PALESTINE.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 November 1917, Page 5

PALESTINE.

CAPTURE OF GAZA. ENEMY IN FULL RETREAT. ADVANCE OP NINE MILES. [ GREAT QUANTITY OF BOOTY.

New York, Nov. 7. Gaza hag been captured. •London, Nov. 7. Keuter's correspondent at headquarters in Palestine is ours jtnd the enemy in full retreat all along the line. Large quantities of war, material have been captured, and it is believed the bag of prisoners is big. The Turks began to weaken last night after successful operations at various points by the combined forces. They destroyed some ammunition dumps before retiring, but the booty is great. The victory is due largely to the strategy of General Allenby, who outflanked the enemy's right, thus annuling all the advantages of their positions. We are now busily pursuing, and the lines of retreat are being heavily sbelled by the navy. Later.—Reuter's correspondent learns that General Allenby has made an important further advance, attacking from the Beersheba positions towards the sea and capturing the next line of defence. He advanced nine miles.

FURTHER CAPTURES. TROOPS' MAGNIFICENT DASH AND ENDURANCE Received Nov. 8, 1.30 p.m. London, Nov. 7. Egypt official.—General Allenby captured Khuweilfes, eleven miles northward of Beersheba at midnight on Monday, and repulsed repeated counter attacks all day long. On Tuesday our troops further south, advancing northwest from neighborhood of Beersheba, carried the whole Turkish defences southward of the line Tel Sch SHcriah and Abu Harrira, capturing the last named place, thus advancing nine miles. The troops displayed magnificent dash and endurance. The estimate of the captures is not yet available. Six guns were captured. on one portion of the front. A BRILLIANT ATTACK. ON TWENTY MILES FRONT. NEW ZEALANDERS HAVE SMART BRUSH. Received Nov. 8, 10 p.m. London, Nov. 7. Reuter's correspondent at headquarters in Palestine telegraphs to-day: We attacked at dawn the enemy positions \ north and south-west of Beersheba. We captured all our objectives. To-day's offensive was on a twenty miles front. Thanks to the capture of Beersheba, we were able to outflank Ehe main Turkish line, extending originally from Gaza to Beersheba, and consisting of four elaborately organised systems, with connecting trencheg and scattered redoubts. General Allenby's plans entailed tremendous physical strain on all ranks, but their exceptional fitness has been proof to every call. The British troops opened fighting on the right flank, after marching' the greater part of the night. They rushed Kuweifeh ridge, ten miles north-east of Beersheba, practically annihilating a Turkish battalion and capturing numerous prisoners and two guns. The Turks vigorously counter-attacked, but were beaten back, while many reserves were swung to the left. Dismounted Yeomanry attacked the trenches covering the station and bridge of Sheria. By one o'clock we were masters of the whole line in this sector, and before evening we had advanced over the intervening three miles and occupied Sheria, capturing four guns. On the left flank other "British troops attacked the Kawukah system, one of the main features of the line, and a veritable labyrinth of trenches, which speedily suecumbed to the dashing assault. Both the cavalry and the camel corps played a part in the attack. The Yeoj manry and Anzaes in some cases covered over fifty miles and had been fighting forty hours without water. The weather since the start of the operations has been most unfavorable, an exceptional heat wave greatly increasing m.„ strain on both men and animals, • -t the water supply was below retirements. Yesterday afternoon the New Zealand mounted rifles !, R <l a sharp brush wltll the enemy, who attempted to attack with fixed bayonets; but the attack was nipped in the bud by machine-gun fire, the enemy sustaining three hundred casualties.