Battle of Mughar Ridge
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The Battle of El Mughar Ridge (officially known by the British as the Action of El Mughar), took place on 13 November 1917 during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign
of the First World War. Fighting occurred over an extensive area north of the Gaza
–Beersheba
line and west of the road from Beersheba to Jerusalem via Hebron
.
Strong Ottoman Army positions from Gaza to the foothills of the Judean Hills had successfully held out against British Empire
forces for a week after the Ottoman army was defeated at Beersheba. But the next day; 8 November the main Ottoman base at Sheria was captured after two days' fighting and a British Yeomanry cavalry charge at Huj captured guns; Ottoman units along the whole line were in retreat.
The Egyptian Expeditionary Force
attacked the Ottoman 8th Army
on an extended front from the Judean foothills across the Mediterranean coastal plain from 10 to 14 November. Beginning on 10 November in the south at Summeil an Ottoman counterattack was eventually blocked by mounted units while on 13 November in the centre a cavalry charge assisted by infantry captured two fortified villages and on 14 November, to the north at Ayun Kara an Ottoman rearguard position was successfully attacked by mounted units. Junction Station (also known as Wadi es Sara) was captured and the Ottoman railway link with Jerusalem was cut. As a result of this victory the Ottoman 8th Army withdrew behind the Nahr el Auja and their 7th Army
withdrew into the Judean Hills toward Jerusalem.
and Gaza
close to the Mediterranean
coast, held the Egyptian Expeditionary Force
in heavy fighting. During this time the Ottoman Army was able to withdraw in good order; the rearguard garrisons retiring under cover of darkness during the night of 8/9 November 1917.
The delay caused by these rearguards may have seriously compromised the British Empire advance as there was not much time to conclude military engagements in southern Palestine. The winter rains were expected to start in the middle of the month and the black soil plain which was currently firm, facilitating the movements of large military units would with the rains become a giant boggy quagmire, impassable for wheeled vehicles and very heavy marching for infantry. With the rains the temperatures which were currently hot during the day and pleasant at night would drop rapidly to become piercingly cold. In 1917 the rains began on 19 November just as the infantry began their advance into the Judean Hills.
The strength of the 7th and 8th Ottoman Armies, before the attack at Beersheba on 31 October, was estimated to have been 45,000 rifles, 1,500 sabres and 300 guns. This force had been made up of the 7th Army
's incomplete III Corps
. The III Corps' 24th Infantry Division was at Kauwukah (near Hareira–Sheria) and its 27th Infantry Division was at Beersheba. Its 3rd Cavalry Division, as well as the 16th, 19th, and 24th Infantry Divisions were also in the area to the east of the Gaza–Beersheba line. The 7th Army was commanded by Fevzi Pasha
. The 8th Army
's XXII Corps
(3rd and 53rd Infantry Divisions) was based at Gaza while its XX Corps
(16th, 26th and 54th Infantry Divisions) was based at Sheria in the centre of the Gaza–Beersheba line. Supporting these two corps had been two reserve divisions; the 7th and 19th Infantry Divisions. The 8th Army was commanded by Kress von Kressenstein and at that time had an estimated 2,894 officers
; 69,709 men; 29,116 rifles; 403 machine-guns and 268 guns.
Sir Henry George Chauvel's Desert Mounted Corps
, Major General Edmund Hakewill-Smith
's (or Major General J. Hill's) 52nd (Lowland) Division, and Major General P. C. Palin's 75th Division
. The Desert Mounted Corps consisted of the Anzac Mounted Division
(Major General
E. W. C. Chaytor
), the Australian Mounted Division
(Major General H. W. Hodgson) and the Yeomanry Mounted Division (Major General G. de S. Barrow). The 52nd (Lowland) Division and 75th Division formed part of Lieutenant General
Edward Bulfin
's XXI Corps
.
The Ottoman rearguards were able to safely get away during the night of the 8/9 November and during the day of 9 November the only infantry unit capable of advancing was the 52nd (Lowland) Division's 156th (Scottish Rifles) Brigade, commanded by Brigadier General A. H. Leggett. The division's other brigades were regrouping after fierce fighting at Sausage Ridge the previous day. The brigade moved to Askelon
, which was found to be deserted. By evening advance troops had pressed on to El Mejdel, 16 miles (25.7 km) from Gaza, where they secured abandoned stores and water.
Most of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force
's infantry divisions were at the end of their lines of communication
and were not able to follow up the Ottoman withdrawal. XXI Corps's 54th (East Anglian) Division was forced to rest at Gaza and the Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade at Beit Hanun. In the rear, Lieutenant General Philip Chetwode's
XX Corps had transferred its transport to XXI Corps. XX Corps's 60th (London) Division
(commanded by Major General J. S. M. Shea) was resting at Huj and its 10th (Irish) (Major General J. R. Longley) and 74th (Yeomanry) (Major General E. S. Girdwood) Divisions were at Karm. The only unit in the field was 53rd (Welsh) Division (commanded by Major General S. F. Mott) and corps cavalry which, together with the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade, were deployed in the front line near Tel el Khuweilfe in the foothills of the Judean Hills north of Beersheba.
's Anzac Mounted Division
moved off across the maritime plain towards the coast soon after daylight on 9 November, having watered their horses the previous evening. The advance was led by two brigades—on the left the 1st Light Horse Brigade
and on the right the 2nd Light Horse Brigade
rode in line, each responsible for their own front and outer flanks; the attached 7th Mounted Brigade formed a reserve.The New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade was fighting north of Beersheba near Tel el Khuweilfe.
By about 08:30 the 1st Light Horse had entered Bureir and around an hour later the 2nd Light Horse was approaching von Kressenstein's 8th Army headquarters at El Huleikat. Here Ottoman soldiers were discovered to be occupying a strong position on high ground north-west of the village; the brigade made a dismounted attack capturing 600 prisoners along with large amounts of supplies, materiel and an abandoned German field hospital.While fighting on foot, one quarter of the light horsemen were holding the horses, a brigade became equivalent in rifle strength to an infantry battalion. [Preston 1921 p.168] At midday El Mejdel, 13 miles (20.9 km) north-east of Gaza, was occupied with little difficulty by the 1st Light Horse Brigade, who captured 170 prisoners and found a good well with a steam pump enabling the brigade to water all horses expeditiously. After passing the ancient town of Ascalon
a message was received from the Desert Mounted Corps notifying the Anzac Mounted Division that the British XXI Corps were marching towards El Mejdel and Julis. The main Ottoman road and railway leading north from Gaza were both cut and as a consequence, Chauvel ordered the division to advance towards Beit Duras. The division duly turned north-east with the 1st Light Horse Brigade entering Esdud close to the Mediterranean Sea. On the right, the 2nd Light Horse Brigade captured the villages of Suafir el Sharkiye and Arak Suweidan, a convoy and its escort (some 350 prisoners). While the brigade was reorganising Ottoman guns further north opened fire, shelling both captors and captives alike. Just before dark the 2nd Light Horse Brigade captured a further 200 prisoners. The Anzac Mounted Division took up a night battle outpost line along high ground south of the Wadi Mejma, from near Esdud to Arak Suweidan.
During its journey across the maritime plain to Esdud, the Anzac Mounted Division captured many prisoners but met no large organised Ottoman force. As the day progressed, the captured Ottoman units were found to be increasingly disorganised with many soldiers suffering severely from thirst and exhaustion and some from dysentery.
Meanwhile the Australian Mounted Division
, commanded by Major General Henry W. Hodgson, spent most of 9 November searching for water, which was eventually found at Huj. After most of the horses had been watered, they advanced 16 miles (25.7 km) to the Kastin–Esdud line capturing prisoners, guns, and transports on the way. This march during the night of 9/10 November was the only night march made through Ottoman territory of the campaign.
The Australian Mounted Division was led by the 3rd Light Horse Brigade
as advanced guard, with an artillery battery
attached. The 5th Mounted Brigade (which had made a costly but successful charge at Huj the day before) followed, with the 4th Light Horse Brigade
forming the rearguard. To ensure the division maintained its cohesion throughout the night, the advance guard placed pickets
along the route every 440 yards (402.3 m). These were picked up by the following units which in turn dropped pickets to be gathered up by the rearguard. Corps headquarters in the rear was kept informed of the division's movement by signal lamp. Signallers from the two leading brigades intermittently flashed the letters of the divisional call signal in a south-westerly direction from every prominent hilltop along the route. These arrangements worked well and the division arrived intact in the vicinity of Arak el Menshiye and El Faluje
. Preston claims the march was made from Huj to Tel el Hesi
arriving at 04:30 on 10 November. [Preston p. 61] But as Falls Sketch Map 9 shows the Wadi Hesi is no more than 5 miles (8 km) north of Huj while El Faluje and Araq el Menshiye (the destinations given by Wavell) are at least 10–12 mi (16.1–19.3 km) to the north with Es Dud (the destination given by Keogh) another 5 miles (8 km) further on again.[Keogh 1955, p. 168; Wavell 1968 pp. 150–1] It is much more likely the Australian Mounted Division moved from Huj to Arak el Menshiye and Faluje as Wavell suggests or to Es Dud as Keogh suggests as the division was in a position to attack El Faluje and Araq el Menshiye on the morning of 10 November.
The Australian Mounted Division was followed by the 4th Light Horse Field Ambulance
and the divisional train made up of brigade transport and supply sections carrying rations. The field ambulance set up a dressing station and treated about 40 wounded men before moving through Huj at 16:00. After encountering rugged mountainous ravines and 6 miles (9.7 km) of very rough terrain, at around midnight they set up camp in a wadi bed.
