THE BATTLE IN EGYPT.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLI, Issue 11644, 11 August 1916, Page 5

THE BATTLE IN EGYPT.

MORE DETAILS. A GLORIOUS ANZAC VICTORY. NEW ZEALANDERS IN THE MELEE London, Aug. 10. Mr Massey, writing from Romani, on Sunday, says: lean now give fuller details of the Anzac Mounteds’ sterling work. These magnificent troops fought with tenacity, courage and endurance comparable with their greatest deeds at Gallipoli. Their part in overthrowing the attempt to reach the Canal will stand out as one of the finest achievements of the Colonials during the war, and will illumine the pages of the Anzacs’ short hnt illustnous'military history. MEETING AT-MIDNIGHT. The Australian Light Horse were in touch with the enemy for 48 hours, two brigades taking turnabout. The first brigade came in contact with the Turks at midnight on Thursday. The two brigades fought them without interruption until darkness on Saturday. The horses were for hours without water and the men had little food and scarcely a drop of water on Saturday to relieve the agony of the thmt of the desert. The first brigade held off 3000 Turks in the darkness on a four mile line, retiring very slowly and preventing the Turks obtaining undulating ground south-west of Romani, the success of which attempt would have enabled them to cut the railway, isolate the Romani garrison and stop reinforcements by .’rail. The first brigade held on doggedly, staving out the Turks. The second brigade reinforced them at daylight. Both brigades then held Wellington Ridge, a mile west of Gannit, for several hours in the face of heavy artillery and infantry tire and desperate Turkish attacks at 100 yards interval. THE NEW ZEALAND PART.

Though the Turks occupied Mount Meredith, two miles south of Gannit, and Mount Eoyston, three miles west north west of Gannit, they never secured Wellington Rridge. The Light Horse’s success paved the way for our triumph and the battle of Komani was made absolutely sure of success when the New Zealanders, drove the enemy from Mount Royston and the infantry thrust them towards Katia. Desperate lighting occurred early in the morning, when the enemy strong advance line threw themselves furiously agamst the Light Horse, shouting the battle cry “Allah” to the finish. The Australian Light Horse regarded the cry with immense amusement, shouting derisive answers, and showed that they were more than a match for the Turk with the steel. I saw the Light Horse on Wellington Ridge when the enemy’s snrap net was bursting with wonderful accuracy, but the Australians showed not the slightest sign of movement until the enemy rushed them, when the Light Horse poured a terrible fire. The appearance of the battlefield subsequently supported the tales of the Australian marksmen’s accuracy On Saturday morning both brigades, with the New,Zealand Mounteds on the right, workod down the battlefield, while the Third Light Horse flank attacked Hamisab two miles south of Katiaoaih, and combined in an attack on Katia, At o’clock in the afternoon three brigades galloped threequarters of a mile into action across extremely heavy country, The horses carried the cheering men at such a pace that the Turks’ artillery attempting a barrage never found the range. The charge was made on a three mile front, and Ailed the men with enthusiasm. THE BRITISH TAKE A HAUL. At this point the Warwickshires, Gloucesters and Yeomanry entered the action. They advanced across the swamp for several hours under heavy gunfire, but the action was discontinued at dusk as it was seen to be impossible to capture Hamisah before darkness. The wisdom of the desert charge was shown by the Turks’ helter-skelter rush from their positions, the enemy doubtless fearing that the Mounteds would use the steel as on tire previous day. A HERO’S DEATH. A few Light Horse charged with fixed bayonets, using their rifles as lances. A story is told typical of the spirit of the Light Horse. A trooper who was awarded the u.C.M. at Gallipoli, smuggled aboard transport aud readied France. He was recently discovered and sent back to Egypt, rejoining his regiment. At the outset of the battle he was placed in the guard tent. He broke out of the tent, tramped into the hottest centre of the engagement, and as an ambulance worker, rescued fourteen wounded raeu. He was killed when rescuing the fifteenth.

MEETING OF UNIONISTS ASSOCIATION. MR BONAR LAW’S ATTITUDE. London, August 9. "At a special conference of the National Unionist Association, Mr Bonar Law admitted that there had been differences of opinion among them on the Irish question, but there were considerations even more important than maintaining party union' He was prepared to run the risk of disunion for the course be thought right. Respecting the fiscal question he believed the war luul caused an overwhelming majority'' in the cuni.try to feel that never again should German enemies be allowed, to use our markets as before the war, also that what had happened in the self-governing dominions had made a tremendous difference in the point of view which everyone had in relation to political and economic conditions which ought to exist in future. The Government had done the right thing in having the whole question inquired into from the new viewpoint to ascertain whether it is possible to carry it without party fight'eithcr at Home or in any part of the Empire. AUSTRIAN SUBMARINE SUNK; Athens, August 10, A French destroyer torpedoed and sank an Austrian submarine at Corfu.