flesh, subject to tho distresses of tho flesh; they were not gods, who could Hvs without water—and the Turkish knowledge was based upon centuries of experience. But such waa' the Bdlisli General's intention—to, roll up /

tho Beersheba flank; attacking from the "void"' with his mounted troops and camelry. Meanwhile he kept the Turks' attention concentrated on Gaza by means of local raids and a general display of activity behind the British linos. "Tho whole plan worked as anticipated. "THE GREAT DESERT RIDE." The attack on Beersheba was set down for 31st October; tho troops were to be concentrated in positions of readiness by the previous evening; they were to make a night march, and assault at dawn. Tho job was assigned to the East Force, which was split up into two. The firstcomprising two divisions, infantry and dismounted Yeomanry, together with the Imperial Camel Corps, and a cavalry regiment, was to deliver the frontal assault; while the second column, composed, of Anzac horsemen and Yeomanry was to make a wide detour into the uninhabitable desert, and deliver "tho bolt from the blue." The first force moved in. an inner circle, being • transported by rail as much as possible. The "Void Column" started out from Sha'uth- and Shellat on the night of 27th October on its great desert ride,/ proceeding south and east to Khalasa and Asluj, the only remaining places where wa.ter was available, until they wen Beorsheba. On the eventful evening of 30th October the "Void Column" set out upon the last lap of this, perhaps its greatest adventure. The Khalasa force was no less than' 15 miles long. Both mado their wide sweep out into tho arid wastes, and took up their positions east of Beersheba at 5 a.m. on 31st October, the troops from Khalasa having covered So miles, and thoso from Asluj o5 miles. Their appearance was wholly unexpected by the Turks, whoso surprise may be imagined. STORMING OF TEL ES SABA. The Australians and New Zealanders were promptly sent into action, the Yeomanry acting as a reserve. There was a hard contest for the passage of a wadi protecting the main Turkish position, Tel es Saba, a hill 1000 feet high, which had been strongly fortified and dominated the situation. The passage was finally won, whereupon the New Zealanders, dismounted, olosed upon the Tel es -Saba redoubt and captured it by storm. Several attempts had been m r r by detachments of Australians and Now Zealanders to cross the open plain and reach Beersheba,. The villnge of Saba at the foot of the hill succumbed, but when the moon rose again Beeraheba had not yet fallen. The frontal attack by the infantry had been proceeding meanwhile with partial success, throughout the day. By 7.30 p.m., par-, ticularly in view- of the. lack of water, the gravest anxiety began to be felt. The Yeomanry was ordered to the assault, but there was no need for them. The 4th Australian Light Horso settled the issue by mounting their horses and charging straight for the town. They galloped, over two trenches, stabbing tho Turks in them with their bayonets as they passed, aud rode, cheering vociferously, into Beershoba, which immediately surrendered. The British, as an immediate result, bagged_2ooo prisoners, 13 guns, and much material, including railway rolling stock. Next day, Ist November, the mounted troops were sent along the Hebron road, and had a good deal of fighting with the Turks during the following days. The New Zealanders, together with the Imperial Camel Corps, shared--specially in this. On one occasion, when the' New Zealand Mounted Rifles were holding a hill, the Turkish infantry with -bayonets fixed, essayed a charge, only to be dispersed by .the- New Zealanders' machinegun fire, which inflicted upon them fully 300 casualties. .The main British attack was launched on Tel el Sheria, which was formidably fortified, on 6th November, but-was not ■successful - until the following day, when it was pressed home. It was the decisive action of the campaign. The position wou, the Turkish Army along tho whole line began a precipitate retreat, abandoning Gaza with all its defences and material. HORSES WITHOUT .WATER FOR 72 HOURS. The Australians and Now Zealanders meanwhile, were sent west of the railway to harass the large forces of the enemy retreating .towards Huj. Events ■tliNi moved rapidly, ending in seven weeks from the date of the attack on Beersheba, in the fall of Jerusalem. This entailed long marching with great feate of endurance.

