Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-08-07
Great Drive Begun by Otto
men Ends Quickly With
Disastrous Results.
BRITISH APTURE3,145
Defenders Take Fourth Of
Attackers and Push the
Rest Into Desert.


wounded Turks at the battle at
| ROmani. the war Office announced
today. statement says the Turks
were pursued Is miles. The pur-
suit continued beyond katia, 23
/ miles east of the SueZ canal.
The most recent attempt of the
I Turks to reach the Suez canal has
proven a greater failure than earlier
reports indicated. Lieutenant General
I Sir Archibald James Murray, COM
mander Of the British troops in Egypt,
reports today that besides taking
more than 3 900 prisoners in the battle
with the Turks at ROmani, his forces
! inflicted very heavy losses on them
and had continued the pursuit IS
miles, clearing the Turks from the
katia basin
Military writer's cannot fathom why
the Turks ventured upon their at
| tack. Their conclusion is that the
! Turkish military authorities were mis-
led as to the British preparations, de-
tense Of the canal, and hoped to make
an impression on the rebelliOus Arabs
who are extending their hold on i'm
portant places in Arabia.
The Turkish advance as far as Ro-
mani was made in the face of the
greatest difficulties, their six-inch
, guns being dragged across the desert
by oxen after relays of planks had
been placed 10 prevent the wheels
sinking into the sand.
THE net results of the battle of Ro-
mani are the destruction of more than
One-fOurth of the Turkish electives
and the pushing of the remainder out
into the blazing desert beyond the
Katia cases. said Major General F.
B. Maurice, director of military OPP
erations Of the Imperial general staff,
in explaining to The Associated Press
today the significance of the latest
operations in the near east
You will recall" he continued,
that in the previous attack on the
canal we were busily engaged else
where. Consequently we were acting
on the defensive in Egypt in positions
prepared for that purpose behind the
canal. Since then we have advanced
our position into the desert as fast as
physical conditions warranted.
Waited Advancing Turks.
'eThe Katia GASES possess a surpris-
ing quantity of water but it is brackish
and has Il disastrous effect on Europ-
cans. Then Turks however suffer no
evil effect from it's use. This fact gave
the enemy Il considerable advantage
However, by advancing slowly we es-
tablished ourselves firmly in en-
trenched positions behind ROmani and
awaited the Turkish advance from Ell
arish, an advance of which we had
constant news from our air service.
The Turks not only made frontal
attack on our entrenched positions but
attempted to get around our left
flank Our artillery, infantry and cav
airy cOoperated not only in Tepelllng
but in attacking the enemy, with such
satisfactory results that he is liable
to have an uncomfortable time re
crossing the desert at this season OF
the year. Our advance has reached
within a short distance Of the edge
of the Katia GASES.
Germans Inspire Attack
"There is no question the Germans
encouraged the latest Turkish attempt
on the canal in an effort to prevent US
from sending any of our forces TO the
western front but the disastrous re
suit shows we have provided adequate
ly for the safety of the Suez canal In
accomplishing this we suffered com
paratively few casualties, many OF
which consisted of slight wounds
British Report.
The statement follows:
in reference to the fighting In the
Katia district, the general officer com
handing in chief in Egypt reports that
orr artillery. rifle and machine gun
fire was most effective and that the
Turkish losses in killed or wounded
appear from all accounts to have been
very heavy. Late on the evening of
August ), territorial infantry gallant
w carried a strong rear guard posi-
ton. Our pursuit Of the Turks has
been continued for a distance of is
miles and they are now well clear of
the Katia-Umaisha basin.
The number of unWOunded prison
ers taken by Us now amounts to 10
officers and 300 men and they are a