The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1919-07-16
TURKSAND HUNS REFUSE
TOFIGHTFOR DAMASCUS
Australian Tells Of Victory Gained
Over Superior Force.
ENEMY MORALE SHATTERED
interesting Account Of Capture Of An.
Client City by Australian Forces
Gould Have Sustained
Siege for Months.

Sydney, N. s. Wan interesting II
belated account of the capture Of Da.
mascus by Australian forces last fall
Is given by returned Australian SOL
der in the Sydney Morning Herald.
The narrative starts with the Aus
tralians' advance from Tiberias and
the subsequent encircling operations
which resulted in the fall Of Damas-
Gus itself.
Leaving Tiberias behind the Aus
tralian division pushed on northward
to Lake Huleh. where they tried to
cross the Jordan, but the enemy had
blown up the big stone bridge. and
nests of German machine gunners lined
the precipitous river banks. Up and
down the river the patrols reconnoi-
tered, but always they were met with
a burst of fire from the eastern bank.
But the old Jordan had to be crossed.
30 the Tenth Light Horse. under cover
Of darkness. forced passage near the
lake. while the Fourteenth Light Horse
did the same further south. In the
morning they converged on the enemy
from either flank, capturing a number
Of prisoners. q few guns. and many
machine guns. The bulk OF the enemy
rear guard bolted. So once more was
continued the great race toward Da-
mascuA
Enemy Rear Guard Routed.
"At Kuneitra the rear guard ma
chine gunners were again encountered,
and once more at Sasa. At the latter
place there was stiff fighting. and we
had some casualties, but the last OBJ
stacle was removed, and We pushed
on to the great city.
away to the eastward we could
zee clouds Of dust rising from the
Hedjaz road. It was the remnant OF
the Fourth Turkish army from Aman
So, in spite Of their long start. we
had made a dead-heat Of 1t. Their
fate was already sealed. We had
been In the saddle all the previous aft
ernoon. all night, and all the morn
Ing, but there was no chance Of q
halt. General Hodgson-commandin
the Australian di-ision-pushed the
Third Light Horse brigade toward the
south Of the city, while he sent Gen
eral Onslow's Fifth brigade on a wild.
encircling sweep to the west ant
north Of Dumar. with a view to block
Ing the escape.
'The battle of Damascus, which fol
lowed will be studied in years to come
as the perfect example of the infiu
ence of morale. Napoleon said tina
morale to material Is as three to one
Here one found it a hundred to one. A
few thousand exultant horsemen hem
med In and captured an army. Tn,
city was surrounded. The roads II
horthward were held. Having album
dance Of arms and munitions, food ant
water. and being in such overwhelmin,
oumbers, they could have sustained 4
siege for months. even If they feared
to risk battle in the open. But theil
morale was shattered.
There was little fight left in them
A fringe Of machine guns and a few
pieces Of artillery held off the attack
ers for an hour or 50. Then the horse
men broke through. The Third Ligh
Horse brigade captured some thou
sands Of the Fourth Turkish army from
Aman.
The Fourth regiment entered ths
outskirts Of the city. found the big bar
racks swarming with Turks and Ger
mans. But they wouldn't fight ant
the VictOrians rounded up 10000 al
them and led them away Another
column, several thousand strong. flee
ing from the Arabs. tried to escape b.
the northern road to Honin. But thu
Third Light Horse brigade started In
pursuit charged the rear guard OF
German machine ginners and captured
the whole column.
Meanwhile the Fifth Light Horse
brigade-which used to be the came
corps-brOke through the Gordon OF
machine guns, hiding in the northern