van Amman op te blazen, welke mislukte, besloot Lawrence dat weik zelf op te knappen. Daartoe ging hij op 16 September in een vrachtauto, volgeladen met springmiddelen, 2 pantserauto's en nog" een vrachtwagen naar de brug. Nabij de brug gekomen ging hij met 150 lbs springstof over in een der pantserauto's waarmede hij alleen naar de brug reed, terwijl de andere pantserauto de door een Turksch detachement bezette schans aanviel. De zaak gelukte volkomen. Den 17en September werd de brug bij Tel Arar opgeblazen, en ten slotte de brug in de Westelijke aftakking van Deraa, zoodat nu aan den vooravond van Allenby's offensief de verbinding van de Turken met Damascus geheel was afgesneden, terwijl volgens belofte een sterk Arabisch detachement bij Deraa stond. Deze laatste vernieling was een typisch Lawrence-optreden 1068 „It was a noble evening, yellow, mild and indescribably peaceful „a foil to our incessant cannonade. The declining light shone down „the angle of the ridges, its soft rays modelling them and their last „contour in a delicate complexity of planes. Then the sun sank another „second, and the surface became shadow, out of which for a moment „there rose, starkly, the innumerable flints strewing iteach western "(reflecting) facet tipped like a black diamond with flame. „A very unfit afternoon for dying, seemed to think my men for „the first time their nerves failed, and they refused to quit their „shelter for the enemy's clattering bullets. They were tired, and their „camels so marched out they could only walk also they knew that „one bullet in the blazing gelatine would send them sky-high A try „to stir them by jest failed; at last I cast them off; choosing only „Hemeid, the young and timid one amongst them, to come up with „me on hill-top. He shook like a man in a sick dream, but followed „quietly. We rode down the ridge to its furthest edge, to have a close „look at the bridge. „Noeri Said was there, sucking his briar pipe, and cheering the „gunners, who were keeping a barrage over the darkening roads „between the bridge, the village and the station. „Noeri, being happy, propounded to me plans of attack and alter- .native assaults against this station, which we did not wish to assault. „We argued theory for ten minutes on the skyline, with Hemeid „wincing in his saddle as bullets, some of which were overs, spat „past us, or richochets hummed like slow, angry bees beside our „ears. The few proper hits splashed loudly into the flinty kicking „up a chalkdust which hung transparently for a moment in the „reflected light. „Noen agreed to cover my movements to the bridge as well as „he could. Then I turned Hemeid back with my camel, to tell the „rest that I would hurt them worse than bullets if they did not „follow him across the danger-zone to meet me for I meant to walk „round till I could be sure the bridge-post was empty. „While they hesitated, there came up Abdoelah, the imperturbable, „improvident, adventurous, who feared nothingand the Zaagi. They, „mad with fury that I had been let down, dashed at the shrinkers, „who pounded over the shoulder with only six bullet-scratches. The „redoubt was indeed abandoned: so we dismounted, and signalled „Noeri to cease fire. In the silence we crept discreetly through the „bridge-arches, and found them also evacuated. Hurriedly we piled

Tijdschriftenviewer Nederlands Militair Erfgoed

Indisch Militair Tijdschrift | 1937 | | pagina 14