The New Zealand Brigade,\nfter fighting for a while with the Imperial Camel Corps in the Judean Hills reached Mejdel (near ancient Ascalon) on 12th November, its horses having been for no less than 72 hours without water. The performance was so unheard of that it was officially investigated and duly es-» tablished. It wae capable of only one explanation—the lessons learned in Sinai. 1 EPIC CHARGE BY NEW ZEALANDERS. The advance by the Australians and New Zealanders on Jaffa, the seaport of the Holy City, was continued. Yebna was occupied on the 13th. On 14th November, when the victorious invaders were 1 approaching Eamleh and Ludd, the' Turks endeavoured to finally arrest their progress by heavily counter attacking at Ayun Kara. . R-amleh was then Turkish Headquarters in Palestine. The engagement, which is an epic one in New Zealand's history, was thus described by Mr. W. T. Massey, the British war correspondent:

"The Anzacs moved on Ramleh and Ludd from the south-west, meeting with considerable opposition, which was beaten off, till Ayun Kara was reached, where the enemy was reinforced by two new battalions, and made a most determined counter-at-tack against the New Zeaianders. Running very quiokly behind a somewhat strong guntire, the Turks got to within fifteen yards of our line, attacking with bombs and rifles, when the whole line of Auckland troops, with some Wellington Mounted Rifles, rushed forward with 'the bayonyd. met tho enemy with tremendous force, and smashed up the counter-attack most completely. The Turks broke and fled, leaving over 400 dead a-s a result of the bayonet charge alone."

The action was regarded so much as a classic operation that it was ordered to be specially written up, and the full details were sent to the British War Office for use in the future instruction of Mounted Rifles. It was one of the few realistic bayonet clashes of ,the war, a definite shock action in which the Southern Cross quite eclipsed the Crescent. NEW ZEALANDERS OCCUPY 'JAFFA. Ramleh and Ludd were occupied on the 15th, and on 16th November the New Zealand Mounted, Rifles captured Jaffa unopposed, and ruled its population for a fortnight or more. The populace received them with joy. Whilo the attack on Jerusalem was proceeding the Turks attempted to force the passage of the river Auja, north of Jaffa, which was held Ay the 54th Division and tho New Zealand Mounted Rifles.. The Turks never got past, though the engagement for both sides was a nasty one. ' Jeusalem fell on 9th December, and General Allenby made his official entry on 11th December, his specially-com-posed'body guard being selected from Uie"1 whole of tho units of his conquering army, including the Australians and Now Zcaianders. With .Southe.ru Palestine liberated ,

from the Turkish tyranny, General Allenby embarked upon operations for the conquest of the northern portion, and clearing the Turks out as far north as Aleppo. His forces were further strengthened for this purpose, but the result was not to be realised as soon as was originally anticipated. The Anzacs, Yeomany, and Imperial Camel Corps were allotted the task of conquering the Jordan Valley and maintaining supremacy there, thereby protecting the British right flank. They wore also charged with the duty of raiding the country east of the Jordan, rendering proportionate assistance to the King of the Hedjaz, who was fighting the Turkish Army in the south. THE VALLEY OF THE JORDAN. Starting on 18th February, 1918, from the rains of Ascalon—famous as the city of the Philistines, later tho chief port of Palestine, tho'cit f y which was razed to the ground by Saladin and Bilbars, the last conquest of Richard the Lion Hearted—the Anzac Mounted Division plodded its way along .the old RomanroaTT to Bethlehem, the birth place ot Our Sa-vioua. The whole Division was quartered in Bethlehem that night, and moved out next day with the object of driving the Turks across the Jordan. The' 18th and 19th had been spent by the Wellington Mounted Rifles in reconnoitring the country eastwards ; the New Zealand Brigade accordingly led the way. It was now that the Anzacs made their first acquaintance with the Jordan Valley, one of the greatest military obstacles in the world and certainly one of the most pestiferous. The descent from the hills around Jerusalem—they range from 2000 ft and more above sea level—is steep, the floor of the Jordan Valley only Vl7 miles distant, through which tho river flows into the Dead Soa, being 1200 ft below the level of the Mediterranean. The intervening space is interrupted by a series of ridges, presenting deep defiles and ravines in which it is difficult- to secure a foothold even in the days or peace, let alone in war time. THE FALL OF JERICHO. Nothing daunted, the Anzacs made a long night parch in single file through the mountainous country, and at daylight on 20th February the New Zealanders encounterd . the Turks strongly posted in the hills. A brisk engagement ensued, and it was not until night fall, that tho New 'Zealanders succeeded in dislodging the Turks from their position.