The Yeomanry Mounted Division, commanded by Major General G. de S. Barrow, had been in hills north of Beersheba in the line at Tel el Khuweilfe with the 53rd Infantry Division, the XX Corps cavalry regiment and New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade until Allenby ordered it to rejoin the Desert Mounted Corps, 20 miles (32.2 km) away on the coast. The 60th Infantry Division reached Huj
during the afternoon of 9 November, where it watered; the 10th and 74th Infantry Divisions were at Karm.
. Allenby had issued orders on 9 November to advance to El Tineh–Beit Duras in an attempt to turn the Ottoman Nahr Sukereir line before it could be firmly established. Meanwhile disorganised and demoralised Ottoman columns were harassed as they retreated by the Royal Flying Corps
dropping bombs and firing machine-guns. Aircraft also dropped bombs on El Tineh railway station and detonated the ammunition depot. By 10 November the 52nd (Lowland) and 75th Infantry Divisions had advanced to the line Beit Duran–Esdud with the leading brigade of the 52nd Division successfully attacking a strong Ottoman rearguard defending Esdud.
Despite these difficulties the Ottoman Army successfully carried out a difficult retreat to establish a new defensive position on an extensive and well chosen position. The new line stretched about 20 miles (32.2 km) west to east from the mouth of the Nahr Sukereir on the Mediterranean Sea to Beit Jibrin
not far from Tel el Khuweilfe in the Judean Hills. The Ottoman 8th Army on the coastal sector was still retreating when ordered to form the new line along the north side of the valley of the Nahr Sukereir, more than 25 miles (40.2 km) from Gaza. Further inland the Ottoman 7th Army was in relatively good condition having retired 10 miles (16.1 km) or so without interference and was preparing to launch a counterattack.
Reinforcements, transport and supplies were not a problem for these two Ottoman armies as they were falling back on their lines of communication. Their defensive line ran more or less parallel to and 10 miles (16.1 km) or so in front of both road links and the railway. The Jaffa to Jerusalem railway, with connections northwards to Damascus and Istanbul, had a line branching southwards to El Tineh which branched again to Gaza and Beersheba. These lines could still be used to transport supplies and reinforcements quickly and efficiently to the Ottoman Army's front line. Indeed, a general strengthening of resistance along the Wadi Sukereir line was concentrated around El Kustineh
(also known as El Qastine), towards which the 2nd Light Horse Brigade advanced, capturing a refugee column between Suafir and El Kustineh.
Both the Australian and Yeomanry Mounted Divisions reconnoitred the left half of the Ottoman line running from Kustineh, roughly through Balin and Berkusie
(also known as Barqousa), to the neighbourhood of Beit Jibrin. The 12th Light Horse Regiment
(4th Light Horse Brigade) had moved from Burieh to Faluje arriving at 24:00 on 9 November when engineering stores and five burnt out aircraft were captured. The 4th Light Horse Brigade was ordered to advance at 10:40 on 10 November to threaten the Ottoman force opposing 3rd Light Horse Brigade on the Menshiye–Faluje line.
Ottoman trenches had been dug from Summeil 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Arak el Menshiye to Zeita, 3 miles (4.8 km) to the north-east, and to the east of the railway line. Three brigades of the Australian Mounted Division ran into this Ottoman rearguard's left flank near the village of Summeil. At 14:55 patrols reported strong Ottoman positions along the Zeita–Summeil–Berkusie line with trenches extending west of Summeil village. Two Ottoman guns were seen being placed in a well-sited position with no cover for 3000 yards (2,743.2 m) in front, which would require a long dismounted attack. By 18:00 the 4th Light Horse Brigade was holding a line linking to the Anzac Mounted Division at Beit Affen, while the Ottomans were holding a ridge near Berkusie with three cavalry troop
s, three guns and about 1,500 infantry. They were unable to advance further due to intense Ottoman artillery fire which continued throughout the day. Summeil was occupied unopposed, in the morning of 11 November.
Chauvel (commander of the Desert Mounted Corps) ordered the Yeomanry Mounted Division to move westward to the coast leaving the Australian Mounted Division on the right flank. Neither he nor the Australian division were aware at that time that they were threatened by three or four Ottoman 8th Army infantry divisions. The 16th and 26th Divisions (XX Corps) and the 53rd Division (XXII Corps) were spread 6 miles (9.7 km) between the railway and Beit Jibrin, all more or less reorganised and all within striking distance. However, Chauvel's reliance on the steadiness of the Australian Mounted Division was fully justified. With its headquarters at El Faluje on 10 and 11 November, the Australian Mounted Division became engaged (during 10 November) in stubborn fighting.
Ottoman forces were advancing from Summeil by 12:55 and the 4th Light Horse Brigade was deployed to attack them with the 3rd Light Horse Brigade assisting. By 15:30 the 4th Light Horse Brigade was approaching Summeil when ordered to attack from the north with the 5th Mounted Brigade supported by the 3rd Light Horse Brigade threatening Summeil from the west. By 16:30 3rd Light Horse Brigade headquarters were established 870 yards (795.5 m) south-east of Faluje on the railway line, but owing to darkness at 17:15 the attack was not developed and night battle outpost lines were established at 20:00.
The 4th Light Horse Brigade casualties were one other rank
killed, one officer and nine other ranks wounded. These wounded soldiers were probably treated by the 4th Light Horse Field Ambulance which was in the field a couple of miles past El Faluje. The ambulance had itself suffered two casualties when subjected to artillery fire from the hills. But they halted and put up a tent and after dark took in eight more patients all hit by high-explosive shells from the 4th Light Horse Regiment. They were busy until midnight; two seriously wounded soldiers being evacuated to a Casualty Clearing Station and the rest were kept till morning.
Supplies for the advance were transported over land and by sea but it was only with great difficulty that two infantry divisions of XXI Corps and three mounted divisions of Desert Mounted Corps were maintained in the advance at such distances from base. The Navy transported stores to the mouths of the Wadi Hesi and the Nahr Sukherier as these lines were secured. The railhead was being pushed forward as rapidly as possible, but did not reach Deir Suneid until 28 November. So it was a considerable distance over which the Egyptian Camel Transport Corps
worked to bring up supplies.
The Australian Mounted Division occupied Summeil unopposed at dawn on the 11 November but was unable to advance in the face of gathering opposition from the immediate north-east. Summeil had been found deserted at 06:00 by patrols of 3rd Light Horse Brigade (Australian Mounted Division). But by 09:30 the 10th Light Horse Regiment (3rd Light Horse Brigade) reported Ottoman units in strength, holding a high ridge 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north-east of the town. At the same time Ottoman field guns began shelling Summeil from a position on high ground about 3 miles (4.8 km) east of the town. Following instructions from Australian Mounted Division received at 14:00, the 10th Light Horse Regiment carried out active patrolling. They made themselves as conspicuous as possible without becoming seriously engaged while the remainder of the division advanced north.Ottoman railway stations were located at El Tineh, El Affulleh, Ramleh, and Wadi es Sara (known by the British as 'Junction Station'). [Grainger 2006, p. 162]
and Zernukah (surrounded by cactus hedges) and extended north-westwards to El Kubeibeh. The southern extremity of this ridge commanded the flat country to the west and southwest, for a distance of 2 miles (3.2 km) or more. Prisoners from almost every unit of the Ottoman Army were being captured indicating that rearguards had been driven back in on the main body of the two Ottoman armies. All along their line Ottoman resistance grew noticeably stronger.
The Ottoman line was defended by the 8th Army's 3rd Infantry Division (XXII Corps) to the north, the 7th Division (8th Army Reserve) to the east, the 54th Division (XX Corps) near el Mesmiye and the 26th Division (XX Corps) holding Tel es Safi. Von Falkenhayn
, the overall commander of both the 7th and 8th Ottoman Armies, had resolved to make a stand in front of Junction Station and succeeded in deploying his forces by the evening of 11 November. He ordered a counterattack against the British right flank which was covered by the Australian Mounted Division. His plan was to overwhelm them, cut their supply lines, outflank and capture all the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's forward units. Originally ordered for 11 November it was postponed until the next day.
Meanwhile Allenby's plan for 13 November was to turn the right flank of the Ottoman line on the coast despite aircraft and cavalry reconnaissances revealing a considerable Ottoman force further inland on the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's own right flank. He assigned the task of dealing with this immediate threat to the Australian Mounted Division, which was ordered to make as big a demonstration of their operations as possible. This would further focus Ottoman attention away from the coastal sector where the Anzac and Yeomanry Mounted Divisions would advance northwards to attempt to turn the Ottoman right flank assisted by infantry attacks on the Ottoman right centre the following day.
Allenby's force was deployed with the 52nd (Lowland) Division and the 75th Division
in the centre, the Australian Mounted Division
on their right flank and the Australian and New Zealand (Anzac)
and Yeomanry Mounted Divisions on the infantry's left flank. He ordered the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division to extend their position across the Nahr Sukereir on the Ottoman Army's right flank. And, reinforced with two additional brigades, he ordered the Australian Mounted Division to advance towards Tel es Safi where they encountered a determined and substantial Ottoman counterattack.
with the Yeomanry Mounted Division acting as flank guard. Their objective was an important Ottoman rearguard position which ran from the village of Burqa to Brown Hill. While the village was easily taken it was necessary to make an extremely difficult attack on the steep sided Brown Hill. The hill was topped by a large cairn and commanded a long field of fire over the plain southwards across the Nahr Sukhereir. By the time a battalion of the 156th Brigade, covered by two batteries of the 264th Brigade RFA and the South African Field Artillery Brigade of 75th Division, captured the crest it had been reduced to a handful of men. But just 20 minutes after taking Brown Hill the remnants of the Scots battalion (now down to just one officer and about 100 men) was unable to withstand an Ottoman counterattack and was driven off after a fierce struggle at close quarters.
