CHAPTER XXIX NAHR AUJA AND EL BURJ BEFOREproceeding further with the narrative of the capture of Jerusalem, it is desirable to turn to the operations carried out by the British on the extreme left flank, which had an important influence upon the fighting in Judaa. By November 20th the Anzac Mounted Division had estab- lished a strong line of entrenched posts running from Nalin on the right through Budrus and El Yehudiyeh, and thence by high ground south of Tel Abu Zeitun to the sea. At this time the Turkish line on the coastal sector traversed the high ground north of Nahr Auja as far as Ferrekhiyeh, where it crossed the stream and ran south-east to the foot-hills. As the 54th Division marched up from the south it was placed under Chauvel’s orders ; the Camel Brigade was also advanced into the area, while the 1st Light Horse Brigade was sent back to a position near the beach south of Yebna to rest. On the 21st the Camels took over the line from Yehudiyeh to Hill 265, and the 161st Infantry Brigade was ordered to relieve the New Zealanders and free them for action, if necessary, across the Auja. During this time mounted patrols pushed aggressively up to the Auja crossings, and to the villages further east. At Mulebbis, an extensive Jewish colony, large stores of horsefeed were discovered. But everywhere the patrols were sharply fired upon, and it was evident that the enemy was prepared to resist a further advance up the plain of Sharon. To prevent the withdrawal of troops of the Eighth Turkish Army from Sharon to assist in the defence of Jerusalem, Allenby decided to demonstrate strongly along the coast, so as to lead the enemy to anticipate a further advance in that direction. On the 24th, therefore, Chauvel moved to establish at least one bridgehead on the north bank of the Auja. Early in the afternoon the ground covering all the crossings was vigorously shelled, and, while the whole line displayed menacing activity, the Canterbury Mounted Rifles crossed the Auja at the ford on the beach, put to flight a small party of Turkish infantry, and seized Sheikh Muannis. 24A 497 498 SINAI AND PALESTINE [zqth-asth Nov., 1917 The Wellington Regiment, following, moved by Muaiinis and captured the bridge at Khurbet Hadrah; and a battalion of infantry crossed by the mill at Jerisheh. The enemy’s out- posts were everywhere taken by surprise, and about thirty Turks were captured, while the British sustained no losses. That night the infantry with four companies held posts at Khurbet Hadrah and Muannis, covered by a squadron of the New Zealanders, who also guarded the ford on the beach. All night the engineers worked at constructing a bridge at the Jerisheh mill and improving the crossing at Khurbet Hadrah, with a view to establishing two strong bridgeheads on the 25th. Allenby’s scheme succeeded almost too well. Bef ore dawn on the 25th the Turks advanced in strength upon the Auck- land Mounted Rifles, who were covering the infantry in front of the Hadrah crossing. The Canterburys at once moved from the mouth of the Auja against the Turkish right; but the enemy pressed his attack in considerable numbers, the Aucklands were forced back on the infantry, and the little combined force was heavily shelled. Pressing in, about 1,000 strong, from the direction of El Jelil, the Turks could not be arrested, and the infantry, covered by the New Zea- landers and some machine-guns, were withdrawn to the south bank of the stream. The New Zealanders followed, and the Turks took up a position on Khurbet Hadrah. Shortly before g o’clock, as the British infantry at Sheikh Muannis, assisted by a battalion on the south, were preparing for a counter-attack on the enemy at Khurbet Hadrah, they came under severe shell-fire, and the enemy could be seen advancing in force. An hour later the Turks, in spite of effective shelling by the Somerset Battery, still pushed rapidly forward. Very hard-pressed, the infantry, covered by a squadron of the Aucklands and two troops of the Canter- bur‘ys, fell back towards the bridge at Jerisheh. Some, how- ever, were cut off from the crossing and were obliged to pass the stream in boats, while a few had to swim. The New Zealanders remained to give covering fire to the British; then, with the Turks very close to them, they in turn took to the water. The position, although exciting, had never been critical, and the New Zealanders enjoyed the lively 25tl1-2jtl1 Nov., 19171 NAHR AUJA AND EL BURJ 499 character of the little enterprise. That night tlie original line was occupied by the mounted troops and infantry, and the artillery