The Turks withdrew into Nebi Musa, the alleged tomb .of Moses. As soon as it was light the Ist Australian Light Horse followed the track down to the eveiflowiug river and occupied Jericho at 8 a.m..on the 21st February. Nebu Musa fell to the New Zealanders two hours earlier, the Turks having evacuated it.

The New Zealand Brigade sent a regiment down to the head of tho Dead Sea to occupy the Turkish store-house and seize any boats that were there. On the 22nd the Division marched back to Bethlehem, leaving the Auckland Regiment to hold Jericho, which it continued to do,until the Division with British troops and the Imperial Camel Corps returned to the Jordan Valley in the middle of March and engaged in tho great enterprise of raiding the Hedjaz railway. IN THE LAND OP MOAB. This adventure extended from 22nd March, to 2nd April. On the first day the Auckland Mounted Rifles crossed the Jordan near Jericho by. means of a pontoon, bridge, and by a. brilliant chargo cleared the eastern bank of the river, enabling the 60th (London). Division to . pass over.- The Anzac Mounted Division crossed at a point lower down. The next two days and nights wore spent by the whole force in climbing the tortuous mountains of Moab, of Biblical fame. Es Salt, a. town with 15,000 inhabitants on the plateau of Moab. was occupied by the 60th Division on the 25th. The weather throughout the adventure being very bad, the march proceeded in torrential rain and mud; the going consequently was slow. By the evening vf the 27th, however, demolition parties from the Wellington Alounted Rifles were working on the railway south of Amman, and on the same day the Imperial Camel Corps advanced direct on the town. Amman, ■in' olden days a stronghead of the Ammonites, was. invested on tho 28th, and was assaulted at intervals for four days in pouring rain without a breach being effected. The New Zea-landers attacked hill 3039 to the south. They captured a portion of it, but were unable to drive the enemy from the northern *,nd eastern ends. Parties of New Zealand - ors entered the village, but were fired oh from the houses. Meanwhile six miles of railway had been blown up, and the bridge to the north had been destroyed. Finally orders were given to withdraw, which was done, the raiding force returning to the Jordan with over 700 prisoners and four guns captured from the Turks. Several thousands of Armenians and Copts from Es Salt and tho immediateneighbourhood accompanied them. SUMMER SPENT IN JORDAN VALLEY. The Anzacs then took up the line from tho Dead Sea, up the Jordan Valley to 10 miles north of Jericho, and from.that point to the Judean Heights,-where they joined up with the Camel Corps and British Infantry. Owing to the disastrous turn evonts had taken in France, General Allenby's forces were seriously depleted, and his projected great offensive was held up until Indian reinforcements arrived from Mesopotamia and India itself. The Anzacs, in consequence, wore obliged to spend the wholo of ?rensuing summer in the gruelling Jordan Valley, and in the process most of them fell victims to the dreaded malaria. Some of tho Camel Corps meantime v had joined tho Hedjaz forces further south, and did particularly good work. iOn 30th April a second raid was made I into the Land of Moab by the London [ Division and the Anzacs. The latter recaptured Es Salt at 6 p.m. on that day, , taking 348 Bi'isoncrs, and -after- further

fighting on 2nd May the whole force withdrew once more to the Jordan.

