The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-08-23


port, Conn, and leading druggists
everywhere.-Adv.
ity was shown by the enemy's air.
craft, both in reconnaisances and
small bombing raids. On the other
hand, the effect of the recent British
success on his moral has proved by
| the very marked increase in the num-
Der of deserters who came into the
British lines.
In the meantime arrangements had
been progressing for the concentra-
ton of additional troops at Ell Arish.
The month of February was chiefly
devoted to pushing on the railway
and training troops, but successful
| minor operations were also carried
out in the interior of the Sinai PENN
sula. The dispatches then deal with
operations on the western front
against the remainder of the Senussi,
which consisted of rounding up more
or less scattered bodies of the enc
my.
The Egyptian western force was
commanded by Maj.-Gen. w. A. Wat
SON from October, 1916. Small mobile
columns accompanied by all available
light armored cars we're sent out to
the .oases of Dahla and Baharia,
which were, thoroughly searched as
we'll as surrounding villages. These
GASES are situated between the Nile
and the Lbyan desert.
A combined British and italian ma
val reconnaissance was also carried
out in October under the direction
| of the italian naval authorities, at
| Ageila, 80 miles west of Tobruk,
where a large camp of followers of
Idris and Nuri was reported. The
camp was shelled and serious casual
ties inflicted.
The last operations surveyed are
those undertaken by armored cars
with motor transport against the
Grand Senussi, Sayed Ahmed, and his
chief, Mohammed Sa-
1eh, who with a force oftsome 1900
men were preparing to depart from
the silva oasis (north of the Libyan
desert) to Jaghbub. Command of
this column was intrusted to Brig
Gen.. H. w. Hodgson, G. v. O., G. B.,
| whose plan was to attack the enemy
camp at Girba with his main body
and to detach two armored motor
batteries to block the pass at Garet-
l-Munasib-the only pass between
silva and Jaghbub practicable for
camels-so that should Sayed Ahmed,
as was probable, take to flight, casu-
alties might be inflicted on his re-
treating column by the detached bat
teries. and his march be DETECTED into
the waterless sand dunes. The fight
ing force consisting of three light ar
| mored batteries and three light car
patrols concentrated with it's trans
| port on Feb. 2 at point 1875 miles
| from Matruh.
On Feb. 3, all units advanced on
| Girba at the western end OF the silva
oasis. The enemy was taken by sur
prise, but put up a good fight which
he kept UP all day, the rough nature
of the ground preventing the cars
/ from getting up close for fear of get
ting stuck. Toward evening the enc
my fire died down and by dawn he
| had completely evacuated his posi-
ton, and on Feb. 5 the column enter
ed silva without opposition.
The Munasib detachment (sent to
block that pass) was unable, with the
exception of the light car patrol and
one car to get down the steep escape
ment and take up it's position, but
4 had to remain at point 10 miles
north of Munasib. The car and light
! car patrol was able to intercept and
cut up the leading parties Of the en-
envy retreating from Girba. Suisse
quently their position was given away
and rendered futile, the enemy turn
ing off into the sand dunes before
reaching the pass.
The whole column returned to Mat
1 run on Feb. 8, having sustained no
4 casualties to- personnel beyond three
officers slightly wounded, or to ma
! terial besides the loss of one tender
with broken springs. The enemy's
| losses were 40 killed. including two
Senussi officers and 200 wounded, in
Guiding Ave Turkish officers; 10 rifles
wereb roug1lt in and ,150 destroyed;
$4,000 rounds of small arms ammuni-
/ ton, were brought in, and 1000 des-
troyed, besides what was burnt by the
enemy; 40 of the enemy's camels were
KILLED, and a large number of shelter
| tents were burnt.
Though the capture of Sayed All
! med and Mohammed Saleh was want
1 ing to the complete success of the OPP
erations, the fighting troops-sup-
ported most admirably by the supply
1 column working under extremely ar
duous conditions-accomplis all
that was possible under the c1rcum-
stances, and great. credit is due to
/ General Hodgson and his staff. The
expedition which, at my request, was
| accompanied by Captain Caccia, the
Italian military attache, dealt a rude
blow to the moral of the Senussi, left
the Grand Senussi himself painfully
making his way to Jaghhub through
the rugged and waterless dunes, and
freed my western front from the men
ace of his forces.
The dispatches conclude with a ,tri-
| butte to the troops, commanders and
l-staff engaged and incloses a list of