Advance on Egypt

Turks’ warm reception

Attacks at various points

Repelled at close quarter

Cairo, Thursday: an official communique summarises the events from Tuesday night.

The Toussoum post was attacked at 8am by the enemy’s infantry and at the same time a determined attempt was made under heavy fire to cross the Canal by means of pontoon and raft.

At daybreak the enemy were seen advancing, their artillery fired on Toussoum and were answered by our artillery and the fire from our ships. After a certain amount of fighting the enemy retired at 3.30pm.

During the action eight officers and 282 men were made prisoners and a large number of dead were left lying in front of our position.

HMS Harding was twice hit by shells and ten men were wounded.

Our other losses were two officers and 13 men killed and 58 wounded, of which one officer and two men killed and one wounded belong to the Egyptian Field Artillery which give valuable assistance.

At the Ismailis ferry at daylight the enemy were found entrenching 700 or 800 yards from our posts.

Two battalions fired on us with rifles.

During the day there was intermittent fire but in infantry attack and no casualties on our side.

At El Kantara our outposts were attacked between 5am and 6am, the enemy were driven off leaving 21 killed and 25 wounded and 36 unwounded prisoners were left in our hands.

Later there was a partial attack but the enemy were checked 1,200 yards from our position and eight more of their dead were found.

Our casualties were one officer slightly wounded, four Indians killed and 24 wounded. The total strength of the enemy’s forces engaged seems to have numbered at least 12,000 men with six batteries but the invasion of Egypt has merely taken the form of Turkish prisoners being brought to Cairo. The conduct of the troops, British, Indian and Egyptian was excellent.

In Belgium German aviators have shown great activity.

The communique of last evening reported the capture of an enemy trench to the west of the route from Arras to Lille.

This trench interfered with troops in occupation of the ground gained by us some days ago to the east of the same route.

We blew the trench up and immediately afterwards a detachment of Zouaves and African light infantry solidly established itself on the captured positions.

All the Germans in the captured trench were killed or taken prisoners.

Our artillery silenced the enemy’s batteries at Adinser, South of Arras, at Poziers as well as in the section of Valley. In the Argonne there was only one attack at Bagatelle.

This attack which took from us 100 metres of trenches provoked on our part two counter attacks which not only resulted in the recapture of these 100 metres but also in gaining ground beyond that.

In the Vosges there were artillery duels.

There is nothing to report on the rest of the front.