PREPARING FOR LAST THRUST

Taranaki Daily News, 18 March 1916, Page 5

PREPARING FOR LAST THRUST

DUTCH LINER TORPEDO!:!! AUSTRO-HU GARY'S FINAL EFFORT mrmiirrrr -n| MAORILANDERS IN EGYPT

-*i Cablt—Press AiMciatin— Copyright. '

SGYPT.

' 'ATTACK GS THE* ARABS. 3 SODTH AFRICANS' BAPTISM, / (Special irom Mr. Malcolm imm./ The first battalion of the New Zealand Kifle Brigade again acquitted itself creditably in Tecent desert fighting on the western frontier. Leaving ca>p at 4 p.m. they t marched fifteen miles, and . bivouacked- at a well in the desert. Next Jnorfiag they marched nine miles as the rear obit of the force attacking the trabi. Mqunted Yeomanry had got into, touch ; three miles ahead, and were attacking. The 15th Sikhs, with the 2nd South ♦African Infantry, then attacked. The tetter, nearly all of whom had been with General Botha in German Seuthi Vest ' Africa, had not been trained for qiftthing, and although thev had landed only the night before, ther behaved tolendidly. Many had to fail out with blistered feet, but at the sound of firing they returned to their units and fought with great courage. They consisted of jiotu Boers arid British. . > Half of the New Zealand B Company formed the right flank guard, A Company W*lt the rearguard. Afterwards B Company with two ttaehine-gun< made exclient practice. They subsequently " <*»»'upon-two" Turkish ofieers and 42 Arab* dead at this spot. The enemv lamed off all their wounded, not a -ingle wounded man being seen that dav. VW machine-guns qnicklv silenced the 'netny machine-guns, which had opened r.HJi Ur *<>"«■■ By this time C and B ledfiames, which had come up as rearguard, were under fairly heavy snrapnel jfrom foar enemy guns, but their a«uunition was poor and the bursts slackening in force. the shells were .urstir;; an about our men they escaped ftfrMUlously, none being hit. "'C, Company was now sent to Reinforce t 'h«f Sikhs, had hitherto feu»ht magnificently, half of D and A cJm;ipie« being sent to drive off an attack on the left bank. Before the close of the 'day the enemy was routed and uv'"en off. * '

• viir forcetfcoing on to the cneav camp Jurat and destroyed many Bedouin tents, camp equipment, ammunition, food 4od water tins. The enemy lost heavilv. One hundfea and fifty dead were counted, and majiy wounded must have been carried away. Our losses were only 49 killed and 130 wounded. Thfc New. .Zealan'ders lost one killed, 'cad.two officers (Lieut. Holland an 4 ~*ptain Brydone) and thirty Men bounded.

v IN A MIRAGE. **■'%&,;

3pefati«na were greatly hampered t>y a mifsge. which i«ade accurate ranging .'iipn-ssWe. £t one rtnge the fane stctned to be cowing up against a walled '.<>wn, with men and we«nen walking (bout in it. This wan like * xiig. which seeded close at nasi, but soon vanished in vapory air.

The Senussi ia ; tho Mirage over arrest plateau, on to a rockv unilulctiDg <l«evt with batches »f camel (liorn »«iwiu» on it. The ground about the Arab e.anijt was filthy, so our Men f>Mj!M. throe *UH and remained for Vwjlllt iu a perimeter bivouac. IX BITTER COLD. ■<&&?. The wen wfire without blankets, »yerwets, and water. It rained all night and a bitter blew from tke Mediterranean. They endeavored to warm themselves at little fires aiade from dedert scrub, many boots being burned jn. tho process. ■ The transport had been iiof eleasly boflswl some miles in the rear. Each unit, jpiving buried its dead forces, next mornmp marcfted back nine miles to Birshold, where it had bivouacked the first nipht. - After all their Sghting and '* iiilter night experience the men had now :<: turn to with drag ropes and extricate :lie bagged transports. With wet i'istitcets ajd •overcoats they spent aniV.r cisfbt in wind and rain, but all ' : :-*i:.fport and wounded were successfully i-rt toio Matura after a fifteen miles' ■ *UfC.'d. A GREAT MARCH. fcrriig the whole march in and but sotsu Xew Zealanders, in addition • Hounded, fell out. Some days ;.w battalion did a fine march of : mi'ea, to form an advanced post v <y.>i. Tnej* made the return jourr. Ifctmu ill five hour*. During »f *'f[s they carried three '" tf.V.iii*, Am! an iron ration, in «,'mi <fi ■,''% and equipment. Only «-i--ti fVii ofiS-=«ie related and aa> -• f;irs-;»ifti an ar.kl& .'.'.'Ciift-.- Pfclra a fiflißfiir, trad Hie •• ',-jifAi iripy iiavs Ji&d ; the Arabs !■"'?. } Hg? i««gs'Btig. The Sedeuins ,«i ft & wetv'it id JBFgeiy jfs earning • if. eir-*\hr*k]e fiiifiibm The tamer ;»< if* !iW iS linlffifiil Sfld afffled -with ■•>??, iilf Pe4§liins had varidus ""«• 6iJ? /Bf6*» returned td i'lie 66686 ■ f-':;ca *r4 UfDiitiit in nil lead tadks, * ftgfel. jpgat fS