another
hill some men carrying up supplies took two hours to walk from the
base of the hill to the summit. The trials of the infantry were shared
by the artillery. What surprises every one who has been over the route
taken by the 10th and 74th Divisions is that any guns except those
with the mountain batteries were able to get into action. The road
work of engineers and the 5th Royal Irish Regiment (Pioneers) was
magnificent, and they made a way where none seemed possible; but
though these roadmakers put their backs into their tasks, it was only
by the untiring energies of the gunners and drivers that artillery was
got up to support the infantry. The guns were brought into action well
ahead of the roads, and were man-hauled for considerable distances.
Two howitzers and one field gun were kept up with the infantry on the
first day of the advance where no horses could get a foothold, and the
manner in which the gunners hauled the guns through deep ravines
and up seemingly unclimbable hills constituted a wonderful physical
achievement. The artillery were called upon to continue their arduous
work on the 28th and 29th under conditions of ground which were even
more appalling than those met with on the 27th. The whole country was
devoid of any road better than a goat track, and the ravines became
deeper and the hills more precipitous. In some places, particularly
on the 10th Division front, the infantry went forward at a remarkable
pace; but guns moved up with them, and by keeping down the fire of
machine guns dotted about on every hill, performed services which
earned the riflemen's warm praise. The 9th and 10th Mountain Batteries
were attached to the 10th Division, but field and howitzer batteries
were also well up. On the 28th the 53rd Division bit farther into the
enemy's line in order to cover the right of the 60th Division, which
was to continue its advance up the Nablus road towards Bireh. The
158th Brigade captured Anata, and after fighting all day the 1/7th
Royal Welsh Fusiliers secured Ras Urkub es Suffa, a forbidding-looking
height towering above the storm-rent sides of the wadi Ruabeh. The
1/1st Herefords after dark took Kh. Almit.

In front of the 60th Division the Turks were still holding some strong
positions from which they should have been able seriously to delay
the Londoners' advance had it not been for the threat to their
communications by the pressure by the 10th and 74th Divisions. The
Londoners had pr