The 2/3rd Gurkhas were then ordered to renew the attack at dusk. Owing to poor light, the artillery was no longer able to give much assistance, but nevertheless the Gurkhas quickly retook the hill with a bayonet charge, suffering 50 casualties, and in the process recovering two Lewis gun
s. The attacking battalion suffered over 400 killed or wounded, while the defending 7th Ottoman Division must have also suffered heavy casualties; 170 dead Ottoman soldiers were found on the battlefield. The fighting here has been described as equal to the 157th Brigade's encounter at Sausage Ridge
on 8 November. The success of these operations north of the Nahr Sukhereir opened the way for the main attacks the following day, on the Ottoman armies' front line positions.
The Ottoman infantry divisions began moving south from El Tineh 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Kustineh from the Ottoman controlled branch line of the railway line running southwards in the direction of Huj. Here and further north along the railway trains were stopping to allow huge numbers of troops to take to the field. Soon after the 11th Light Horse Regiment (4th Light Horse Brigade) was forced to retire from Kustineh as Ottoman units occupied the place in strength. Then at 12:00 three separate columns (of all arms) were seen advancing towards Tel es Safi from the north and north-east. Ten minutes later the British Honourable Artillery Company
mountain battery opened fire, but was hopelessly out shot, outnumbered, and out ranged by Ottoman guns of greater power and weight.
The approach of the 8th Ottoman Army's XX Corps (16th, 26th and 54th Divisions) as well as the XXII Corps' 53rd Division was at first unknown to the 5th Mounted Yeomanry Brigade in Balin. But at about 13:00 a force estimated at 5,000 Ottoman soldiers suddenly attacked and almost surrounded the mounted brigade. The attack was made by two Ottoman columns, one coming down the track from Junction Station to Tel el Safi and the other by rail to El Tineh Station. It was by far the heaviest counter attack experienced since the break through by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force at Sharia on 7 November. The Royal Gloucestershire Hussars
and Warwickshire Yeomanry
regiments of 5th Mounted Brigade, were pushed back out of Balin before being reinforced by the Worcester Yeomanry
. The 3rd Light Horse Brigade was sent up at a canter from Summeil, followed by the remaining two batteries of the Australian Mounted Division. One light horse regiment occupied Berkusie but was forced to retire by an attack from a very strong Ottoman force supported by heavy artillery fire from several batteries. All available troops of the Australian Mounted Division were now engaged and the Ottoman attack continued to be pressed. The counterattack forced the mounted division to concede the territory gained during the day, before fighting the Ottoman Army to a standstill in front of Summeil.
The 4th Light Horse Brigade could render no effective aid to the 3rd Light Horse or the 5th Mounted Brigades. It was strung out to the west as far as the Deir Sineid
railway line and was being heavily attacked. Ottoman units managed to advance to within 100 yards (91.4 m) of the 4th Light Horse Brigade's position; only at the end of the day was this strong Ottoman attack repulsed by machine-gun and rifle fire. Hodgson (commander of the Australian Mounted Division) ordered a slow withdrawal by 3rd Light Horse and 5th Mounted Brigades to high ground on the line Bir Summeil–Khurbet Jeladiyeh. The order had only just been given when another Ottoman train was sighted moving to the south. It stopped west of Balin and disgorged a fresh force of Ottoman soldiers who deployed rapidly to advance against the left flank of the 5th Mounted Brigade. Two batteries of Australian Mounted Division were in action on the high ground north-west of Summeil firing on this fresh Ottoman force moving over the open plain in full view of the gunners. The artillery fire was so effective the attacking Ottoman advance was halted, forcing them to fall back a little where they dug trenches. Fighting steadily and withdrawing skilfully, the 3rd Light Horse and 5th Mounted Brigades had reached the edge of Summeil village where the Ottoman attack was finally held. The attack ended at 18:00 in darkness.
The Ottoman attackers dug themselves in on a line through Balin and Berkusie while the line taken up by the Australian Mounted Division began with the 3rd Light Horse Brigade facing east on a line running due north from about half way between Iraq el Menshiye and Summeil. The line then turned westward so the 5th Mounted Brigade faced northwards in front of Summeil with the 4th Light Horse Brigade to their left in front of Ipseir and connecting with the right of the 75th Infantry Division at Suafir esh Sharqiye. A critical situation created by the strong Ottoman attacking forces had been controlled by the coolness and steadiness of the troops, especially the machine-gun squadrons of the 5th Mounted and the 4th Light Horse Brigades. The Australian Mounted Division suffered about 50 casualties mainly from the 5th Mounted Brigade.
To the east von Falkenhayn, the commander of the 7th and 8th Armies, held his reserve force of 3rd Cavalry Division (7th Army's III Corps) and 19th Infantry Division (8th Army reserve) in front of Beit Jibrin. They waited throughout the day for the main attack to make progress before beginning their own advance, but the opportunity never eventuated. This powerful Ottoman counterattack had been contained and had not forced any rearrangement of the invading forces, whose preparations and concentration on the plain were now complete. But von Falkenhayn was forced to halt his 7th Army's attack and then to take away from it the 16th Infantry Division plus one regiment.
The 20,000-strong Ottoman force was deployed to defend the Jaffa to Jerusalem railway along the Wadi Surar and Nahr Rubin
.DMC's Operation Order 7 estimates 13,000 on Beit Jibrin – El Kustineh – Burkah line. [AMD Gen.Staff War Diary 13/11/17 AWM4, 1/58/5] The battlefield was generally cultivated but with winter approaching it was bare and open. Its most prominent feature, the 100 feet (30.5 m) high ridge which continues north towards Zernukah and El Kubeibeh formed the backbone of the Ottoman Army's 20 miles (32.2 km) long defensive position. The naturally strong Ottoman line was defended by the 8th Army's 3rd Infantry Division (XXII Corps) to the north, the 7th Division (8th Army Reserve) to the east, the 54th Division (XX Corps) near el Mesmiye and the 26th Division (XX Corps) holding Tel es Safi. Benefiting from the terrain two strong defensive positions with commanding views of the countryside were located on the ridge. They were the villages of Katrah
(also known as Qatra) and El Mughar
(also known as Al Maghar). These villages were separated by the Wadi Jamus which links the Wadi Surar with the Nahr Rubin.
While the Ottoman counterattack had been in progress on 12 November, Allenby issued orders for the attack on 13 November to the commanders of XXI Corps and Desert Mounted Corps at the latter's headquarters near Julis
. The main attack was to be carried out by the XXI Corps' 52nd (Lowland) and 75th Divisions westwards towards Junction Station between the Gaza road on the right, and El Mughar on the left. On the right flank of the XXI Corps the Australian Mounted Division
's 3rd and 4th Light Horse and 5th Mounted Brigades, reinforced by the 2nd Light Horse Brigade (Anzac Mounted Division), the 7th Mounted Brigade (Yeomanry Mounted Division) and two cars of the 12th LAM Battery, would attack in line advancing northwards towards Junction Station. The remainder of Desert Mounted Corps; the Anzac and Yeomanry Mounted Divisions would cover the left flank of XXI Corps, with Yebna
as their first objective and Aqir
the second. As soon as Junction Station was captured they were to swing north to occupy Ramleh
and Ludd
and reconnoitre towards Jaffa
.
By 10:00 the 75th Division's 232nd and 233rd Brigades of Somerset, Devon, Hampshire, Wiltshire
, 2/3rd and 3/3rd Gurkha Rifles were advancing along the main road. They occupied the undefended villages of Tel et Turmus
, Kustineh and Yazur
. The 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division had already occupied Beshshit
. The 75th Division proceeded to attack Mesmiye on a lower and southward extension of the ridge on which Katrah and el Mughar were situated with the 52nd (Lowland) Division attacking directly towards these two villages. But these attacks were held up by very strong Ottoman defences.
At Mesmiye the Ottoman Army was strongly posted on high ground in and near the village, and well-sited machine-guns swept all approaches. The 75th Division made steady slow progress; the main body of the Ottoman rear guard eventually falling back to a slight ridge 1 miles (1.6 km) to the north-east. The attack by 3/3rd Gurkhas and 234th Brigade
moved up to Mesmiye el Gharbiye and cleared the place of snipers. One company
of 58th Vaughan's Rifles
suffered heavy casualties during an Ottoman attack on the flank of 233rd Infantry Brigade. Towards dusk the final stage of the infantry assault was supported by two troops of 11th Light Horse Regiment (4th Light Horse Brigade), who galloped into action on the infantry's right flank and gave valuable fire support. An infantry frontal attack covered by machine-gun fire drove the Ottoman defenders off the ridge, enabling Mesmiye esh Sherqiye to be occupied soon after. With Ottoman resistance broken the 75th Infantry Division pushed on through Mesmiye where they took 300 prisoners, and although ordered to capture Junction Station they halted short of their objective in darkness.
2 miles (3.2 km) south-south-east of Junction Station with the 7th Mounted Brigade on its left then only 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) from the station. By 16:00 the 4th Light Horse Brigade was ordered to push forward to El Tineh as the infantry advance on their left was progressing. It was occupied the following morning.
The Yeomanry Mounted Division, with the Anzac Mounted Division in reserve, covered the infantry's left flank. Yebna was captured by the 8th Mounted Brigade which then advanced northwards against El Kubeibeh and Zernukah. The 22nd Mounted Brigade was held up by Ottoman units defending Aqir while the 6th Mounted Brigade (with the Imperial Camel Corps
Brigade protecting their northern flank) was directed against el Mughar.
