EGYPT.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 December 1916, Page 5

EGYPT.

THE SINAI CAMPAIGN. j

, Descriptive details 1 IMPORTANT VICTORY, iteceived Dec. 20, 5.30 p.m. London, Dec 28 General Oliauvel had entire charge of the operations at Maghdabawah. Sle rerognised that the movement must be swift, or the Turks would be getting wind of it, and would evacuate, as they did, I'd Arish; therefore the force was not assembled till three hours after sunset at Wadel Arish, Jiree miles southward of the town, and was there rationed, the horses being fed and watered. It was 9 somewhat prolonged operation, owing to the difficulty of bringing the camel convoys fifteen miles i'rom the ailhead across a waterless, heavv desert.

At 1 o'clock on Saturday morning the Ist and 2nd Australian Light Horse Brigade, the New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade, and cigat companies of the Imperial Camel Corps, under Briga-dier-General Smith, V.C., with four bat teries of Territorial Horse Artillery and a mounted battery jf the Hongkong and Singapore Artillery, moved off at a rapid pace, in ordei to covei the . 22 miles before dawn. The force halted at 5 o'clock, two miles from the enemy's position. The Turks clearly did not anticipate the attack,' and they had their bivouac tires burning. General Chauvel decided to send the | 2nd Light Horse and New Zealand Bri- j sades eastward, giving the Camel Corps I tlie task of making a frontal attack, I with the Ist'Light I-lorse in reserve. Our airmen' 'reported that parties of 'Turks were leaving, so the twe brigades [ on the east hurried forward to complete the envelopment with shell t and ' machine-gun lire, whilst the Light Torso was movin;. to support the ,'amel Corps. They heavily fired their 'machine-guns, and deployed westward to prevent an attempted escape on that side. It was plain that the position was strongly held, so the attack nrocecded in deliberate fashion, the aeroplanes tombing the Turkish- entrench--1 ments, and the artillery accurately firing. while the dismounted troops w?:t naking periodical rushes on the posi/ ion. It was difficult to attack, because only one out of five redoubts could be observed, and that was soon wrecked, the

surviving Turks putting out white dags, but. from the other redoubts there was tli'e heaviest (ire from S o'clock till noon. Good progress w(is then evident, and energetic measures were necessary in order to take Magdabn before darkness set in. 'The question 1 o!' water for the troops and horses was also becoming pressing, through the men suffering greatly from thirst, but their efforts never slackened. Early in the afternoon all the reserves were brought into action. The aeroplanes brought fresh suppliei. of bombs, which dropped, under a continual anti-aircraft machine-gunning The artillery poured incessant salvoes of IS-pounci.-'i's, and a terrific vide and ma-rhine-gun fire took place on three

sides. At 4 o'clock the Turkish commander, seeing his forces had suffered iievcre losses, accented the inevitable and surrendered, but some rifle fire was kept up from sand-dunes till dark.

The action was brilliantly coiuip | by the troops. who had tisroo night marches in four (lavs, but their spirit was never higher. The capture of this strong position lias rendered many Turkish positions in Northern Sinai iintenable. , A BRILLIANT STROKE. 1 UNDER EXTRAORDINARILY ARDUOUS CONDITIONS. Deceived Dec. -20, 5.5 p.m. London, Dee. u?. Mr. Massey, the war correspondent,kswihos the victory at HI Arish as one ot I,hi' most important battles of the campaign in Eastern Egypt. It luis lidded to tile fame of the Anzac Mounteds, and proved the sterling value uf the Camel Corp!*, which was composed ol British Yeomanry and colonial horsemen.

It was a brilliant stroke under extraordinarily arduous conditions, our troops Inflicting- an overwhelming defeat upon the Turks. The swift, fierce, and irresistible attack will have an important moral effect, the Mounteds traversing the 25 miles to El Arish in a single night,, a feat hitherto considered impossible in desert warfare.

The Turks are hurriedly trekking eastward. Their calculations in Northern Sinai have been completely upset. They evacuated lil Arish unexpectedly. They did not reckon upon the remarkable mobility oi the desert column, whose pursuit caused nervousness regarding their communications.

The feeling of camaraderie between the Anzacs and the Camel Corps ha-s been strongly cemented by the Maghilaba action. They have co-operated belore, but thev have not been in such close touch There is mutual admiration foi their strong and determined work, and they have become a band of brothers. The Anzae Mounted Division ha;;, never failed. Nobody understands the resourcefulness, courage, and endurance of the Anzacs. The Anzacs are better than the enemy. The Anzacs are invaluable in Egypt. All are anxious foi another move, so as to keep the old Turk on the run.

SUEZ CANAL DEFENCES. London, Dec. 28. Mr. Massey, war correspondent, describing the defence works of the Suez Canal, emphasises the. nermanency of the works as well as their enormous magnitude. The expense has been heavy and the work arduous, but the troops' stout hearts were equal to the task, and the money was well spent The Army has civilised the desert, and the results will remain when the war has become history. It was necessary to push the defences far enough from the Canal to place the canal out of range of the heaviest modern artillery. Consequently many pipe lines for water simply had to be laid down and many roads and railways now link the Mediterranean with the Suez Gulf. One remarkable feature is tv railway of standard gauge whereon London and South-Western Engines draw loads as heavy as any" (hey drew