PALESTINE.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 October 1918, Page 6

PALESTINE.

FAVORABLE DEVELOPMENTS. ' BRITISH HEARING DAMASCUS. ENEMY PREPARING DEFENCES. i London, Sept. 30. Mr- «Massey, witing .from Palestine headquarters on Sunday, says; North of Lake Tiberias, on September 28, the cavalry of General Allenby's army swam and forded the Jordan last night, and tojdav captured the-high ground east of the river.

The situation is developing most fav- ! orably. By a stupendous effort, equal to any sustained cavalry operations in history. the mounted troops hold the farflung line. The horsemen are converging in two great columns on the main Damascus roads from the south. The Yeomanry ■>nd Indian cavalry are moving eastwards from Beisan. having taken Irbid, where the portion of the Turks' 4th Army not destroyed at Amman intended to make a stand. At this important railway junction they secured touch with the friendly Arabs on the east, and, ignoring the bodies of the enemy between Deras and Amman, inarched north of Sheikh Misekin, which is within one cavalry bound of Damascus.

In going forward several times the cavalry left enemy parties in their rear. Time pressed, and in order to reap the full results of tiie bold strategy, the mounted troops left the advancing infantry to ciear the enemy out of isolated valleys. The Germans and Turks were holding positions on the railway after Derras was taken, and the infantry subsequently dealt with them and prevented the destruction of some useful railway works.

The Turks, fearing designs on Damascus, sent down to the Jordan from Damascus a force composed of Germans, Turks, and some Circassians. Our left was to be watched. When our cavalry were opposite the bridge south of Lake Hule, motor lorries from Damascus had deposited jOOO mer. on the steep eastern bank, covering the bridge with machineguns. They blew up the centre arch oE the 400-year-old bridge, making a crossing there impossible. A brigade of the Australian Light Horse swam f he river with their horses south of the bridge another Australian brigade making the passage to the north.

The banks were hard for mounted men to negotiate, as the ground approaching the river is marshy, but so swiftly were the difficulties surmoiufted that, before the enemy could scramble back to the lorries, 250 Turks and Germans were cut oft' and captured.

Our cavalry is astride the Damascus road and has since advanced to El Kulieitra, within 40 miles of the ancient city.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.