52nd (Lowland) Division and the GOC Yeomanry Mounted Division that the 6th Mounted Brigade should attack El Mughar ridge in combination with a renewed assault on Katrah and El Mughar by the 52nd (Lowland) Division. Half an hour later the Buckinghamshire and Dorset Yeomanry Regiments, already in the Wadi Jamus, advanced in column of squadrons extended to four paces across 3000 yards (2.7 km) at first trotting then galloping onto the crest of the ridge. They gained the ridge but the horses were completely exhausted and could not continue the pursuit of the escaping Ottoman units down the far side. The charge cost 16 killed, 114 wounded and 265 horses; 16 per cent of personnel and 33 per cent of horses. However, the Ottoman defenders continued to hold El Mughar village until two squadrons of the Berkshire Yeomanry
of the 6th Mounted Brigade fighting dismounted, with two battalions of the 155th Infantry Brigade (52nd (Lowland) Division), renewed the attack. Fighting in the village continued until 17:00 when they succeeded in capturing the two crucial fortified villages of Katrah and El Mughar but at a cost of 500 casualties. Two field guns and 14 machine-guns were captured. The prisoners and dead amounted to 18 officers and 1,078 other ranks and more than 2,000 dead Ottoman soldiers.
(commanded by Brigadier General
William Meldrum) ran into a determined and well entrenched Ottoman rearguard near Ayun Kara, which they attacked. Fierce close quarter fighting against the Ottoman 3rd Infantry Division continued during the afternoon. Although severely threatened, the New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade eventually prevailed and went on to occupy Jaffa two days later.
Units of the 75th Division supported by several armoured cars occupied Junction Station during the morning of 14 November cutting the Jaffa to Jerusalem railway. Seventeen days of operations virtually without rest, had resulted in an advance of 60 miles (96.6 km) from Beersheba; major and minor engagements occurring on 13 of those days. Most of the mounted units had covered at least 170 miles (273.6 km) since 29 October 1917 capturing 5,270 prisoners and over 60 guns and about 50 machine-guns. At Junction Station two train engines and 60 trucks in the station were captured along with an undamaged and fully functioning steam pumping plant which supplied unlimited, easily accessible water. Junction Station, with its branch line running south to El Tineh and extensions southwards towards Beersheba and Gaza was an important centre for both sides' lines of communication.
On 14 November at 06:30 4th Light Horse Brigade entered El Tineh with the rest of the Australian Mounted Division following a couple of hours later. Here good wells containing plenty of water were found but without steam pumps and so watering was not complete until 16:00. The horses had done all that had been asked of them, existing during this time on only 9 1/2 lbs of grain ration (practically no bulk food) and scarce water while all the time carrying about 21 stones (294 lb). That they were able to carry on into the Judean Hills after only a limited period of rest established a remarkable record. Meanwhile, the Australian Mounted Divisional Supply Train followed the fighting units as closely as they could, moving out from Beersheba via Abu Hareira and Gaza on 11 November to Esdud on 14 November; to Mesymie the day after and Junction Station on 16 November.
During 14 November the 52nd (Lowland) and 75th Divisions concentrated and reorganised their ranks. The advance was taken over by the Yeomanry Mounted Division which crossed the railway north of Junction Station and the Anzac Mounted Division which pressed the retreating Ottoman Army northwards near the coast. The Anzac Mounted Division had been ordered to cut the road linking Jaffa to Jerusalem by capturing Ramleh and Ludd. This was the only main road from the coast through Ramleh up the Vale of Ajalon to Jerusalem. During the morning Meldrum's New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade crossed the river close to the sand dunes with 1st Light Horse Brigade on its right. By 09:00 El Kubeibeh
had been occupied by the New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade before pushing on towards the Wadi Hanein
. Here Ottoman rearguards were encountered in the orange groves and on the hills between El Kubeibeh and the sand dunes. About noon the 1st Light Horse Brigade drove an Ottoman rearguard from a ridge facing Yebna where the Anzac Mounted Division had bivouaced the night before and occupied the village of Rehovot
h also called Deiran. At the same time the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade fought off a strongly entrenched rearguard at Ayun Kara. After conceding considerable ground the Ottoman soldiers made a vigorous counterattack but were finally defeated.
some 1,500 fresh troops of the Ottoman Army's 3rd Infantry Division (8th Army's XXII Corps) with 18 machine-guns and one field battery, under orders from von Kressenstein (commander of the Ottoman 8th Army) made a determined stand in well chosen terrain. The battlefield was located on the edge of sand dunes to the north of El Kubeibeh and west of the villages of Surafend el Harab
and Ayun Kara. Attacking the Ottoman infantry division was the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade
's Auckland
, Canterbury
and Wellington Mounted Rifle Regiment
s. In the centre the Auckland and Wellington Regiments' combined fighting strength was about 1,000 with 200 horse holders. On the right of this engagement the Canterbury Mounted Rifle Regiment was held up and heavily engaged in the orange groves of the Wadi Hanein
near Nes Ziyona
until late in the afternoon. They successfully covered the right of the Auckland and Wellington regiments pushing large bodies of Ottoman soldiers back through the orchards of the Wadi Hanein and eventually won the village. On the right of these engagements, after the 1st Light Horse Brigade
had secured Yebna this brigade encountered Ottoman units defending the Jewish colony of Deiran. The brigade pushed the defenders back into the village which they eventually occupied.
To the west of the Wadi Hanein the Auckland and Wellington Mounted Rifle Regiments at first advanced quickly over the more open but hillocky country, their left on the edge of the dunes with the Somerset Battery supporting them from north of El Kubeibeh. But they soon encountered a substantial entrenched position of the 3rd Ottoman Infantry Division on a high ridge one side of which was a steep face to the orange groves and the other slopped gradually towards the sand dunes. The ridge formed an inverted "L," the long side reaching towards the approaching New Zealanders, while the short side bent westward until it reached the sand dunes.
By noon the situation had developed and Meldrum (commander of New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade) ordered an attack by the Wellington Regiment in the centre to gain contact with the main Ottoman entrenched position. The Auckland Regiment advanced on the Wellington Regiment's left towards the foot of the "L", but suffered very heavy machine-gun fire from the long ridge against the end of which the Wellingtons were pressing.
By 13:30 the Wellington Regiment had gained a footing on the ridge by rapidly capturing small tactical positions at the gallop. They achieved their objective by successive rushes driving the Ottoman defenders back from their main position. Major Wilder's 9th Squadron supported by the 2nd Squadron had rushed the first Ottoman position with the bayonet; one machine-gun and one Lewis gun were captured. These guns were used against the second position which was captured by another bayonet charge; two more machine-guns being captured. The third Ottoman position situated well along the long side of the ridge was then attacked. But Red Knoll, located close to the junction with the short leg and practically in front of the dividing line between the two regiments, poured fire directly on them all.See 'Action of Ayun Kara' Map above. Red Knoll is indicated by an oblong outlined in green. This central position was covered by an Ottoman battery which was run forward under cover of trees and opened fire at a range of 1200 yards (1,097.3 m) delaying the New Zealanders' attack. Shortly after 14:00 while the Auckland Regiment was pushing small groups up along the sand dunes, Ottoman soldiers were discovered gathering in a basin in front of the Auckland and Wellington Regiments but just over and behind the short leg of the "L" and completely out of sight of both regiments. Ottoman reinforcements were also seen by Anzac Mounted Division headquarters at Neby Kunda and reported to the attacking regiments. But there was no reserve or reinforcements available to the New Zealanders as 2nd Light Horse Brigade had been attached to the Australian Mounted Division during the attack on Junction Station the day before.
Every available man including signallers, gallopers, batmen, grooms and messengers were formed into a troop in case they were needed. The 3rd Squadron, led by Major Twistleton, galloped forward to within a few yards of the heavily attacked line; he was mortally wounded in the charge. About this time Ottoman defenders were driven back from the third position and the New Zealanders gained practically the whole of the long ridge south of the orange groves of Rishon le Ziyon. At 14:30 a counterattack was launched against the Wellington Regiment and beaten off by enfilading cross fire from both the Wellington and Auckland Regiments' machine-guns and Hotchkiss automatic rifles. Another counterattack a quarter of an hour later by two companies of between 200 and 300 Ottoman soldiers armed with hand grenades was launched against the Auckland Regiment. They charged with fixed bayonets approaching in places to within 15 yards (13.7 m) throwing their hand grenades or bombs, in a determined effort to turn the New Zealanders' left flank. A group of Ottoman soldiers reoccupied a small hill on which all New Zealanders had been killed or wounded, firing obliquely on the Auckland Regiment's main position. The fierce intensity of the fight continued at close quarters for some time with well-sited Ottoman machine-guns handled with skill and boldness enfilading the New Zealanders. The machine-gun on Red Knoll continued to cause very heavy losses until it was captured by a troop of 2nd Squadron, Wellington Regiment, commanded by Captain Herrick (killed in the engagement), which made a mounted charge at the gallop to the foot of the knoll where they dismounted and charged up to engage the defenders in hand-to-hand fighting. With the capture of the knoll two remaining troops of Herrick's squadron came up and brought to bear heavy fire on the Ottoman soldiers in front of the Auckland Regiment.
