THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 March 1918, Page 8

THE WAR.

PALESTINE. BRITISH CAPTURE ESSALT. TURKO-TEUTOXS DRIVEN NORTHWARDS. Received March 2S, 10.30 p.m. London, Mareli 2S. Palestine official: We occupied Essalt on Monday night. Jur mountcds are now approaching Amman,'' upon the Hedjaz railway. GALLANT WORK. VICTORIOUS I'ROGRESSi London, March 27. Mr. Massey, writing from Palestine headquarters oil Tuesday, savs:—General Allenby's army has marched from one success to another. On tlier'anniversary of (he first battle of Gaza they occupied Es Salt, 2". miles east of the Jordan.

The brilliantly executed nprr.itions Ijefwi 0)1 Friday with the .Tor(lan. which was much swelled by abnormal raiiir. - The attempt to. cross at Ohoran Tyes, past of Jericho. where the Turks had destroyed the onlv bridge, failed because of the strength of the stream. The three strongest swimmer."! in the army failed to breast the carrent An attempt was then made four miles south of Kenolah. Seven men swam over towing, a. rope, with which they hauied liyht rafts loaded with men to the opposite bank, which was densely wooded and rrowled with Turks, with mchiiic-gmis. Almost t,\vo battalions of I.OTidoners were fended over, but could onlv oeenoy r narrow bridgehead .10b yards wide. Xo further progress was made on Friday, but during the night the infiinirv made a gallant charge tiie Tt>rki«h trenches and widened the hriii'jehead to I.jOU yards bv a (l'-ptii of 10I!D yards. Meartii::? tlie Anzae enjineers constricted a stee! pontoon bridge, while the iniATit ry were cutting paths through the jun<rlc without which none'could I 'ove. 'J here was considerable shell and rifle tire on the Anzaes. but it did not interrupt the work for a moment. If ffas due to their remarkably fine ivork that we were able to get over an entire An/.ae mounted regiment bv dawn The cavalry moved silently up the left bank through breaks in the junelc, then climbed low Jiffs and suddenlv emerged on to the plain and galloped towards ''horanivih.

Another Au?ac mounted reaiment pot acvni. at Hajili. and, scouted "astwank The i)nke of Comiau«ht on Saturday vas vol! oast of Jordan watchinj rir nwratioiia. j»)jlrdin« the work of :lir Anzars.

An excel lent pic-c? of work was done southwards It was decided to threaten Hie Turks' flank at Tfajlh. Two officers and 45 men volunteered to make the march from the Jordan.