WAR NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 15 August 1916, Page 3

WAR NEWS.

THE KATIA BATTLE. . .GREAT WORK BY MOUNTED. . TROOPS. LONDON, August 12. The War Office reports: Our Mounteds on the 9th heavily pressed 6000 Turks, including a fresh regiment. which was not engaged at Romani. The enemy held' a line north and sout'i through Birelahd, their right on the Bardaivill lagoon and their left curving to the south-east. Their three counter attacks were repulsed. A general counter-attack ensued en the whole line. Our cavalry fell back slowly. We shelled large stacks of stores and convoys at 2000 yards. The Turks replied with six inch howitzers. Their casualties were heavy. Our cavalry on the 10th remained in observation of the enemy, who retiree: to their entrenchments. ANOTHER DESCRIPTION OF THE BATTLE. NEW ZEALANDERS' IMPORTANT PART. CAIRO, August Details of the Katia fight on the 4th show that early in the morning the Turks attacked Et Maler in force. Two regiments of Light Horse and New Zealanders were ordered to hold a ridge about a mile from Et Maler. They held the enemy for two hours, when they retired in accordance with plan, the Turks attempting a flanking move ment from the north west, supported by heavy and accurate artillery fire. The enemy were gradually drawn on. The New Zealanders were ordered to assault Mount Royston, the key to the Turks flanking movement. This was successfully accomplished, and secured the British flank. An advance was ordered early on the morning' of the sth by two regiment s of Light Horse and the New Zealand regiment, who charged dismounted over a thousand yards in the face of heavy rifle, machine gun j and artillery fire. The Turks stuck till

the Anzacs were sixty yards distant. Then they bolted. • The main body on that flank by ten o'clock was in headlong flight towards Katia. Three Light Horse Regiments, a Light Horse brigade, the New Zealand regiment and the Yeomanry attacked the enemy's rearguard, but the Turks had time to get cover the break the enemy's defence. Next morning', the Territorials advanced and found that the Turks had 1 evaci uated. TURKS SUFPER SEVERE CASUALTIES. ______ I LONDON, August 12. British official: —The Hounteds inflicted very heavy casualties on (iOOO Turks in Birebobo district, on the Sinai frontier. TURKS BADLY CUT UP. CAIRO, August 12. < General Lawrence's force put out of action nwc than one-third of the invaders. Those who escaped suffered a severe handling. The Territorials and Anzacs were delighted at participating in the crushing Turkish defeat. The Territorials pursuing beyond Oghratina undertook trying marches for long periods, fighting while crossing the heaviest saivd belt n the Sinai peninsula in the fiercest heat. They were compelled to eary all their, water on thousands of camels, the caravan being stretched across the desert like veins in all directions. The Anzac Mounteds were enthusiastic over their work, as were the Territorials and horse artillery, especially the Scottish battery, which supported magnificentiy in the hottest periods of the Eomani fighting. GERMAN NEWSPAPERS COMPLETELY SURPRISED?"' 2 " 3 DISSATISFACTION WITH TUEKISH REPORTS. LONDON, August 12. The German Newspapers are conn pletely surprised by the attempted invasion of Egypt. They do not believe

the reported smallness of the Turkish forces, and complain of the scantiness of the Turkish reports in not revealing whether a general offensive was intended. (Continued on page 6).