By 16:15 fierce fighting had been going on for two and three quarter hours when a squadron of the Wellington Regiment carried out a bayonet charge against a close Ottoman position. It was too much for the Ottoman units whose fighting strength gave way. They fell back beyond Ayun Kara pursued by rifle and machine-gun fire as neither regiment was in a fit state to follow. It appeared that the 3rd Ottoman Division left behind some 400 dead in front of the Auckland's position alone; although others have quoted totals of between 150 and 162 dead. The New Zealanders captured great numbers of machine-guns (some with prismatic sights) including two Lewis guns. Their casualties numbered 175; three officers and 29 other ranks killed, 11 officers and 132 other ranks wounded with the Auckland Regiment suffering 89 of those casualties.Ramleh War Cemetery contains the graves of 49 New Zealand men who died between 14 and 16 November. [Kinloch 2007, p. 226]
The official New Zealand historian concluded in 1922 that the engagement at Ayun Kara demonstrated the ability of the New Zealand mounted rifles regiments to rapidly attack and reinforce successive positions on horseback. During this intense engagement, the attacking power of the mounted rifle arm, against a strongly entrenched infantry position was comprehensively proven.
fell back into the Judean Hills towards Jerusalem while the 8th Army
retreated north of Jaffa across the Nahr el Auja. The Ottoman armies suffered heavily and their subsequent withdrawal resulted in the loss of substantial territory; between 40–60 mi (64.4–96.6 km) was invaded by the British north of the old Gaza–Beersheba line. In its wake the two Ottoman armies left behind 10,000 prisoners of war and 100 guns.
The day after the action at Ayun Kara, the 75th Division and the Australian Mounted Division advanced towards Latron where the Jaffa to Jerusalem road enters the Judean Hills, while the Anzac Mounted Division occupied Ramleh and Ludd. An Ottoman rearguard above Abu Shusheh blocked the Vale of Ajalon on the right flank of the advance on Ramleh. This rearguard position was charged and overwhelmed by the 6th Mounted Brigade (Yeomanry Mounted Division). And on 16 November Latron itself was captured and the first British unit to enter Jaffa; the New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade (Anzac Mounted Division) occupied the city, without opposition. They administered Jaffa until representatives of the director of Occupied Enemy Territory arrived. And marking the end of the British Empire's first advance into Palestine, the 8th Ottoman Army retired to the northern bank of the Auja River some 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Jaffa and the 7th Army retreated into the Judean Hills. Since the advance from Gaza and Beersheba began very heavy casualties and losses had been inflicted. The invasion had spread 50 miles (80.5 km) northwards into Ottoman territory while over 10,000 Ottoman prisoners of war and 100 guns had been captured by the victorious Egyptian Expeditionary Force.
Sinai and Palestine Campaign
The Sinai and Palestine Campaigns took place in the Middle Eastern Theatre of World War I. A series of battles were fought between British Empire, German Empire and Ottoman Empire forces from 26 January 1915 to 31 October 1918, when the Armistice of Mudros was signed between the Ottoman Empire and...
of the First World War. Fighting occurred over an extensive area north of the Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
–Beersheba
Beersheba
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
line and west of the road from Beersheba to Jerusalem via Hebron
Hebron
Hebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
.
Strong Ottoman Army positions from Gaza to the foothills of the Judean Hills had successfully held out against British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
forces for a week after the Ottoman army was defeated at Beersheba. But the next day; 8 November the main Ottoman base at Sheria was captured after two days' fighting and a British Yeomanry cavalry charge at Huj captured guns; Ottoman units along the whole line were in retreat.
The Egyptian Expeditionary Force
Egyptian Expeditionary Force
The Egyptian Expeditionary Force was formed in March 1916 to command the British and British Empire military forces in Egypt during World War I. Originally known as the 'Force in Egypt' it had been commanded by General Maxwell who was recalled to England...
attacked the Ottoman 8th Army
Eighth Army (Ottoman Empire)
The Eighth Army of the Ottoman Empire was one of the field armies of the Ottoman Army. It was formed during the World War I.- Order of Battle, January 1918 :In January 1918, the army was structured as follows:...
on an extended front from the Judean foothills across the Mediterranean coastal plain from 10 to 14 November. Beginning on 10 November in the south at Summeil an Ottoman counterattack was eventually blocked by mounted units while on 13 November in the centre a cavalry charge assisted by infantry captured two fortified villages and on 14 November, to the north at Ayun Kara an Ottoman rearguard position was successfully attacked by mounted units. Junction Station (also known as Wadi es Sara) was captured and the Ottoman railway link with Jerusalem was cut. As a result of this victory the Ottoman 8th Army withdrew behind the Nahr el Auja and their 7th Army
Seventh Army (Ottoman Empire)
The Ottoman Seventh Army was a large military formation of Ottoman Empire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although designated as an army, at least by 1918, it was only of corps strength....
withdrew into the Judean Hills toward Jerusalem.
Background
From 1 to 7 November, strong Ottoman rearguard units at Tel el Khuweilfe in the southern Judean Hills, at Hareira and Sheria on the maritime plain, and at Sausage RidgeSecond Battle of Gaza
The Second Battle of Gaza, fought in southern Palestine during the First World War, was another attempt mounted by British Empire forces to break Ottoman defences along the Gaza-Beersheba line...
and Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
close to the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
coast, held the Egyptian Expeditionary Force
Egyptian Expeditionary Force
The Egyptian Expeditionary Force was formed in March 1916 to command the British and British Empire military forces in Egypt during World War I. Originally known as the 'Force in Egypt' it had been commanded by General Maxwell who was recalled to England...
in heavy fighting. During this time the Ottoman Army was able to withdraw in good order; the rearguard garrisons retiring under cover of darkness during the night of 8/9 November 1917.
The delay caused by these rearguards may have seriously compromised the British Empire advance as there was not much time to conclude military engagements in southern Palestine. The winter rains were expected to start in the middle of the month and the black soil plain which was currently firm, facilitating the movements of large military units would with the rains become a giant boggy quagmire, impassable for wheeled vehicles and very heavy marching for infantry. With the rains the temperatures which were currently hot during the day and pleasant at night would drop rapidly to become piercingly cold. In 1917 the rains began on 19 November just as the infantry began their advance into the Judean Hills.
The strength of the 7th and 8th Ottoman Armies, before the attack at Beersheba on 31 October, was estimated to have been 45,000 rifles, 1,500 sabres and 300 guns. This force had been made up of the 7th Army
Seventh Army (Ottoman Empire)
The Ottoman Seventh Army was a large military formation of Ottoman Empire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although designated as an army, at least by 1918, it was only of corps strength....
's incomplete III Corps
III Corps (Ottoman Empire)
The III Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed in the early 20th century during Ottoman military reforms.- Order of Battle, 1911 :...
. The III Corps' 24th Infantry Division was at Kauwukah (near Hareira–Sheria) and its 27th Infantry Division was at Beersheba. Its 3rd Cavalry Division, as well as the 16th, 19th, and 24th Infantry Divisions were also in the area to the east of the Gaza–Beersheba line. The 7th Army was commanded by Fevzi Pasha
Fevzi Çakmak
Mustafa Fevzi Çakmak was a Turkish soldier , politician. Minister of War of the Ottoman Empire, National Defence Minister, Prime minister of Ankara government, the second Chief of the General Staff of the Army of the Grand National Assembly and the first Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of...
. The 8th Army
Eighth Army (Ottoman Empire)
The Eighth Army of the Ottoman Empire was one of the field armies of the Ottoman Army. It was formed during the World War I.- Order of Battle, January 1918 :In January 1918, the army was structured as follows:...
's XXII Corps
XXII Corps (Ottoman Empire)
The XXII Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed during the World War I.- Order of Battle, August 1917 :In August 1917, the corps was structured as follows:...
(3rd and 53rd Infantry Divisions) was based at Gaza while its XX Corps
XX Corps (Ottoman Empire)
The XX Corps of the Ottoman Empire was one of the corps of the Ottoman Army. It was formed during the World War I.- Order of Battle, December 1916 :In December 1916, the corps was structured as follows:...
(16th, 26th and 54th Infantry Divisions) was based at Sheria in the centre of the Gaza–Beersheba line. Supporting these two corps had been two reserve divisions; the 7th and 19th Infantry Divisions. The 8th Army was commanded by Kress von Kressenstein and at that time had an estimated 2,894 officers
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
; 69,709 men; 29,116 rifles; 403 machine-guns and 268 guns.
Prelude
During 7–8 November rearguards of the Ottoman 7th and 8th Armies delayed the advance of Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant General (Australia)
Lieutenant general is the second-highest active rank of the Australian Army and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of lieutenant general. It is also considered a three-star rank....
Sir Henry George Chauvel's Desert Mounted Corps
Desert Mounted Corps
The Desert Mounted Corps was a World War I Allied army corps that operated in the Middle East during 1917 and 1918.Originally formed on 15 March 1916 as the Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division under the command of Major General Harry Chauvel The Desert Mounted Corps was a World War I...
, Major General Edmund Hakewill-Smith
Edmund Hakewill-Smith
Major-General Sir Edmund Hakewill-Smith KCVO, CB, CBE, MC was a South African-born British General.-Early life:Hakewill-Smith was born in Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa, on the 17 March 1896, he was educated at the Diocesan College in Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa and at the RMC...
's (or Major General J. Hill's) 52nd (Lowland) Division, and Major General P. C. Palin's 75th Division
75th Division (United Kingdom)
The 75th Division was a war formed division of the British Army during World War I. They served in the Middle East during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign being involved in the Battle of Megiddo .-Formation 1918:Commander Major General P C Palin...
. The Desert Mounted Corps consisted of the Anzac Mounted Division
Anzac Mounted Division
The ANZAC Mounted Division was a mounted infantry and mounted rifles division formed in March 1916 in Egypt during World War I following the Battle of Gallipoli when the Australian and New Zealand regiments returned from fighting dismounted as infantry...
(Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
E. W. C. Chaytor
Edward Chaytor
Major General Sir Edward Walter Clervaux Chaytor KCMG, KCVO, CB was a farmer, and a military commander of New Zealand troops in the Boer War and World War I....
), the Australian Mounted Division
Australian Mounted Division
The Australian Mounted Division was a mounted infantry division formed in Egypt during World War I. When the British forces in the Middle East expanded in late 1916, a second mounted division was created called the Imperial Mounted Division...
(Major General H. W. Hodgson) and the Yeomanry Mounted Division (Major General G. de S. Barrow). The 52nd (Lowland) Division and 75th Division formed part of Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Edward Bulfin
Edward Bulfin
Lieutenant General Sir Edward Stanislaus Bulfin KCB CVO was a British general during World War I, where he established a reputation as an excellent commander at the brigade, divisional and corps levels...
's XXI Corps
XXI Corps (United Kingdom)
The XXI Corps was a Army Corps of the British Army during World War I.-First World War:The Corps was formed in Egypt in June 1917 under the command of Lieutenant General Edward Bulfin...
.
The Ottoman rearguards were able to safely get away during the night of the 8/9 November and during the day of 9 November the only infantry unit capable of advancing was the 52nd (Lowland) Division's 156th (Scottish Rifles) Brigade, commanded by Brigadier General A. H. Leggett. The division's other brigades were regrouping after fierce fighting at Sausage Ridge the previous day. The brigade moved to Askelon
Ashkelon
Ashkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
, which was found to be deserted. By evening advance troops had pressed on to El Mejdel, 16 miles (25.7 km) from Gaza, where they secured abandoned stores and water.
Most of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force
Egyptian Expeditionary Force
The Egyptian Expeditionary Force was formed in March 1916 to command the British and British Empire military forces in Egypt during World War I. Originally known as the 'Force in Egypt' it had been commanded by General Maxwell who was recalled to England...
's infantry divisions were at the end of their lines of communication
Line of communication
A line of communication is the route that connects an operating military unit with its supply base. Supplies and reinforcements are transported along the line of communication. Therefore, a secure and open line of communication is vital for any military force to continue to operate effectively...
and were not able to follow up the Ottoman withdrawal. XXI Corps's 54th (East Anglian) Division was forced to rest at Gaza and the Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade at Beit Hanun. In the rear, Lieutenant General Philip Chetwode's
Philip Chetwode, 1st Baron Chetwode
Field Marshal Philip Walhouse Chetwode, 1st Baron Chetwode, 7th Baronet of Oakley, GCB, OM, GCSI, KCMG, DSO was a British cavalry officer who became Commander in Chief in India.-Early life and education:...
XX Corps had transferred its transport to XXI Corps. XX Corps's 60th (London) Division
60th (2/2nd London) Division
The British 60th Division was the second of two second-line Territorial Force divisions formed from the surplus of London recruits in 1914. Originally the division merely supplied the first-line Territorial divisions with drafts to replace losses through casualties...
(commanded by Major General J. S. M. Shea) was resting at Huj and its 10th (Irish) (Major General J. R. Longley) and 74th (Yeomanry) (Major General E. S. Girdwood) Divisions were at Karm. The only unit in the field was 53rd (Welsh) Division (commanded by Major General S. F. Mott) and corps cavalry which, together with the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade, were deployed in the front line near Tel el Khuweilfe in the foothills of the Judean Hills north of Beersheba.
Mounted troop movements on 9 November
Major General Edward ChaytorEdward Chaytor
Major General Sir Edward Walter Clervaux Chaytor KCMG, KCVO, CB was a farmer, and a military commander of New Zealand troops in the Boer War and World War I....
's Anzac Mounted Division
Anzac Mounted Division
The ANZAC Mounted Division was a mounted infantry and mounted rifles division formed in March 1916 in Egypt during World War I following the Battle of Gallipoli when the Australian and New Zealand regiments returned from fighting dismounted as infantry...
moved off across the maritime plain towards the coast soon after daylight on 9 November, having watered their horses the previous evening. The advance was led by two brigades—on the left the 1st Light Horse Brigade
1st Light Horse Brigade
The 1st Light Horse Brigade was a mounted infantry brigade of the First Australian Imperial Force which served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. The brigade first saw action during the Dardanelles Campaign in the Battle of Gallipoli. After being withdrawn to Egypt in February 1916 they...
and on the right the 2nd Light Horse Brigade
2nd Light Horse Brigade
The 2nd Light Horse Brigade was a mounted infantry brigade of the First Australian Imperial Force which served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. The brigade first saw action during the Dardanelles Campaign in the Battle of Gallipoli. After being withdrawn to Egypt in February 1916 they...
rode in line, each responsible for their own front and outer flanks; the attached 7th Mounted Brigade formed a reserve.The New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade was fighting north of Beersheba near Tel el Khuweilfe.
By about 08:30 the 1st Light Horse had entered Bureir and around an hour later the 2nd Light Horse was approaching von Kressenstein's 8th Army headquarters at El Huleikat. Here Ottoman soldiers were discovered to be occupying a strong position on high ground north-west of the village; the brigade made a dismounted attack capturing 600 prisoners along with large amounts of supplies, materiel and an abandoned German field hospital.While fighting on foot, one quarter of the light horsemen were holding the horses, a brigade became equivalent in rifle strength to an infantry battalion. [Preston 1921 p.168] At midday El Mejdel, 13 miles (20.9 km) north-east of Gaza, was occupied with little difficulty by the 1st Light Horse Brigade, who captured 170 prisoners and found a good well with a steam pump enabling the brigade to water all horses expeditiously. After passing the ancient town of Ascalon
Ashkelon
Ashkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
a message was received from the Desert Mounted Corps notifying the Anzac Mounted Division that the British XXI Corps were marching towards El Mejdel and Julis. The main Ottoman road and railway leading north from Gaza were both cut and as a consequence, Chauvel ordered the division to advance towards Beit Duras. The division duly turned north-east with the 1st Light Horse Brigade entering Esdud close to the Mediterranean Sea. On the right, the 2nd Light Horse Brigade captured the villages of Suafir el Sharkiye and Arak Suweidan, a convoy and its escort (some 350 prisoners). While the brigade was reorganising Ottoman guns further north opened fire, shelling both captors and captives alike. Just before dark the 2nd Light Horse Brigade captured a further 200 prisoners. The Anzac Mounted Division took up a night battle outpost line along high ground south of the Wadi Mejma, from near Esdud to Arak Suweidan.
During its journey across the maritime plain to Esdud, the Anzac Mounted Division captured many prisoners but met no large organised Ottoman force. As the day progressed, the captured Ottoman units were found to be increasingly disorganised with many soldiers suffering severely from thirst and exhaustion and some from dysentery.
Meanwhile the Australian Mounted Division
Australian Mounted Division
The Australian Mounted Division was a mounted infantry division formed in Egypt during World War I. When the British forces in the Middle East expanded in late 1916, a second mounted division was created called the Imperial Mounted Division...
, commanded by Major General Henry W. Hodgson, spent most of 9 November searching for water, which was eventually found at Huj. After most of the horses had been watered, they advanced 16 miles (25.7 km) to the Kastin–Esdud line capturing prisoners, guns, and transports on the way. This march during the night of 9/10 November was the only night march made through Ottoman territory of the campaign.
The Australian Mounted Division was led by the 3rd Light Horse Brigade
3rd Light Horse Brigade
The 3rd Light Horse Brigade was a mounted infantry brigade of the First Australian Imperial Force which served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I....
as advanced guard, with an artillery battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
attached. The 5th Mounted Brigade (which had made a costly but successful charge at Huj the day before) followed, with the 4th Light Horse Brigade
4th Light Horse Brigade
The 4th Light Horse Brigade was a mounted infantry brigade of the First Australian Imperial Force serving in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. The brigade was formed in March 1915 and shipped to Egypt without their horses and was broken up in Egypt in August 1915...
forming the rearguard. To ensure the division maintained its cohesion throughout the night, the advance guard placed pickets
Picket (military)
In military terminology, a picket refers to soldiers or troops placed on a line forward of a position to warn against an enemy advance. It can also refer to any unit performing a similar function...
along the route every 440 yards (402.3 m). These were picked up by the following units which in turn dropped pickets to be gathered up by the rearguard. Corps headquarters in the rear was kept informed of the division's movement by signal lamp. Signallers from the two leading brigades intermittently flashed the letters of the divisional call signal in a south-westerly direction from every prominent hilltop along the route. These arrangements worked well and the division arrived intact in the vicinity of Arak el Menshiye and El Faluje
Al-Faluja
al-Faluja was an Arab village in the British Mandate of Palestine, located 30 kilometers northeast of Gaza City. The village and the neighbouring village of Iraq al-Manshiyya formed part of the Faluja pocket, where 4,000 Egyptian troops were besieged for four months by the newly established Israel...
. Preston claims the march was made from Huj to Tel el Hesi
Tell el-Hesi
Tell el-Hesi is a 25-acre archaeological site in Israel. It was the first major site excavated in Palestine, first by Flinders Petrie in 1890 and later by Frederick Jones Bliss in 1891 and 1892, both sponsored by the Palestine Exploration Fund...
arriving at 04:30 on 10 November. [Preston p. 61] But as Falls Sketch Map 9 shows the Wadi Hesi is no more than 5 miles (8 km) north of Huj while El Faluje and Araq el Menshiye (the destinations given by Wavell) are at least 10–12 mi (16.1–19.3 km) to the north with Es Dud (the destination given by Keogh) another 5 miles (8 km) further on again.[Keogh 1955, p. 168; Wavell 1968 pp. 150–1] It is much more likely the Australian Mounted Division moved from Huj to Arak el Menshiye and Faluje as Wavell suggests or to Es Dud as Keogh suggests as the division was in a position to attack El Faluje and Araq el Menshiye on the morning of 10 November.
