The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-06-30
TURKS AND HUNS
REFUSE TO FIGHT
FOR DAMASCUS
Australian Tells of Victory Gained
Over Superior Force.
ElIEMY MORALE SHATTERED
Interesting Account of Capture Of An
cient City by Australian Forces
Gould Have Sustained
Siege for Months.

D6laIeu ACCOUNT VI Tie capture OIL la
mascus by Australian forces last fall
is given by a returned Australian sol
der in the Sydney Morning Herald
The narrative starts with the Aus
tralians' advance from Liberals ant
the subsequent encircling operations
which resulted in the fall of Damas
Gus itself
Leaving Liberals behind the Aus
tralian division pushed on northwarC
to Lake Huleh, where they tried tC
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,
so 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 number
of prisoners, a few guns, and many
machine guns. The bulk of the enemy
rear guard bolted. So once more was
continued the great race toward Da-
mascus.
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
Hedjaz road. 1t 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 a
halt General OdgsOn-commanding
the Australian division-pushed the
Third Light Horse brigade toward the
south of the city, while he sent Gen
eral Onslow's Fifth brigade on a wide
encircling sweep to the west and
north of Dumar, with view to block
ing the escape.
1.-THE battle of Damascus, which fol-
lowed will be studied In years to come
as the perfect example of the inf1u-
ence Of morale. Napoleon said that
morale to material is as three to one.
Here one found it hundred to one. A
few thousand exultant horsemen hem
med in and captured an army. The
city was surrounded. The roads to
northward were held. Having abun-
dance of arms and munitions, food and
water, and being in such overwhelming
numbers, they could have sustained a
siege for months, even if they feared
to risk battle In the open. But their
morale was shattered.
"There was little fight left in them.
fringe of machine guns and few
pieces of artillery held off the attack
ers for an hour or so. Then the horse
men broke through. The Third Light
Horse brigade captured some thou
sands of the Fourth Turkish army from
Aman.
Turks Refused to Fight.
1.-THE Fourth regiment entered the
outskirts of the city, found the big bar
racks swarming with Turks and Ger
mans. But they wouldn't fight and
the Victorians rounded up 10000 of
them and led them away. Another
column, several thousand strong, flee
ing from the Arabs, tried to escape by
the northern road to Honin. But the
Third Light Horse brigade started in
pursuit, charged the rear guard of
German machine gunners and captured
the whole column.
Meanwhile the Fifth Light Horse
brigade-which used to be the camel |
corps-broke through the Gordon of |
machine guns, hiding in the northern
gardens, and reached the Barada |
Gorge 5000 strong. streaming out {
along the road to Beyrut. In one place I
a house on the hill overlooks the gorge, !
where the rail, the road and the river
run within a few yards of each other,
and here party of 10 men of the
Fourteenth regiment, N. S. w. with
two officers, opened fire on the big col
umn Turks and Germans fled in all
directions.
Several were killed and the horse
men then killed the horses and mules
in the gun teams and blocked the road
The column was cut in two and more
than 5000 surrendered. A mile further
along the road others of the Fifth bri-
gade opened with machine guns and
rifles on the leading portion of the col
umn. The enemy was absolutely at
their mercy, and after futile half
hearted resistance surrendered.
Hun Starts Destruction.
ut was nightfall. More than TO-,
600 enemy had been captured, and still
they came The town had not yet sur
there was no one
there in authority to capitulate. But
H. II,s,, Sta rtnd on his work Of demo- !