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[Page 30]
flank positions. Time was getting on, the camel guns were particularly slow in movement, any flanking movement would have had to be dismounted - horses could not be taken off the track - such dismounted flanking movements are necessarily slow - darkness would have been on us before anything definite had been accomplished. The country was unknown, time was of the greatest importance. I intercepted a wireless from Desert Mounted Corps to Australian Mounted Division that Es Salt must be taken that evening. I sent a squadron of the 9th L.H. Regiment dismounted, against his right flank position. The enemy were cleared out and the position occupied by us. Enfilade fire was now brought on to his main position from this point. One Gun of the Hong Kong and Singapore Battery then opened on his left flank position. Under cover of its fire and our maching guns, a squadron of the 10th L.H. Regiment with two troops of the 9th L.H. Regiment took possession of his left flank position. Under cover of three guns of the Hong Kong and Singapore Battery and twelve machine guns, a dismounted attack on his main position was organised. It was impossible to move against it mounted - as his position was on a steep rocky hill with terraced sides. Before the attack was made I had the 8th L.H. Regiment standing to their horses with instructions that the moment the 9th and 10th L.H. Regiment got into the enemy's position, the 8th L.H. Regiment would, mounted, push along the track, collect any fugitives they could find, press on to Es Salt and hold the roads from Es Salt to Shunet Nimrin and from Es Salt to Amman, where these two roads meet about half a mile south-east of Es Salt. The attacking troops, two squadrons of the 10th L.H. Regt. on the right and five troops of the 9th L.H. Regt. on the left, formed up in three lines on the ridge about six hundred yards in front of the enemy's position. Five minutes heavy fire from the three available guns and twelve machine guns were opened at the enemy. At the end of that time I gave the signal to advance. The guns and machine guns opened up rapid fire, the stormers (under Major Timperley, 10th L.H. Regt.) sprang forward down the steep rocky slopes and up a similar slope towards the enemy, the confirmation of the ground thus presenting an unusually favourable opportunity for covering fire, allowing the men to get within fifteen to twenty yards before it ceased. Many of the enemy bolted to the rear as the assaulting troops neared them, but a good number, amongst whom were German Officers and men, fought till the last and were bayoneted on the spot. The attack with the bayonet was successful - 28 prisoners being taken, a number of whom were Germans. As the assault troops arrived on the crest of the enemy position, I ordered the 8th Regt. to advance. This they did at the gallop. I may state from this point on to Es Salt the track was much better as we were now on the plateau. The ridge behind the Turkish position, was occupied and from this the enemy opened a brisk rifle fire. This the 8th Regiment ignored. A little further on, a party of 50 or 60 Turks in sangars were met. A troop was at once despatched to get behind them and the enemy fled. The Regiment then gallopped on to Es Salt. Es Salt was entered at 1830. A German Staff Officer, (afterwards captured), who spoke English was endeavouring to organise resistance in the streets. This Staff Officer afterwards explained that 50 men were sent out from Es Salt early in the afternoon to reinforce the Turkish position, but they failed to arrive. He, the Staff Officer, then took out a squadron which arrived just as our attack was being made. This squadron refused to stop. Subsequently he tried to rally them in the streets of Es Salt, but our advanced regiment rode them down, passed through the town and occupied the junction of the Es Salt, Shunet Nimrin and Amman roads. I would here place on record the very excellent work done by 2/Lieut. Charles Foulkes-Taylor, 10th L.H. Regt., attached to 8th L.H. Regiment. This Officer was in charge of the advanced troop of the 8th L.H. Regt. on entering Es Salt. This Officer raced up to the German Staff Officer, abovementioned, who was then trying to rally his men, demanded his surrender, and told him to stop his men. The German Officer surrendered. Lieut. Taylor took his mauser pistol, he had previously used 14 rounds from his own automatic, emptied two clips of the German's pistol into the retreating enemy and then smashed the pistol over the head of another. The men of Lieut. Taylor's troop were using their bayonets as swords. One sergeant got two on the point, (sword in line). The general opinion was that they were not good for melee fighting - too blunt. They used them for striking. Swords would have been invaluable here. The men with revolvers - Hotchkiss gunners