THE TAKING OF JERICHO.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 March 1918, Page 3

THE TAKING OF JERICHO.

AUSTRALIAN LIGHT HORSE. airmen play a brilliant PART. CAIRO February 23. Writing from Sir Edward Allenby’s headquarters in Palestine on Thursday Reuter’s correspondent said: There has been a lull in the operations on the Palestine front since the beginning of the year, owing on the one hand to the weather, which has been incredibly bad, and on the other hand to tlie necessity for building up. lines of communication in the rear, consequent upon the. tremendous push last December. The weather exceeded the worst prognostications. It has been much colder than anyone anticipated, and the rain's have been almost'lronical in their intensity and frequency. Nevertheless the engineers and labour corps have not lost any time, and the fruit of

their good work is the ease and regularity with which supplies reach all parts of the front. The spell of quietness, however, has now been broken <m our right wing by a fresh offensive, which has been crowned with complete success, yielding important strategic, and not inconsiderable material results. 1 The fighting after Christmas left our troops in possession of important heights east of Jerusalem,’ and dominating the road to Jericho. WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.

The Turks, however, .still bad some forces to the west of that old historic town and height, and had they had sufficient strength aiid energy to have worked round between Bethlehem and the Dead Sea they might even have menaced the road to Hebron. The greater part, of this region between Jerusalem and Jericho is barren broken, and very billy, until within seven miles of the Jordan, where there is apparently a level surtaeo, but which really is furrowed and cleft with, innumerable steep, narrow gorges, like carfhcracks, the result of some natural convulsion The Turks held a semblance of line along the crests of six miles east of Jerusalem and on each side of the road to. Jericho. The Defences consisted mostly of stone sangars and occasionally shallow trenches. The defenders were plentifully supplied with uinehine-guns, luP had not shown much aggressive aetivi-

tv owing to the nrohloms of supplies, which must have suffered from the weather. Nevertheless they used to indulge in sniping our outposts, and. now and again, in patrol raids, without ever doing real harm. ineffective; but annoying ' A few guns were used, also to register our positions, usually after nightfall; and, although they -were rarely effective, they wore nevertheless an-

noying. One night over 100 shells were fired into .our lines without causing/ a (tingle casualty. Still, even the most innocuous bombardment nails after a time; and it was decided to drive the Turks beyond the/Jordan in order to make our right flank absolutely secure. The firsl movement began on February 14th, when the line south-east ol Biros was advanced some hundreds of

yards, and was improved by the capture of the HilT of Telesowan. No serious oppositon was encountered. although a small body of the enemy made a night attack on one of our reconnaissance posts, being repulsed after getting within bombing distance. It may ho added that Turkish bombing parties are usually more, distracting than dangerous, ns all shout when a bomb is thrown, their aim being none ton skillful: while our fellows reply by. yelling: “Come on, Johnny Turk!” '

Last Tuesday morning weisn ; and Londoners attacked along a broad j front, respectively north and south ot > I,ho Jericho road, while the Australian j Light horse made a wide turning move- j mont from thq-south. j The enemy hotly contested the, ad- j vancc, clinging to positions with aston- ; isliing tenacity. Notwithstanding the j difficult ground 'and the unfavourable weather, our men swept forward, carry ing the whole of their objectives. The advance was resumed next morn ing; and again the men went forward with irresistible valour. The fighting resolved itself into a scries of engagements for the crests of ridges, as when lie was driven off one. height, the enemy simply retired upon the noxt,_where he continued to stand. Heavy showers drenched friend and foe alike. But our men wore not to be denied, and at the end of the day covered fififlO yards on a ten-mile front.

THE DEPARTED PBOSPEBITi , Tliis was not a mean achievement, across broken country, and in the face of strong machine gun opposition. The cavalry had ia particularly difficult task. Nevertheless they managed to get well round the right flank, our attack rounding up all the enemy parties south of Jericho. The Australian Flying Corps also gave a valuable support, bombing the enemy in the rear. Yesterday they reported that the enemy apparently was evacuating, Jericho.- ns guns were seen hastily moving eastward. / ) This morning troops entered Jericho, but details are not yet to hand ns to whether they encountered opposition. Jericho itself in an insignificant village of 300 inhabitants, squalid and poverty-strikeu . There is no trace of that prosperity which earned it the title of “the City of the Palms.” The Turkish defeat not only secures access to the Jordon and the Dead Sea, but also give's a valuable and timely assistance to the operations of the troops of the King of Hedjaz, who is reported to lie advancing northward.