General Allenby's advance in Southern Palestine was skilfully planned. The
Turks held a long line running from the sea-coast near Gaza south-eastwards to Beersheba, at the foot of theJudaean hills, and the valley running up to Hebron and Jerusalem. General Allenby captured Beersheba by surprise on Wednesday week, and thus left the Turkish left flank in the air. Then on Friday week he attacked the Turkish right flank, west and south-west of Gaza, and took the fist line of trenches on a three-mile front. The Turks delivered several furious counter-attacks, only adding to their own losses. Meanwhile General Allenby pushed his cavalry into the hills north of Beersheba to secure his own right flank. On Monday night he delivered a grand attack on the Turkish centre. Our troops, advancing north-westward from Beersheba, drove the enemy back for nine miles on a front eight miles wide and took a whole series of fortified lines. The battle was decisive. On Wednesday morning our troops entered Gaza. Samson took away the gates of Gaza, but General Allenby has secured the gates of Palestine.
