New Britain herald., 1916-10-18
BIG GUNS HAULED
 ACROSS THE DESERT
Unprecedented Feat by Turks
 Under German Officers

Romani, Egypt, Sept. 25.-Unique 1 according to military men. in the re- cent battle of Romani in which the British defeated the Turks. the in- vaders losing some 5000 in dead wounded and prisoners out of their total of approximately 4,00O men, as has been told in cable advices. The crossing of the Sinai desert with big guns and other war equipment during the heat of summer was an unpre- cedented achievement. A representa- tive of The Associated Press who was permitted to travel over the entire battle ground after the conflict. had been told previously, by high mili- tary authorities. that the feat could not be accomplished and that any force sitting along the Suex Canal would be safe from attack through out the summer. One of the few dis sentants. however, was Lieutenant General Sir Archibald Murray, com mander-in-c chief of the British forces in Egypt. Immediately upon his as- sumption of command here last Jan- uary he began to prepare for just such an attack. and the victory at Romani was due to his foresight.
 The Turkish expedition undoubted- ly was engineered by German officers who laid elaborate plans for the ad- vance from the direction of Ell Arish, a Turkish post on the northern coast, ninety miles from the canal. About half this distance is through a water less desert and at this time of year the heat is intolerable. It would be impossible for men to march for in these sands one sinks to the ankles at every step, and horses are not fitted for work of this kind The only means of transporting troops and supplies vas on camels and this was the meth cd employed. About 14,0OO thousand of these beasts were used.
 Unable to drag the heavy gun car- riages through the loose, deep sands, the Turks constructed roads by dig ging small parallel trenches which would fit the carriage wheels, and filling these tracks with scrubby plants which represented the only vegetable life outside the oases. These wiry plants formed a cushion over which sand was thrown, making a very practicable road for the guns. Tn some places weher the sand was too loose and deep for this track blanks were laid lengthwise under the wheels.
 British In Waiting.
 Progress was necessarily slow and long before the Turks reached the Watered positions which they took up some miles in front of Romani the British were ready and waiting for them The defenders did not attack, for 1t was the plan to draw the invad- CTS on to an assault, if possible. Gen. eral urray decided that he would wait certain length of time and then force the issue if the Turks had not advanced. It seemed almost like a forlOrn hope that the Turks, with the1r astute German leadership, would be led to an attack on the Romani po- sltlon, for the whole country in this sectlon is covered with great steep dunes, some of which cannot be climbed in places because of the slid- ing sands All these dunes were we'll protected by the British. However. as had been hoped, at midnight on Au- gust 3 the Turks began the attack which ended in complete disaster for them on August ,
 Just what persuaded the Turks to try to take this apparently impreg- nao1e position is @ matter of consider d ble speculation. Some express the