MESOPOTAMIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 October 1917, Page 5

MESOPOTAMIA.

THE RECENT BATTLE. GENERAL MAUDE'S BRILLIANT WOI}K. TURKISH FORCE TftAFPED. Received Oct. 8, 10 p.m. London, Oct. 7. Mr. Edmund Chandler, the press correspondent, describing (Jeneral Maude's victory at Ramadiyeh on September 20, says the British moved in two column*, right and left, from the Euphrates camp, attacking Mishaid ridge at dawn. The first objective was to clear the ridge across tho flalbamyeh canal. The first knolls were quickly occupied, tlie canal dam aH'ording a crossing. When tlie ridge was bombarded we found the Turks had evacuated it. As soon #•» the infantry carried the ridge, the cavalry made a wide detour till they were astride of the Aleppo road, corner-, ing the Turks, who had no bridge and were cut 'oft' from. reinforcements and supples. Tlie Turks counter-attacked at dawn on September 30, and tried to escape between the cavalry flrnd the river. The action was continued for two hours. A small detachment of Turkish cavalry swam the river.

Meanwhile the infantry who had stormed the ridge we're exposed to machine-pin and rille fire from the front and right and enfiladed by artillery from the left. The British and Indians hung on, digging themselves in. Our second infantry columns seized the Agiziya bridge, trapping the Turks 1 between the two canals, the cavalry preventing their retreat, -dims and pompoms from the river barges attacked our infantry until the reply life from our guns sank them! An Intense Ijoinbilrdtaent of the enemy was maintained until the Turks walked forward with white (lags hung out. The whole force surrendered in a body.