The Australian Mounted Division was followed by the 4th Light Horse Field Ambulance
Field Ambulance
A Field Ambulance is the name used by the British Army and the armies of other Commonwealth nations to describe a mobile medical unit that treats wounded soldiers very close to the combat zone...
and the divisional train made up of brigade transport and supply sections carrying rations. The field ambulance set up a dressing station and treated about 40 wounded men before moving through Huj at 16:00. After encountering rugged mountainous ravines and 6 miles (9.7 km) of very rough terrain, at around midnight they set up camp in a wadi bed.
The Yeomanry Mounted Division, commanded by Major General G. de S. Barrow, had been in hills north of Beersheba in the line at Tel el Khuweilfe with the 53rd Infantry Division, the XX Corps cavalry regiment and New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade until Allenby ordered it to rejoin the Desert Mounted Corps, 20 miles (32.2 km) away on the coast. The 60th Infantry Division reached Huj
Huj
Huj was a Palestinian Arab village located northeast of Gaza City. Identified as the site of the ancient Philistine town of Oga, the modern village was founded by the Ottomans in the early 19th century....
during the afternoon of 9 November, where it watered; the 10th and 74th Infantry Divisions were at Karm.
Positions of armies on 10 November
The 52nd (Lowland) Division had ended the possibility of an Ottoman stand on the Wadi Hesi and the next natural defensive line was 7–15 mi (11.3–24.1 km) to the north, on the Nahr SukereirArab Suqrir
Arab Suqrir was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Gaza, located northeast of Gaza in a flat area with an elevation of along the coastal plain just north of Isdud. The total land area of the village was 40,224 dunams, of which 12,270 was Arab-owned, while the remainder was public...
. Allenby had issued orders on 9 November to advance to El Tineh–Beit Duras in an attempt to turn the Ottoman Nahr Sukereir line before it could be firmly established. Meanwhile disorganised and demoralised Ottoman columns were harassed as they retreated by the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
dropping bombs and firing machine-guns. Aircraft also dropped bombs on El Tineh railway station and detonated the ammunition depot. By 10 November the 52nd (Lowland) and 75th Infantry Divisions had advanced to the line Beit Duran–Esdud with the leading brigade of the 52nd Division successfully attacking a strong Ottoman rearguard defending Esdud.
Despite these difficulties the Ottoman Army successfully carried out a difficult retreat to establish a new defensive position on an extensive and well chosen position. The new line stretched about 20 miles (32.2 km) west to east from the mouth of the Nahr Sukereir on the Mediterranean Sea to Beit Jibrin
Bayt Jibrin
Bayt Jibrin was a Palestinian Arab village located northwest of the city of Hebron. The village had a total land area of 56,185 dunams or , of which were built-up while the rest remained farmland.The early inhabitants of Bayt Jibrin are the Canaanites...
not far from Tel el Khuweilfe in the Judean Hills. The Ottoman 8th Army on the coastal sector was still retreating when ordered to form the new line along the north side of the valley of the Nahr Sukereir, more than 25 miles (40.2 km) from Gaza. Further inland the Ottoman 7th Army was in relatively good condition having retired 10 miles (16.1 km) or so without interference and was preparing to launch a counterattack.
Reinforcements, transport and supplies were not a problem for these two Ottoman armies as they were falling back on their lines of communication. Their defensive line ran more or less parallel to and 10 miles (16.1 km) or so in front of both road links and the railway. The Jaffa to Jerusalem railway, with connections northwards to Damascus and Istanbul, had a line branching southwards to El Tineh which branched again to Gaza and Beersheba. These lines could still be used to transport supplies and reinforcements quickly and efficiently to the Ottoman Army's front line. Indeed, a general strengthening of resistance along the Wadi Sukereir line was concentrated around El Kustineh
Qastina
Qastina was a Palestinian village, located 38 kilometers northeast of Gaza City. It was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.-Location:...
(also known as El Qastine), towards which the 2nd Light Horse Brigade advanced, capturing a refugee column between Suafir and El Kustineh.
Infantry capture Esdud and Nahr Sukereir
The series of engagements leading up to the Battle of Mughar Ridge began on 10 November near Esdud. The leading brigade of the 52nd (Lowland) Division, the 156th Brigade, advanced 15 miles (24.1 km) despite encountering stiff Ottoman resistance around Esdud and was subjected to artillery bombardment from across the Nahr Sukereir. Two brigades of the Anzac Mounted Division followed the 156th Brigade pushing across the Nahr Sukereir at Jisr Esdud, to Hammemh. Here they successfully established a bridgehead on the Ottoman right flank. Ample water was found and the bridgehead was enlarged the following day.Mounted advance towards Summeil
The Australian Mounted Division, which had left Huj after dark on the night of 9/10 November bound for Tel el Hesi, arrived there at 04:30. As the Australian Mounted Division was in a position for the 3rd and 4th Light Horse Brigades to occupy El Faluje and Araq el Menshiye some 10 to 12 miles north of Huj in the morning, its very unlikely the division took the night to move 5 miles from Huj to Wadi el Hesi as shown on Falls Sketch Map 9 above. They halted until dawn on 10 November when several large pools of good water were found in the wadi. These allowed the horses to drink their fill—some that had missed out on watering before the trek, had been without water for three days and four nights. The division then came up into position on the right of the Anzac Mounted Division. The 3rd Light Horse Brigade occupied Arak el Menshiye Station and the 4th Light Horse Brigade entered Faluje 2 miles (3.2 km) to the north-west between 08:00 and 10:30 hours. The Australian division was joined a few hours later by the Yeomanry Mounted Division which had left Huj early in the morning. They came up on the right of the Australian Mounted Division and took over Arak el Menshiye extending the line a little further east. By the afternoon of 10 November the whole of the Desert Mounted Corps with the exception of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade, (still at Tel el Khuweilfe) were in line from a point a little east of Arak el Menshiye to the sea.Both the Australian and Yeomanry Mounted Divisions reconnoitred the left half of the Ottoman line running from Kustineh, roughly through Balin and Berkusie
Barqusya
Barqusya was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Hebron. It was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War on July 9, 1948 under Operation An-Far. It was located 31 km northwest of Hebron....
(also known as Barqousa), to the neighbourhood of Beit Jibrin. The 12th Light Horse Regiment
12th Light Horse Regiment (Australia)
The 12th Light Horse Regiment was a light horse regiment of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in 1915 for service during the First World War, the regiment served in the Middle East against the Turks before being disbanded in 1919...
(4th Light Horse Brigade) had moved from Burieh to Faluje arriving at 24:00 on 9 November when engineering stores and five burnt out aircraft were captured. The 4th Light Horse Brigade was ordered to advance at 10:40 on 10 November to threaten the Ottoman force opposing 3rd Light Horse Brigade on the Menshiye–Faluje line.
Ottoman trenches had been dug from Summeil 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Arak el Menshiye to Zeita, 3 miles (4.8 km) to the north-east, and to the east of the railway line. Three brigades of the Australian Mounted Division ran into this Ottoman rearguard's left flank near the village of Summeil. At 14:55 patrols reported strong Ottoman positions along the Zeita–Summeil–Berkusie line with trenches extending west of Summeil village. Two Ottoman guns were seen being placed in a well-sited position with no cover for 3000 yards (2,743.2 m) in front, which would require a long dismounted attack. By 18:00 the 4th Light Horse Brigade was holding a line linking to the Anzac Mounted Division at Beit Affen, while the Ottomans were holding a ridge near Berkusie with three cavalry troop
Troop
A troop is a military unit, originally a small force of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron and headed by the troop leader. In many armies a troop is the equivalent unit to the infantry section or platoon...
s, three guns and about 1,500 infantry. They were unable to advance further due to intense Ottoman artillery fire which continued throughout the day. Summeil was occupied unopposed, in the morning of 11 November.
Chauvel (commander of the Desert Mounted Corps) ordered the Yeomanry Mounted Division to move westward to the coast leaving the Australian Mounted Division on the right flank. Neither he nor the Australian division were aware at that time that they were threatened by three or four Ottoman 8th Army infantry divisions. The 16th and 26th Divisions (XX Corps) and the 53rd Division (XXII Corps) were spread 6 miles (9.7 km) between the railway and Beit Jibrin, all more or less reorganised and all within striking distance. However, Chauvel's reliance on the steadiness of the Australian Mounted Division was fully justified. With its headquarters at El Faluje on 10 and 11 November, the Australian Mounted Division became engaged (during 10 November) in stubborn fighting.
Ottoman forces were advancing from Summeil by 12:55 and the 4th Light Horse Brigade was deployed to attack them with the 3rd Light Horse Brigade assisting. By 15:30 the 4th Light Horse Brigade was approaching Summeil when ordered to attack from the north with the 5th Mounted Brigade supported by the 3rd Light Horse Brigade threatening Summeil from the west. By 16:30 3rd Light Horse Brigade headquarters were established 870 yards (795.5 m) south-east of Faluje on the railway line, but owing to darkness at 17:15 the attack was not developed and night battle outpost lines were established at 20:00.
