ved. The enemy
counter-attacked with a determination fully equal to that which he had
displayed during the past fortnight's battle in the hills. He had the
advantage of cover and was supported by artillery and a hurricane of
machine-gun fire, but although he climbed the hill and got into the
small gardens outside the very houses, he was repulsed with bomb and
bayonet. At one moment there was little rifle fire, and the two sides
fought it out with bombs. The Turks retired with heavy losses, but
they soon came back again and fought with the same determination,
though equally unsuccessfully. The Devons called for artillery, and
three batteries supported them splendidly, though the gunners were
under a great disadvantage in that the ground did not permit the
effect of gunfire to be observed and it was difficult to follow the
attackers. The supplies of bombs and small-arms ammunition were
getting low, and to replenish them men had to expose themselves to a
torrent of fire, so fierce indeed that in bringing up two boxes of
rifle ammunition which four men could carry twelve casualties were
incurred. A head shown in the village instantly drew a hail of bullets
from three sides. Reinforcements were on the way up, and the Fife and
Forfar Yeomanry battalion of the Royal Highlanders were prepared to
make a flank attack from their outpost line three-quarters of a
mile south-east of Foka to relieve the Devons, but this would have
endangered the safety of the outpost line without reducing the fire
from the heights, and as the Fife and Forfar men would have had to
cross two deep wadis under enfilade fire on their way to Foka their
adventure would have been a perilous one. By this time three out of
four of the Devons' company commanders were wounded and the casualties
were increasing. The officer commanding the battalion therefore
decided, after seven hours of terrific fighting, that the village of
Foka was no longer tenable, and authority was given him to withdraw.
In their last attack the enemy put 1000 men against the village,
and it was not until the O.C. Devons had seen this strength that he
proposed the place should be evacuated. His men had put up a great
fight. The battalion went into action 762 strong; it came out 488.
Three officers were killed and nine wounded, and 49 other ranks killed
and 132 wounded. Thirteen were wounded and missing and 78 missing. In
Foka to-day you will see most of the battered houses repaired, but
prog