HOW TURKS FOUGHT.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 24 February 1915, Page 2

HOW TURKS FOUGHT.

'I'ii i'i BATTLE ALONG THE SUEZ CAiNAL. (.Times—Sun Cable.)

.London, Feb. 13. iiiu Turkish advance guard imu'cileU wiwi admuauio rapidity 7roin Boorsneua, ana cuiiceiibruieu 111 the valleys oi Jxauu-xiei-iviieii. a smaller column was sigiuea in tue mils east ot isniailia, ami (Otiiur lHHii,e;> /appeared in uiol uoigiiUoriioud oi Jiit Ji.antara. bovoral skirmisnes occurred before the end oi Januaiy between tile enemy's reconnoitring columns and our outposts. Our advance pusts attacked jLI ivantaia on January no and 27, and lvubri, near cnicz, on January 28. llie enterprising enemy was ueaten ott. liostne guns iired occasional shells, and aur returned the compliment by dropping shells on any ltirkish column J that ottered a good target. Our oplanes also dropped wen-timed 'bombs. Apart uoni these skirmishes there was not much doing, owing to the action ol the enemy in remaining at a tantalising distance. ■Our launches, which were constantly patrolling the Suez Canal, observed that the Turks were methodically entrenching themselves just out of range of our naval guns. The Turks, on February 2, "commenced to move towards ismailia ferry. lliey encountered a reconnoitring party of Indians, and desultory fighting occurred during the afternoon. The Turkish main attacking force moved forward after nightfall, bringing 30 galvanised iron pontoon boats and two raits consisting of kerosene tins fastened in wooden frames. Everything was now ready for an attack. The first warning that the L'urks were arriving was given by an Indian sentry who heard an unknown tongue from across the water. The noise increased into frequent loud exiiorta.fTons in Arabic—"Brothers, die ior the Faith. We can die but once.'' The Egyptians waited till Turks were pushing their boats into the water; then the Maxims suddenly spoke. The ' ,41111s opened at point blank range, and

easy target was offered by the men and the boats that were crowded under the iteep bank 011 the opposite side of the ivater.

Immediately a violent lire broke out on the other side of the canal, the .'liemy replying vigorously to the Indians' fire. Around the guns it was impossible to stand up, but the gunners stuck to their work inflicting terrible punishment on the enemy. .

The crew of a torpedo boat showed ..jroat gallantry. There were 13 men jii the vessel which was engaged in patrolling, the canal. (Suddenly ttie .essel dashed up and landed a party _>f four men south of Toussoum. The anding party found themselves in. a lurkisli trench and escaped only by a iiiiacie. They hastened back with Jie news to the midget vessel, which Tashed between the lires that enfiladed .lie eastern bank of the canal. Al•Jirough it was a target for a ihail of iiiitets, ilie toipedo boat directed :.ts ire towards a number of iwlauached pontoons, which it destroyed, and despite the fact that four of the crew \ eixj wuunded, the vessel continued 10 harass the Turks.

Alter a dark and cloudy night fresh ■oroes arrived at dawn. »'ix Turkish latteries with, field gums took part in iho action. But the Indians' shells aero admirably fused, and the gunnere ■ aade lino practice at all vislßTe targets, inflecting heavy towards the Canal.

Twieiiity ,'i'ui-k.s crossed "the Canal under cover of darkness, and proceeded io snipe the gunners from the rear, ■ i utii the Indian Cavalry rounded them •ip and compelled them to surrender.

iSerapeuin garrison stopped the Turks l nree-quarters of a mile from the position, while Toussoum garrison. brilliantly counter-attacked, and drove the i urks back. The artillery gave the enemy no chance.

fiy half-past 3 on the afternoon of i cbruary 3, the enemy was in full 'Cuvat, leaving behind many dead, most ol tiiem having been killed by shrapnel.

Meantime the warships upon Lake liinsas had "been in action. A salvo i lorn a battleship woke up Isifiaflia early, and crowds of people climbed Uio sandhills to ascertain what waa doing, until the Turkish shells came sufficiently near to convince them that it was safer to seek cover.

Two Gin. shells struck the steamer Hardinge. One of them shot off one o 1 the pilot's legss and nine other men on board were wounded. Two merchantmen and a -British gunßoat were also hit.

Then followed a dramatic duel between a warship and the Turks' . big gunis. During the morning tlie Turkish infantry moved towards Ismailia L ; crry, digging shelter pits while advancing under cover of a well-served battery commanded by a German officer, who exposed himself with the greatest daring.

Fighting ceased simultaneously at ismalia and El Kantara. The Turks, after a plucky night attack, emie to grief at the wire entanglt iwiit.s at El ivantara. The Indians repel'ed a attempted atlvance from the sotrfti' east.

Sniping continued and a third -tvaman was killed at the mastliva.i yi a BfTftSli bafiTeship.

Indians who were out searching for snipers on the morning of February 4 unexpectedly encountered several hundreds of Turks hidden in a hollwv between the hills. They held up their uandf in to£en of surrender. The Indians approached to take them prisoners but were fired upon by other Turks. f>ne British officer was killed.

All the euemy were killed, captured or put to flight, and thus ended the fighting. Many prisoners and muoli material were subsequently captured. The Turks with their guns and baggage departed eastward on tlio niglTE of February 3rd.

■Our losses were amazingly small— 111 killed and wounded. The Turks lost nearly 3000. The Indians bore the brunt of the fighting, and were well supported by the British and French warships and the -Egyptian troops.