The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-25
AIR B0MBSHALT
ESCAPING TURKS
British AviatOrs. Flying Low.
Smash Heads Of Columns
of Retreating Armies.
VICTORY GROWS BIGGER
Miles Of Roads Filled With
Debris and Many Acres of
Supplies Are Taken.
VICTORY GROWS BIGGER
AZ ". r. NANCY.


Special Cable Dsspdtch TO Tar srs from the
London Times Service.
Copyright. 1915: an riohfs reserued.
NABLus; Palestine, Sept 23 tdelayed).
Tho Turkish Seventh and Eighth ar
mics are practically wiped out. The
very small number who succeeded In
getting across the Jordan in isolated
catches are mere fragments OF the force
which opposed us on the morning OF last
Thursday and are almost entirely with
out war material. 1t 10 extremely Doubt
ful IL one gun or iorry or anything on
wheels got away. A few Turks In the
hills are holding out because they are
Inaccessible TO our guns. and 1t may bs
a day or two before they are rounded up.
There are Indications that the enemy
are leaving their strong positions east
Of the Jordan. particularly in the vic,n-
ity OF Es-Salt, which we captured, and
Amman. 1t is clear that the Turks are
willing 20 sacrifice their troops in the
HedJas a.d leave the Turkish army OF
Yemen 10 its own devices.
In my movements over this wide
battlefield have always heard larger
! estimates OF prisoners than the official
figures. The reason is that there are
numerous groups OF Turks sitting under
white flags awaiting acceptance OF their
surrender.
Acres of Munitions seized.
More than 26O OF their guns are To-
Gated on our lines and artillery ammunI-
t!on in vast quantities, Is everywhere:
some depots are acres in extent. As
| the Turks manufacture only small arms
| ammunition. IL they try TO raise new
armies they must call on Germany for
every gun. transport and instrument OF
war required.
One OF the most remarkable sights a
soldier ever gazed upon ! saw to-day.
From Balata, Uaere the road to Nablus
I falls through the raggy hills and mar
! row passes. there stretches six miles OF
! road covered with the debris OF the re-
! treating army. No section OF Napoleon's
retreat from Moscow could have made
more terrible picture OF hopeless. ir-
retrievable defeat. In this area alone
! there were 81 guns of various calibres.
/ fully 1000 horse or oxen drawn ve-
hicles. nearly 100 lorries, cars. field
! kltcncnf, wafer cafls anu Hdts' OF
other impedimenta.
: The roads werE blocked with the car
casses OF thousands OF animals and the
bodies OF dead Turks and Germans. il
was the work of tho Irish, Welsh and
! Indian infantry, with the artillery pres
sure behind.
| Airmen Bomb Retr~atinx Foe.
| The British and Australian airmen
at the front and the infantry had forced
| the enemy into the road Just as the
| guns began to shell the retiring trans
port The airmen swept down 10 an
altitude OF 200 feet and bombed the head
pllshed at the front. only time was re-
quirSd to finish the job. II was done
with surprising thoroughness. one flight
| follow ing another until the whole column
was vast broken mass
The enemy troops. seeing that escape
for the vehicles was impossible, fed TO
! the hills and fell into the hands OF the
cavalry or sought refuge in our lines
The Irish and Indian troops In thirty
six hours marched twenty-one miles as
the crow flies. over a succession OF
mountains and rocky valleys. fighting
necessarily.
The airmen have been busy to-day In
the Es-Salt and Amman area, bombing
the enemy, and also attacked the sta
tion at Mafrak and the airdrome. Direct
hits included one hangar. which burned.