EGYPT.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 December 1916, Page 5

EGYPT.

. TURKO-GERMAN MENACE ENDED. KEW XEALAXDERS IV EL ARISH ATTACK, London, December 'ill. ■The Daily Chironiele's Cairo correspondent says the evacuation of El Ariah ends the Turko-German pretensions tc attack the Canal. The Turks have quitted the most important strategic point in eastern Egypt and relinquished a strong natural position offering many difficult points to assailants. A part of the British column was at the railhead. Concentration began at daybreak. The rolling desert all day presented a wonderful spectacle. As far as the eye eould reae'll lines of Australian and New Zealand horsemen, with Yeomanry camelry and Territorial infantry, wound over the high scrub-cov-ered sand dunes. Some were hidden in valleys, and others were cutting the sky-line like hlaek razor blades. Airmen 10,000 feet up, escorting the column, kept off enemy machines. The airmen from dawn to dusk, besides patrolling to protect the column, denied any opportunity to the enemy to reconnoitre. Meanwhile heavily-laden trains carried forward stores, while a thousand ' transport camels followed the lighting ' force, moving in uncanny silence on a comparatively harrow front. Information was brought to the railhead early in the evening that the Turks were leaving El Arisli. It was decided to push forward a division to secure the town, which, after a difficult night march, the horsemen and camelry had surrounded. At daybreak the bulk of the population who remained welcomed the troops with unfeigned relief. Owing to Turkish extortion and oppression the majority were hungry, and immediate arrangements, were made to feed them. El Arisli was several times bombarded from the sea, and were proof needed of the Navy's desire to spare civilians and of the Navy's good gunnery, it could be found in the fact that while a strongly-built stone fort on the southern edge of the town was demolished hardly a mud-brick house among many iA the immediate vicinity was touched.

THE £L ARISH OPERATIONS. SUCCESS DUE TO SURPRISE. Reuter Service. Received Dec. 2S. 8.30 p.m. London, Dee. 27. • ITie El Arish-Magdaba operations were conducted under orders given by General Sir Philip Chetwode. the victory being due to the masterly surprise stroke of the British force, consisting of the Ansae mounted division, under General Chauvel. the Imperial camel corps, the Australians, the Naval bridging? train, and the Territorial artillery. The force covered twenty miles of difficult, sandy wound, mostly at a rapid trot, in four hours. A portion of the El Arish garrison fell back to a strong position at Maghdaba, consisting of several well-situated redoubts, but did not anticipate the British would be so soon in action. Before daybreak, one redoubt -was speedily demolished, but others in more difficult positions resisted longer. The white flag was hoisted at 3 p.m. ' The British casualties consisted of five officers .and seven men killed, 17 officers and 117 men wounded. These losses are insignificant considering the strength of the position, and this was due to the skilful handling of the troops, the accuracy of the artillery fire, and the close co-operation of the 'aircraft. Our present position menaces the communications with the railways, and the remaining enemy garrisons at Sinai are therefor? rapidly withdrawing further south.

After crossing the Mitla Pass, the British pushed on and burned an enemy camp at Sundredheitan, 48 miles from Suet, also a camp eastward, on the Wad towards Nekel. CLEARING SINAI. fRTTTSTt FORCE ADVANCING. Cairo, December 27. The (ituation on the Sinai Peninsula satisfactorily. The mountbeyond El 4ri»li, and . "portion of Sinai is being