No further action of any importance developed until 14th July, when a strong attack was delivered by the Turco-Ger-man forces against the British right flank in the Jordan Valley. The weight of this blow, which was delivered at night, fell upon the Ist Australian Light Horse. At daylight on the 15th the New Zealand Brigade moved out to a flank for the purpose of cutting off the attackers. The movement was entirely successful, almosi the entiro attacking force of two German battalions being taken .prisoner. CALLING THE BLUFF ON THE TURKS. By the end of August General Allenby's plans were complete. He designed to launch his attack on the coast, and in order to deceive the Turkish commander kept up the appearance that he was still maintaining a very large forco of cavalry in^tho Valley of the Jordan, though, as a matter of fact, practically only the veteran Anzac Division was left. This deception was accomplished by placing dummy horses in the horse-lines as the genuine animals were removed, by having men constantly moving about, and by " keeping the home fires burning." The horse-lines being .plainly visible to the Turks from the Moab heights, thoy saw everything yet noticed nothing. The deception worked like a charm. . The Turk was taking no chances against the Mounteds who had done the impossible .it Beersheba by "coming oul of the blue." He was bitten badly once, and'with him it was a case of once bitten twice shy. In fact, he thought so much of the Mounted "menace" composed largely of dummy horses that he actually concentrated two-thirds of his strength, on he casern side of the Jordan. General Allenby, on the other hand, had concentrated his strength on the coast. He launched his assault there on 18th September, gaining one of tho greatest victories in. history, completely annihilating the Turkish armies opposed to him, and giving him an almost unobstructod passage to 'Aleppo. SURRENDER OF 10th TURKISH ARMY. The Anzacs, having " called the bluff" once more on "Johnny Turk" and his German commanders, were now ordered to cross the Jordan for the third time, capture Amman, and sever the communications of the Turkish JOth. Army,

which was busy further south with the King of the Iledjaz and his Arabs. For this purpose Major-General Sir E. W.C. Chaytor, commanding the Anzac Division, had several Indian Regiments and two battalions of Jewish volunteers allotted to him. The latter were popularly known among the Anzacs as " Tho Jordan Highlanders." On 23rd September the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade, by an. extraordinarily quick march, climbed the mountains of Moab and seized Es Salt. The rest of the Division followed on the 24th, and on the 25th, as the result of heavy fighting, Amman was captured, the famous old Roman citadel, which had held out so tenaciously during the previous investment, falling to the Canterbury Mounted Rifles. , Steps were immediately taken to push on down the railway Jin?, to meet the 10th Turkish Army, which was located at Kastal on the 28th.

On the 29th the 10th Turkish Army surrendered to General Chaytor, yielding him 10,322 prisoners, 42 guns, 147 macli. ine-guns, and enormous quantities of stores and ammunition. In addition to those several thousand prisoners had been captured by General Chaytor's forco in the operations immediately preceding. It was thus that the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade completed . its four years .of campaigning—with tho crowning success of all. It was a'fina finish, equally as. fine as that of tlia New Zealand Division in France, when five weeks later it placed the permanent seal of fame on its military achievements "by the capture of Le Quesnoy.

GARRISONING THE DARDANELLES

Tlie.New Zealand Mounters, like the New Zealand Infantry, also emerged from tho war with the reputation that they could always be relied upon to do what they were asked to do and more. They never failed in tliis. It remains to bo placed to their credit that they were "always in the.line," only being conceded three weeks' leave during the whole of three years' , campaigning in Sinai and Palestine. When tho armistice with Turkey was concluded, tho Canterbury Mountedßifles and tlie 7th Australian Light Horse were given the honour of occupying the Gallipoli Peninsula. They were shipped there withont their horses, and remained garrisoning the Dardanelles forts until about January, when they were relieved. PARTING WITH THEIR HORSES. The war over, the Anzacs were obliged to part with their beloved horses. Those were affecting farewells of which few Anzac horsemen care to speak. Rather than permit them to be "sold into slavery" many of the men shot their faithful steeds, and for months afterwards left their hearts where tbey lie buried. Those horses had names. With the men their masters "Their name liveth for ever-' more."'