The Pulaskian., 1919-07-04
FjRKS AND HUNS REFUSE
 ! TOFIGHT FOR DAMASCUS
|.straIian Tells of Victory Gained Over Superior Force.
|NENY MORALE SHATTERED
.,,o Account of Capture of An ''s'' Civ by Australian Forces
 ''' Gould Have Sustained Siege for Months.


 ,r N S. W.-An interesting if sypsN account of the capture of Da- Fla'es nv Australian forces last fall Sss"o 'ron bv a returned Australian sol in inc Sydney Morning Herald. rl narratiye :, starts with the Aus S, n advance from Tiberias and 'li'@ snhseouent encircling operations x rosrlted in the fall of Damas- a eaying Tiberias behind the Aus .lion division pushed on northward I Tato Huleh, where they tried to as inc Jordan, but the enemy had rn m the big stone bridge, and ,ts of German machine gunners lined nrpcipjtous river banks. Up and Ign the river the patrols reconnoi- rsd but always they were met with .urst of fire from the eastern bank. &t tho old Jordan had to be crossed, # tha Tenth Light Horse, under cover E darkness. forced a passage near the Q while the Fourteenth Light Horse "A the same further south. In the srning they converged on the enemy Bm either flank, capturing number prsoners, few guns, and many rhine guns. The bulk of the enemy sr guard bolted. So once more was Eotnned the great race toward Da- scus.
 Enemy Rear Guard Routed.
 At Kuneitra the rear guard ma ne gunners were again encountered, E .a once more at Sasa. At the latter lee there was stiff fighting, and we B some casualties, but the last ob- scle was removed, and we pushed E to the great city.
 Away to the eastward we could clouds of dust rising from the diaz road. It was the remnant of Fourth Turkish army from Aman. in spite of their long start, we made a dead-heat of 1t. Their le was already sealed. We had Rn in the saddle all the previous aft boon, all night, and all the morn but there was no chance of #t General Hodgson-commanding Australian division-pushed the rd Light Horse brigade toward the Fth of the city, while he sent Gen. 
 0nslow's Fifth brigade on wide ircling sweep to the west and th of Dumar, with a view to block the escape.
 The battle of Damascus, which fol- led will be studied in years to come the perfect example of the infiu- e of morale. Napoleon said that ale to material is as three to one. Fe one found 1t hundred to one. A thousand exultant horsemen hem
 Tn and captured an army. The
 was surrounded. The roads to Inward were held. Having abun- Pce of arms and munitions, food and Ter and being in such overwhelming oers, they could have sustained a E for months, even If they feared FSk battle in the open. But their ale was shattered.
 lhere was little fight left in them. nnge of machine guns and a few eS Of artillery held off the attack ier an hour or so. Then the horse
 broke through. The Third Light Se brigade captured some thou us Of the Fourth Turkish army from kn.
 ne Fourth regiment entered the fAlrts or the city, found the big bar swarming with Turks and Ger s But they wouldn't fight and
 'ictorlans rounded up 10000 of
 and led them away. Another mn several thousand strong, flee rum the Arabs. tried to escape by northern road to Honin. But the Light Horse brigade started in ua charged the rear guard of nan machine gunners and captured Whole column.
 'eahwhile the Fifth Light Horse aue-which used to be the camel
 -pfoke through the eordon of me guns, hiding in the northern