The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-12-20
BRITISH USED
THE BAYONET
Striving to Save the Historic Places
of Jerusalem, They Did Most of
Their Fighting with
Cold Steel

London (By cable to the Associat-
ed Press Monday.-In attacks pre-
ceding the surrender of Jerusalem the
! Turks employed storming troops in
successive assaults on Nebi Samuel,
! northwest Of the Holy City, then held
by London troops, according to a
Reuter- dispatch from British head
quarters in Palestine The dispatch
was sent by airplane and gives de-
tails of the capture and entry into
Jerusalem.
The final Turkish attack was pre-
ceded by such a heavy shelling that
it appeared the enemy was confident
the British would be blown off the
summit, but all their attacks were re-
pulsed sanguinarily. The Turks had
a strong line west, south and north
east OF Jerusalem. They were well
provided with machine guns and their
artillery dominated the crests over
which the British should have to ad-
vance. Some Turkish guns were plac-
ed just outside the city walls, max
ing it impossible to reply to their fire
without endangering the town.
"a torrential rain made the roads
impassable,' the correspondent con-
tinues, "while a chilly east wind
pierced the sodden soldiers to the
bone. The problem of supply and
transport almost drove US to despair.
The camels were unable to keep
foothold on the slippery paths. New
ertheless, the food and ammunition
supply was maintained fully.
F.On the night Of December z, when
our attack began, the men moved up
under cover of darkness, the attack
pivoting on Nebi Samuel, from which
the Londoners advanced eastward to-
ward Jerusalem, while other troops
ascended the Hebron road, threaten
ing the town from the south.
"They found Hebron evacuated, but
encountered resistance around Beth
lehem, where the Turks also had post
ed guns so that counter battery work
would endanger the sacred village.
Hence our troops had the disagreeable
experience of being shelled without
the ability to reply. But they pressed
forward and by noon of the 9Th were
two miles north of Bethlehem.
"The Londoners had hard task on
the steep slopes of the Judean hills,
where it was impossible to bring field
guns to their support, but some noun
tain batteries and howitzers render
ed magnificent service and by seven
in the morning the Londoners had
come to grips, stormed and captured
all the enemy works west Of the town.
The Turks still held the last line on
the ridge overlooking Jerusalem,
having posted numerous machine
guns in the houses of the Jewish and
German colonists in the furthermost
outskirts of the town. The position
was charged late on the afternoon of
the 8th. The magnificent feat was
crowned with complete success and
the Turks were driven out at the
point of the bayonet, the survivors
boiling to either side of the town.
Their losses were enormous.
"Throughout the whole fighting
around Jerusalem the Turks showed a
more desperate spirit and a greater
tenacity than in almost any previous
fighting. They stood their ground to
the last.
During the night the Turks with
drew to the north and east of the city,
and at eight o'clock on the morning
of the 9th the mayor and chief of po-
lice came out with a flag of truce and
surrendered the town.
acceptance of the surrender was
made formally at noon without actu.
ally entering the city, only pickets
being posted to prevent surprise.
Meantime our troops swept through
the suburbs northward, being sub
jected to machine gun fire from the
Mount of Olives and Mount Scopus.
The ridge of Mount Scopus, north of
the city, was stormed with the bay,
onet, and the Turks were cleared
from the Mount of Olives.
"Big demonstrations of joy broke
out when the general advanced to
take the surrender of the city. Flow
ers were showered on the troops, and
the populace clapped their hands to
testify to the joy of deliverance from.
the hands of the oppressors.
Further north the Turks were es-
tablished in long series of trenches
around the village Of Beitikes. These
trenches were carried with a rush,
and the British line advanced beyond
the village Welsh troops advancing
from the south pushed across the
road east of Jerusalem leading to
Jericho and thrust back Turkish rein
foreements advancing along this road
to succor Jerusalem. In the course
of all these operations they captured
nearly one thousand prisoners, in ad-
dition to seven hundred wounded
Turks in hospitals in Jerusalem.
"The wonderful coordination of all
our movements in itself speaks praise