To the
south-east of the line of attack the Turks were doing their utmost to
secure Foka. They came again and again, and their attacks were always
met and broken with the bayonet by yeomen who were becoming fatigued
by continuous fighting, and advancing and retiring in this terrible
country. They could have held the place that night, but there was no
possibility of sending them reinforcements, and as the enemy had been
seen working round to the south of the village with machine guns it
might have been impossible to get them out in the morning. General
Barrow accordingly withdrew the Foka garrison to a new position on a
wooded ridge half-way between that place and Tahta, and the enemy made
no attempt to get beyond Foka. Late at night he got so close to Tahta
from the north that he threw bombs at our sangars, but he was driven
off.

During the evening the Yeomanry Mounted Division received welcome
reinforcements. The 4th Australian Light Horse Brigade were placed
in support of the 6th Mounted Brigade and a battalion of the 156th
Infantry Brigade assisted the 7th Mounted Brigade.

On the 29th the Turks made their biggest effort to break through the
important line we held, and all day they persisted with the greatest
determination in an attack on our left. At midnight they had again
occupied the cairn south of Suffa, and remained there till 8 A.M.,
when the 268th Brigade Royal Field Artillery crowned the hill with a
tremendous burst of fire and drove them off. The machine-gunners
of the 7th Mounted Brigade caught the force as it was retiring and
inflicted many casualties. The Turks came back again and again, and
the cairn repeatedly changed hands, until at last it was unoccupied by
either side. Towards dusk the Turks' attacks petered out, though the
guns and snipers continued busy, and the Yeomanry Mounted Division was
relieved by the 231st Infantry Brigade of the 74th Division and the
157th Infantry Brigade of the 52nd Division, the Australian Mounted
Division ultimately taking over the left of the line which XXth Corps
troops occupied.

The Yeomanry Mounted Division had made a grand fight against a vastly
superior force of the enemy in a country absolutely unfavourable to
the movement of mounted troops. They never had more than 1200 rifles
holding a far-flung barren and bleak line, and the fine qualities
of vigorous and swift attack, unfaltering discipline and heroic
stubbornness in defence under all conditions, get