PALESTINE.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 October 1918, Page 6

PALESTINE.

; RELEASE OF DAMASCUS. SOME BRILLIANT FIGHTING. London, Oct. 6. Mr. Massey, telegraphing from Damascus on October 2, says: Events move so fast in this campaign that one can hardly keep abreast of them. The release of this city, after COO years of Turkish thraldom, is so important a World event that if one became a courier by air one could not glean all tiie news on this front. There was a brilliant piece of fighting on the Eastern Aleppo road, which added 3000 prisoners to General Allenby's captures. The Australian Light Horse Brigade yestdday morning advanced towards Drummar, with several thousands of the enemy retreating before them. They got into the area where Germans and Turks with machine-guns fought hard rearguard actions to permit the main force reaching the pass 20 miles north-east of Damascus, where the crests are held by machine-guns. The enemy lield the villages strongly with guns in the houses, but by continually outflanking him the cavalry nibbled into the position, increasing their captures every hour until by dusk 600 prisoners and 80 machine-guns were taken and this road outflanked. Many other prisoners were brought in, but the day was remarkable for the masterly way in which the machine-gun nests in olive groves and vineyards were rendered impotent. It was an anxious time for the Brigade. While the mass of machine-gun opposition was-being dealt with, a patrol brought in news that a column of 5000 mounted men was advancing from Aleppo on Damascus. "Quick and lively with the machine-guns," was the order, so as to prepare to deal with the larger body, but the latter proved to be the arrival of a caravan with an enormous number of camels travelling from Aleppo to Mecca, escorted by thousands of armed Arabs. , To-day news reached the Brigade that a force was moving from a mass of wooded and cultivated areas north-west of Damascus and endeavoring to pass the Aleppo road. Instantly the order was given to advance. The Brigade trotted and galloped six miles to head the enemy off. The cavalry could not approach the pass nearer than 2000 yards because of machine-guns on the crests. By riding hard they got over the open to the base of the foothills before the Turks, and captured the entire column of 1400 men in the nick of time with only one casualty in the brigade. Time was an important factor. The enemy was preparing to resist, but the Light Horse drew their swords and were ordered to charge. The flashing of swords in the bright sunlight was immediately followed by the signal of surrender.

In the last two days the brigade has taken 2000 prisoners with under 20 casualties. The situation south and south-east of the town at dusk last evening was most interesting. A cavalry brigade cut in two the column of Turks who were endeavoring to reach Damascus from Deraa. A portion of the brigade dealt with the enemy on their Damascus side, others headed off the remainder of the column westward, where it was caught by another force which made 900 prisoners.

Meanwhile British and Indian cavalry advancing northwards from Deraa, with the Hedjaz army on. their right, drove the remnants and stragglers of the 4th Army into the hands of the troops holding the pass on the Hedjaz road between Kisje and Damascus. This morning every exit from the city was closed by our troops. The whole operation was conducted in masterly fashion.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.