PALESTINE.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 April 1918, Page 3

PALESTINE.

; TURKS BADLY WORSTED. AUSTRAI IAN’S DEC!DED WIN. 1 This Dav at 10.10. h.’u ■ LONDON. Ala roll 14 Air. Alassey writing from Palestine headquarters on April 13th x says after the cavalry raid on Hedjoz railway and destruction of sections o! the line north and south of Amman, our iorees returned to the 1 west of the Jordan, bringing; several thousand Annenians and Copt refugees from the villages we passed though, to save them from further bitter oppression by the Turks The only troops we had east of the Jordan were Australian Light Horse, who were left to defend the bridgehead of Goranniyeh. ‘ Considerable bodies ol Turks were known to have moved south through the pass from Essalt and assembled about Sbubet Memriu ami the road north of hill Elehaud. The enemy planned a scheme to drive us over the Jordan and destroy the bridge, but the manoeuvre wholly failed and the Turks, suffered overwhelming casual- . ties. The percentage of kilKd of tin* 1 killed of the total force engaged was exceedingly high.

■TV battle Ii0":ui early <»•' Tluirsdnv morning. liv the enemy shelling Musnllaheli in the i'ootills overlooking Besau road, about nine miles north of Jericho. The place was held by the ImperM Camel corps, who were also holding a line at Wadiansa and strong points north thereof. The gunfire on the camel corps was hi'ivy for two hours, an a'vorago of forty shells a minute being firmed at them before; flip attack developed. This was quickly checked hv our artillery °nd machine guns with considerable losses to the enemy, who were two thousand strong. Meanwhile another Turkish force moved over the broken ground from tile hills east of the Jordan, along two routes towards Ghoranniyeh. The Australian Light Horse dug in on the 'on- mon”ds-srid mnd cliffs which make the peculiar formation on the east hank of the Jordan, and lends itself well to defence. They were behind wire entanglements and lir >d machine-gun posts and a strong artillery support west of the river. The Turks were in greatly superior numbers, hut they got no nearer than 303 yards of the wire when they were stopped by the withering fire, and held up far the whole day. The enemy could ' neither advance nor retire.

Another brigade of Light Horse crossed further south ami tried to envelope ' the attack-r.s. who however, threw out machine gun detachments to protect their think'- the nature of the country I assisting Rum greatly. Late in th - 1 day the-ci my artillery opposite Ghornnniyeh was Gienced by our heavies.

As soon i' v.'sts dark the Turks began to iv*!re having a large burying party w'n’-T: g lilt dawn in front nl our wire. .Viany graves’ were visibh' and ivVmhh- there were more in th ■ mi 11,-iit", yrr "t daylight yesterday :V 7 Turkish and Herman dead were counted in front of the bridgehead. Y\ v took n'ore nrisoncrs tlian tiny bad fits unit ias as the enemy also stiff err I''.envy at Mnsallbob. Their attempt to destroy .he Jordan crossing spelled disaster to- them.