File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎83v] (175/834)

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ARABIA.
North-west.
Intelligence.
Colonel Joyce sends the following account of the attack on
the line by armoured cars reported in the last Bulletin :—
“ The cars left Grueira at 9 a.m. on December 30 and
arrived at a point about twelve miles west of Mudowara by
sundown. One stretch of about a mile of soft sand caused
considerable delay ; otherwise the going was good. On December
31 a reconnaissance was made in a tender, and from observation
it was decided that the route we were following would lead
straight to Ramleh station, and in order to accomplish the
objective it would be advisable to strike further north. Finally
a road was found which emerged on to the railway line about
four miles north of Tel el-Shahim station.
“ On the morning of January 1 a reconnaissance was again
made, on foot, which showed that the line between Tel el-Shahim
and Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Rethm station was defended by three small entrenched
posts, two on hill tops and one dug in near a large seven-arch
culvert due east of our point of observation. Owing to the
nature of the country it would have been impossible to approach
the line in order to lay a mine without being observed, and as
there were no Arabs co-operating, the idea of laying a mine had
to be abandoned. It was accordingly decided to attack the
entrenched post near the culvert above referred to. It was quite
realised that it would be almost impossible to capture this post
by armoured cars alone, but by attempting it, it was thought
probable that other troops would be sent to reinforce, and these
might prove a good objective for the machine guns of the
armoured cars.
“ The ten-pounder gun came into action at 1,500 yards
from the position, having somewhat misjudged the distance.
It came under a very hot rifle fire and had to be withdrawn
after firing a few rounds. The armoured cars approached the
post and fired several belts from their maxims into it at close
range, but the numbers of casualties inflicted were not ascertain
able. There was no way of enfilading the fort, and as no definite
result could be obtained by maxim gun fire the cars were
eventually withdrawn. A small party of the enemy arrived from
the south in the meanwhile and occupied a hill about 800 yards
west of the railway line. Two or three rounds from the ten-
pounder mountain gun soon dislodged them.
“Two armoured cars escorting the ten-pounder mountain
gun then proceeded to Tel el-Shahim station, and the mountain
gun fired about thirty rounds high explosive with good results.
Station buildings were hit, and trucks standing in the station
were destroyed. The armoured cars approached the station and
fired on the windows, doors, etc., of the building and completely
silenced all enemy resistance from this point. The cars contain