This great battle on the Biblical field of Armageddon was remarkable in that it was virtually the only engagement during the entire war offering the freest scope to cavalry operations. British cavalry commands operated over a radius of sixty miles between the Jordan and the Mediterranean, sweeping the Turks before them.
By September 25th the total bag of Turkish prisoners exceeded 40,000.
Munition depots covering acres of ground were taken. Whole companies of
Turkish soldiers were found sitting on their white flags waiting for the
British to accept their terms. Two hundred sixty-five pieces of
artillery were captured.
Damascus was captured on Tuesday, October 1st, after an advance of 130 miles by General Allenby since September 1st, the day of his surprise attack north of Jerusalem. During that period a total of 73,000 prisoners was captured.
Palestine's delivery from the Turks was complete. Official announcement was made by the British War Office that the total casualties from all sources in this final campaign was less than 4,000.
Plans for the government of the people of Palestine were announced immediately. Their general scope was outlined in an agreement made between the British, French and Russian governments in 1916. Under that arrangement Republican France was charged with the preparation of a scheme of self-government. The town of Alexandretta was fixed upon as a free port of entry for the new nation.
[Illustration: Photograph]
Copyright Underwood and Underwood, N. Y. British Official Photo.
JERUSALEM DELIVERED
On December 11, 1917, the Holy City was entered by the British forces.
Following the custom of the Crusaders, General Allenby, commander of
the British and Allied forces, made his entry, with his staff and
Allied officers, through the Jaffa Gate, on foot.
[Illustration: Photograph]
British Official Photograph.
ANCIENT AND MODERN WARFARE MINGLE IN THE HOLY LAND
The distinctly modern British soldier uses the camel, that extremely
ancient beast of burden, to get him over the desert in Palestine. The
Imperial Camel Corps gave valuable service in the campaign that led to
the capture of Jerusalem.
CHAPTER XXXIX
AMERICA'S TRANSPORTATION PROBLEMS
When America entered the war there was a very great increase in the volume of business of the railroads of the country. The roads were already so crowded by what the Allies had done in purchasing war supplies, that a great deal of confusion had resulted. The Allies had expended more than three billion dollars in the United States, and as nearly all of their purchases had to be sent to a few definite points for shipment to Europe, the congestion at those points had become a serious difficulty. Thousands of loaded cars had to stand for long periods awaiting the transfer of their contents to ships. This meant that thousands of cars which had been taken from lines in other parts of the country would be in a traffic blockade for weeks at a time. The main difficulty appeared to be that of getting trains unloaded promptly.