The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-08-23
BRITISH FORCES PUSH TURKS
BACK ON SINAI PENINSULA
DESPITE VIOLENT AIR ATTACK
xwo Years of Warfare Egypt Under General Sir Arch
fbald Murray Show Many Successful Operations of
Cavalry and Line of Communications Especially
Needed for Carrying Water and Provisions.

~hoJ-1 OH II. ". SQauVol, started
in purusit at 12:45 a.. m. Dec. %, and
at 1850 a. m. reached a point where
the enemy's bivouac fires were plain
ly visible. Personal Reconnaissance by
the commander revealed the Turkish
position to be in a rough circle with
diameter of 5000 to $500 yards, on
both banks of the Wadi ell Arish. A
very strong position, the main pro-
lection being five large closed works
with system of well constructed and
concealed trenches and rifle pits.
The British plan of attack was an
developing one. The New Zealand
| Mounted Rifles and Australian Light
Horse, both under the command of
Brig.-Gen. E. w. G. Chaytor, C. B.,
were to move to the east of Magdha ba
| and to swing round to attack the enc
| my's right and rear. The Imperial
Camel Corps were to move direct
against Magdhaba to attack the enc
my in front-that is, from the north
west. Other Australian mounted
troops were at the outset in reserve.
| Between 8:45 a. m. and $3.50 a. m.
the attack developed and at the lat
ter hour General Chaytor moved a
| Light Horse Regiment and part of a
Machine Gun Squadron on a wide
turning movement round the rear of
the enemy's position with orders to
come in from the. south. A little la
ter two regiments of the New .Zea-
! land Mounted Rifles were dispatched
in more or less the same direction,
| though making less wide detour,
| with orders to move on Magdhaba
from the east. In the meantime the
Imperial Camel Corps were making
| progress, though somewhat slowly.
| At 10 a.. m. aircraft reports indi-
Gated that the enemy were trying to
escape so the reverse regiments, less
one. were pushd in from the north
west. Between noon and 1:30 p. M.
the position was practically surround
ed, but progress became increasingly
difficult, mirage and difficulty of OBJ
tanning forward observation greatly
| handicappfng the Horse Artillery. In
addition, horses had not been water
led since the evening of the 22nd, that
is they had been about 40 hours with
out. water. However, the position
gradually improved with the result
that by 4:3O o'clock all organized re-
sistance was owed, and the enemy
was surrendering everywhere.
The total number of prisoners TAX
en- in this fine action was 1882, in
GLIDING some SO wounded. -Four
A
1852 rifles were captured. and 200
more rifles were destroyed. Our own
casualties were IL officers and 1874
other ranks killed and wounded.
The next operation described was
against a prepared position at Mag
rantein apparently covering Rafa-
the latter place being just inside the
Palestine border close to the seacoa.st.
Against this the Desert column was
pushed out on the ecening of Jan. 8,
1917. Commander Lieut.-Gen. Sir
Philip Ghetwode. troops, yeomanry,
Australian and New Zealand mounted
1 troops, the Imperial Camel Corps,
with a battery of artillery attached.
By dawn Jan. 9 the enemy position
was almost entirely surrounded before
he became aware of any large forces
in his vicinity. The position was a
| formidable one consisting of three
strong series of works, one facing
fwest, one southwest and the third
4 south and southeast, connected by
/ trenches and dominated by a central
keep, while the approaches to the po-
tsition were open and devoid of cover
/ The attack was again an enveIop-
i Ing one, gun fire starting at 1920 a.
M, aeroplanes cooperating. The
main attack under Maj Gen. Sir H
G.. Chauvel was timed for 10 "a. M.
the New Zealand Mounted Rifles on
the right, attacking from the east
Some Australian Light Horse on their
left, attacking from the east and
southeast, while the Imperial Came
i Corps attacked the works in Their
front from the southeast.
4 Some Australian Light Horse were
in reserve with the Yeomanry in col
OF d
was occupied, and by 2 p. m. such
good progress was made against the
works and trenches that Sir P. 4Chet-
wode ordered an attack against the
central keep. the Yeomanry (from
i reserve) cooperating in rear of the
4 work. This attack was complicated
4 by information of an enemy relieving
j force marching on Rata from Shellal
but General Chetwode was not to be
Il deferred from his objective and or
dered the attack to be pressed with
i vigor, with the result that by sat
p. M. all organized resistance was
over, the position and garrison cap.
tured and the relieving force driver
off without difficulty
Owing to difficulty of supply it was
not possible to hold Rata permanent.
ly, and the British troops were with.
drawn taking all prisoners, animals
and material captured. In this fine
action. which lasted for 10 hours, the
entire enemy force, with its comman.
der. was accounted for. More thar
1900 unwounded prisoners were tax
en- including one German officer anG
five German non-commissioned off.
! GERS. In addition, six machine guns
four mountain guns, and number OF
cannels and mules were captured. Oul
casualties were comparatively light
amounting to 4S7 in all, of which II
were killed, AIS wounded, and one
was missing.
The result of these successful oper.
ations was that the province Of Sinai
which for two years had been par.
TALLY occupied by the Turks, wa.
/ freed Of all formed bodies of Turkish
troops. The destruction of his real
guard at Magdhaba compelled the
enemy to withdraw from Makhara
Hassana and Nekhl, all of which were
clear by Dec. 81 and the victory al
} Magruntein had driven him over the
frontier at Rata, which he did no
J attempt to re-occupy.
AS a result of the action near Rafs
: the enemy Immediately began to con.
lcentrate his forces near Shellal, wes
of which place he began rapidly t.
prepare strong defensive position
near Well Sheikh Nuran, with the
re T.;