on the sector (made up of a few 6-inch howitzers, one 3.5-inch howitzer battery, two 18-pounder batteries, and three batteries of Royal Horse Artillery) registered the crossings as a precaution against a further enemy offensive. The ‘Turks showed no disposition to attempt to force the Auja; but on the 27th they began to display activity against Hill 265 (afterwards known as “Bald Hill ”), which was held by a company of the 4th Battalion of the Camel Brigade, and against the line on its right. The Camel positions were heavily bombarded with 4.2’s ; Mulebbis, after having been patrolled by troops of the 2nd Light Horse Brigade in the morning, was occupied by the enemy in strength only two hours later, and Wilhelmia was bombarded. At about noon the line of Ryrie’s brigade was being inter- mittently shelled, and the light horsemen could see Turks creeping through the orchards about 1,000 yards in front of the Camel Brigade. A troop of the Australians, under Lieutenant R. S. Billington,’ caught these in flank with a Ilotchkiss gun, and caused many casualties, but the movement towards the Camels made steady progress. Ryrie’s head- quarters were persistently shelled, and Major Bryant, of the Ayrshire Battery, a bold artillery officer who had supported the light horsemen in many fights, was killed. A strong force of Turkish infantry then advanced under cover of the barrage, and the company of the 4th Battalion which occupied the post on Bald Hill was driven off, retiring for about 500 yards. The Turks immediately entered the post, and with enfilade fire compelled the evacuation of three posts held by the same battalion on the right. This in turn made a post known as “Ypres Salient,” occupied by the 2nd Light Horse Brigade, untenable. All the posts were at once manned by tlie enemy, who, however, attempted no further advance. Bald Hill was a coinmanding knoll, valuable to either side if it could be held. General Smith was ordered to retake it after dark, if not before. At 7.30 p.m. Camel patrols, pushing ~~ 1 Capt. R. S. Billington, h1.C. 5th L.H. RE@. Clerk; b Enoggera, Q’land, 23 Feb., 1894. 500 SINAI AND PALESTINE [27th-29th Nov., 1917 on to the hill, found the southern slopes occupied by about 500 Turks with machine-guns ; but with a swinging bayonet charge the Camels re-occupied the three posts previously evacuated on the right of the hill. Smith, whose leadership was always marked by sound and independent judgment, insisted that the knoll was a No-Man’s Land, and that gun- fire from either side could make it untenable by infantry. This view was accepted by Chaytor, and afterwards by Chauvel, and was proved to be correct-to the great satis- faction of the men of the Camel Brigade, who had smarted under the criticism at first levelled at them for losing the position. Simultaneously with the attack on Bald Hill, the Turks had made a stout effort to push the infantry of the 54th Division out of Wilhelmia, but were driven off with consider- able losses. They also crossed the Auja, and established a post near the Hadrah bridge. Here they were successfully raided after dark by the infantry, who killed fifty and captured eight prisoners, with only nominal losses to the British. The enemy continued to shell the posts and back areas, but the Anzac trenches were excellently dug, and the effect was slight. The plan to pin the Eighth Turkish Army on the western sector, while the 60th and 74th Divisions in the hills prepared for the final assault on Jerusalem, had been richly rewarded, and all signs of activity on the Auja were welcomed by the Commander-in-Chief. The Turks continued to appear on Bald Hill, and eni- ployed working parties there in the darkness, despite heavy shelling from the British batteries. On the night of the 29th the position was again raided by a company of the 4th Camel Battalion, supported by a squadron of the 6th Light Horse on the left under Captain Stuart Tooth. After the hill had been hotly bombarded, it was rushed by the Camels with the bayonet. The Turks met them with bombs at the foot of the hill, but were speedily swept back to the summit, when the Camels were withdrawn, their task only half accom- plished. Tooth’s squadron, however, whose mission was to enfilade the Turks if they attempted to follow the Camels on their withdrawal, blundered in the night on to a considerable enemy force, apparently massed for an attack. A lively 29th-30th h'ov., 19171 NAHR AUJA AND EL BURJ 501 fight with bombs and rifle-fire ensued, and the enemy brought up a second force about 300 strong, which fell on Tooth's left flank.