New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-06
Gsrman-Led Forces, l4,OW
Strong, Beat Back
British.
FIGHT WITH MERCURY
,OO DEGREES IN SHADE
English Warships Rake Ottoman
Columns with Deluge
of Lead.

rondOn. Aug. 5.-Turkish forces $4,000
..-onr led by Austrian and German
So. have advanced eight miles IN
s,.p,rate attacks against the British
,o.itiOns in Egypt east OF the sueH
r.,,l on a front of seven or eight
ru., The fighting is centring about
p.usni near the Mediterranean
.., about ten miles northwest OF
~, and twenty-five miles east OF the
,,nal Around Katis furious hghung
"a. taken place for some time the
Tnrks claiming progress in their drive
on Suez.
The British Official statement to-day
,~.s that the Ottoman assaults have
-. 70 impression on the English
,o-+ised positions and claims success
:, -. southern flank. At the time OF
~. last report sighting VS. still in
progress, with the temperature at AOO
degrees in the shade,
Turks Gain Eight Miles.
r.. Turkish communique Of yester-
dsv reported ieavy fighting near hatla'
-. usds no mention of Romani. 1t
:. believed. therefore, that the Turkish
troops have advanced some eight miles
,osr,r the canal in the last two days
Their choice Of the coast route in
,..,d of the caravan road from Katia
% Kan,ara. which they took in their
unsuccessful campaign in February
,o,s brings the Turks flank under the
ers ~ varships il the Bay Of Tina.
The British statement announces that
a.bips Of the royal navy rendered valu-
,ble assistance from the Bay of Tina"
London Not Surprised
The Turkish attack east Of Suez
comes as no surprise TO those who are
in close touch with the operations in
that mart OF the world. General Sir
Archibald Murray, who commands the
British army there, has long reaIizeG
that the Turks, with the assistance OF
the Austrians and Germans, might
make q serious attempt on the canal
even al the hottest period OF the year
Austrian and German engineers Tor
many months have been digging Tor
water. which close 20 the Mediter-
ranear coast, exists in many cases at
mo- considerable depth under the sand,
fr~N w
by European troops. The Turks
{, therefore, have made very thor
Ugh arrangements for the storage and
Ia sport of water, the country being a
,ure sand desert, with small, widely
scattered GASES of date palm growing
around ancient wells.
At Romani the Turks must bring up
every drop of water from Aughratina,
some ten miles away.
II is understood that the Turks have
with them some 1000 TO 1000 Austro-
German infantry, as well as large
number Of Bedouin irregular horse.
In the Caucasus Petrograd reports
an advance of several miles by the
grand dukes forces west Of kialklt.
while the Turks claim the repulse OF
Russian assaults about fifty miles
south Of Erzerum. Reverses for the
Russian armies in Persia are also re-
corded in the Turkish communication.
The British official announcement
says:
"The following report, timed 1l:10
D. n, August 4, has been received
from the general officer commanding
in chief in Egypt:
"'Since midnight of August "a
Turks whose strength is estimated at
1900 have been attacking our posi-
ton near Romani, east of Port Said,
on a front Of seven to eight miles.
"'The position at dusk on August 4
was that their attacks had made no
impression on our fortified position,
while on the southern flank the fight
ing also was going in our favor and
between 400 and 500 prisoners had
been captured there.
"'Ships Of the royal navy rendered
valuable assistance from the Bay OF
Tina.
Fighting still was in progress
when this report was dispatched. The
temperature during the day reached
100 degrees in the shade"
The Turkish War Office statement Of
August says:
''Irsk front.-One OF our volunteer
detachments inflicted losses on a weak
hostile detachment and captured
horses and cattle.
"0n July %. in a battle near Bukan,
Persia, the Russians were compelled
70 retreat northward, abandoning 200
dead We captured three machine
guns in good condition, with all their
ippurtenances, a quantity of munitions
and rifles and cattle.
Caucasus front-The situation in
The Mush and Bitlis sectors is un-
changed.
"A Russian attack against part OF
our positions in the sector Of Oknott,
~ kilometres (about fifty miles, south
o, trzerrm, was arrested and repulsed.
Inc situation in other sectors is gen
orally calm.
Russian torpedo boats bombarded
Iireboi and Kerasun con the Black
Sea coast, west Of Trebizond), unde-
lehded coast towns. Some houses
Mere destroyed and six inhabitants
Killed or wounded
- Egyptian Front: In the vicinity Of
haca thirty miles east Of the Suez
OanaD continual skirmishes are in
Progress.
=, On August 3 hostile warship of
|uhamedie unsuccessfully bombarded
lor an hour the date woods at Hudel-
nealot and Ogratins."
me Russian announcement reads:
caucasian front: West of Kialklt
our attachments again made an ad-
vance Of several kilometres. A Turkish
pulsed"
a
u 5. EXTENDS WAR RISKS