The 4th Light Horse Brigade casualties were one other rank
Other Ranks
Other Ranks in the British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force are those personnel who are not commissioned officers. In the Royal Navy, these personnel are called ratings...
killed, one officer and nine other ranks wounded. These wounded soldiers were probably treated by the 4th Light Horse Field Ambulance which was in the field a couple of miles past El Faluje. The ambulance had itself suffered two casualties when subjected to artillery fire from the hills. But they halted and put up a tent and after dark took in eight more patients all hit by high-explosive shells from the 4th Light Horse Regiment. They were busy until midnight; two seriously wounded soldiers being evacuated to a Casualty Clearing Station and the rest were kept till morning.
Position on 11 November
Allenby decided that an advance on Junction Station could most easily be made from the south-west, by turning the Ottoman Army's right flank on the coast. The 11 and 12 November were days of preparation for battle the following day. The Anzac Mounted Division were resting at Hamemeh when their supporting Australian Army Service Corps personnel caught up and distributed supplies for man and horse. This task was performed by "B" echelon wagons of brigades' transport and supply sections forming an improvised Anzac Divisional Train. It was here also that the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade rejoined the division at 23:00 on 12 November.Supplies for the advance were transported over land and by sea but it was only with great difficulty that two infantry divisions of XXI Corps and three mounted divisions of Desert Mounted Corps were maintained in the advance at such distances from base. The Navy transported stores to the mouths of the Wadi Hesi and the Nahr Sukherier as these lines were secured. The railhead was being pushed forward as rapidly as possible, but did not reach Deir Suneid until 28 November. So it was a considerable distance over which the Egyptian Camel Transport Corps
Egyptian Camel Transport Corps
The Egyptian Camel Transport Corps were a group of Egyptian camel drivers who supported the British Army in Egypt during the First World War's Sinai and Palestine Campaign...
worked to bring up supplies.
The Australian Mounted Division occupied Summeil unopposed at dawn on the 11 November but was unable to advance in the face of gathering opposition from the immediate north-east. Summeil had been found deserted at 06:00 by patrols of 3rd Light Horse Brigade (Australian Mounted Division). But by 09:30 the 10th Light Horse Regiment (3rd Light Horse Brigade) reported Ottoman units in strength, holding a high ridge 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north-east of the town. At the same time Ottoman field guns began shelling Summeil from a position on high ground about 3 miles (4.8 km) east of the town. Following instructions from Australian Mounted Division received at 14:00, the 10th Light Horse Regiment carried out active patrolling. They made themselves as conspicuous as possible without becoming seriously engaged while the remainder of the division advanced north.Ottoman railway stations were located at El Tineh, El Affulleh, Ramleh, and Wadi es Sara (known by the British as 'Junction Station'). [Grainger 2006, p. 162]
Allenby prepares for battle as Kress counterattacks
The 20 miles (32.2 km) defensive line, chosen by the Ottoman commanders to rally their 20,000-strong army and stop the invasion, was also designed to protect the Jaffa to Jerusalem railway and the threatened Junction Station. Their choice of position was partly dictated by pressure from the British, Australian, Indian and New Zealand advance, and partly by the terrain. The line north of the Nahr Rubin ran nearly north–south and parallel to, but about 5 miles (8 km) to the west of the railway line branching southwards. It ran along a high steep ridge connecting the hillside villages of El MugharAl-Maghar
al-Maghar was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Ramla. It was depopulated by the Givati Brigade during Operation Barak on 18 May 1948. It was located 12 km southwest of Ramla, situated north of Wadi al-Maghar....
and Zernukah (surrounded by cactus hedges) and extended north-westwards to El Kubeibeh. The southern extremity of this ridge commanded the flat country to the west and southwest, for a distance of 2 miles (3.2 km) or more. Prisoners from almost every unit of the Ottoman Army were being captured indicating that rearguards had been driven back in on the main body of the two Ottoman armies. All along their line Ottoman resistance grew noticeably stronger.
The Ottoman line was defended by the 8th Army's 3rd Infantry Division (XXII Corps) to the north, the 7th Division (8th Army Reserve) to the east, the 54th Division (XX Corps) near el Mesmiye and the 26th Division (XX Corps) holding Tel es Safi. Von Falkenhayn
Erich von Falkenhayn
Erich von Falkenhayn was a German soldier and Chief of the General Staff during World War I. He became a military writer after World War I.-Early life:...
, the overall commander of both the 7th and 8th Ottoman Armies, had resolved to make a stand in front of Junction Station and succeeded in deploying his forces by the evening of 11 November. He ordered a counterattack against the British right flank which was covered by the Australian Mounted Division. His plan was to overwhelm them, cut their supply lines, outflank and capture all the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's forward units. Originally ordered for 11 November it was postponed until the next day.
Meanwhile Allenby's plan for 13 November was to turn the right flank of the Ottoman line on the coast despite aircraft and cavalry reconnaissances revealing a considerable Ottoman force further inland on the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's own right flank. He assigned the task of dealing with this immediate threat to the Australian Mounted Division, which was ordered to make as big a demonstration of their operations as possible. This would further focus Ottoman attention away from the coastal sector where the Anzac and Yeomanry Mounted Divisions would advance northwards to attempt to turn the Ottoman right flank assisted by infantry attacks on the Ottoman right centre the following day.
Allenby's force was deployed with the 52nd (Lowland) Division and the 75th Division
75th Division (United Kingdom)
The 75th Division was a war formed division of the British Army during World War I. They served in the Middle East during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign being involved in the Battle of Megiddo .-Formation 1918:Commander Major General P C Palin...
in the centre, the Australian Mounted Division
Australian Mounted Division
The Australian Mounted Division was a mounted infantry division formed in Egypt during World War I. When the British forces in the Middle East expanded in late 1916, a second mounted division was created called the Imperial Mounted Division...
on their right flank and the Australian and New Zealand (Anzac)
Anzac Mounted Division
The ANZAC Mounted Division was a mounted infantry and mounted rifles division formed in March 1916 in Egypt during World War I following the Battle of Gallipoli when the Australian and New Zealand regiments returned from fighting dismounted as infantry...
and Yeomanry Mounted Divisions on the infantry's left flank. He ordered the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division to extend their position across the Nahr Sukereir on the Ottoman Army's right flank. And, reinforced with two additional brigades, he ordered the Australian Mounted Division to advance towards Tel es Safi where they encountered a determined and substantial Ottoman counterattack.
Infantry attack Brown Hill, 12 November
The 52nd (Lowland) Division was to make a preparatory attack near the coast to open the way for the attack on Junction Station the next day. They were to attack north of the Nahr Sukhereir between the villages of Burqa and YazurYazur
Yazur was an Arab town located east of Jaffa. Mentioned in 7th century BCE Assyrian texts, the village was a site of contestation between Muslims and Crusaders in the 12th century....
with the Yeomanry Mounted Division acting as flank guard. Their objective was an important Ottoman rearguard position which ran from the village of Burqa to Brown Hill. While the village was easily taken it was necessary to make an extremely difficult attack on the steep sided Brown Hill. The hill was topped by a large cairn and commanded a long field of fire over the plain southwards across the Nahr Sukhereir. By the time a battalion of the 156th Brigade, covered by two batteries of the 264th Brigade RFA and the South African Field Artillery Brigade of 75th Division, captured the crest it had been reduced to a handful of men. But just 20 minutes after taking Brown Hill the remnants of the Scots battalion (now down to just one officer and about 100 men) was unable to withstand an Ottoman counterattack and was driven off after a fierce struggle at close quarters.
The 2/3rd Gurkhas were then ordered to renew the attack at dusk. Owing to poor light, the artillery was no longer able to give much assistance, but nevertheless the Gurkhas quickly retook the hill with a bayonet charge, suffering 50 casualties, and in the process recovering two Lewis gun
Lewis Gun
The Lewis Gun is a World War I–era light machine gun of American design that was perfected and widely used by the British Empire. It was first used in combat in World War I, and continued in service with a number of armed forces through to the end of the Korean War...
s. The attacking battalion suffered over 400 killed or wounded, while the defending 7th Ottoman Division must have also suffered heavy casualties; 170 dead Ottoman soldiers were found on the battlefield. The fighting here has been described as equal to the 157th Brigade's encounter at Sausage Ridge
Second Battle of Gaza
The Second Battle of Gaza, fought in southern Palestine during the First World War, was another attempt mounted by British Empire forces to break Ottoman defences along the Gaza-Beersheba line...
on 8 November. The success of these operations north of the Nahr Sukhereir opened the way for the main attacks the following day, on the Ottoman armies' front line positions.
Ottoman counterattack Australian Mounted Division, 12 November
Meanwhile the Australian Mounted Division advanced in the direction of Tel es Safi to press the left flank of the Ottoman forces as strongly as possible. About 4,000 Australian and British mounted troops of 3rd and 4th Light Horse and 5th Mounted Brigades moved northwards in a conspicuous demonstration of aggression. At first it appeared that the Ottoman formations had retired altogether; the 9th Light Horse Regiment (3rd Light Horse Brigade) rode through Berkusie, one troop pressing on to occupy Tel es Safi. The 5th Mounted Brigade also found Balin unoccupied, and rapidly advanced northwards towards Tel es Safi and Kustineh. By 12:00 the Australian Mounted Division was spread over at least 6 miles (9.7 km) facing the north and east when four divisions of the Ottoman 7th Army (about 5,000 soldiers) began their advance southwards from the railway.The Ottoman infantry divisions began moving south from El Tineh 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Kustineh from the Ottoman controlled branch line of the railway line running southwards in the direction of Huj. Here and further north along the railway trains were stopping to allow huge numbers of troops to take to the field. Soon after the 11th Light Horse Regiment (4th Light Horse Brigade) was forced to retire from Kustineh as Ottoman units occupied the place in strength. Then at 12:00 three separate columns (of all arms) were seen advancing towards Tel es Safi from the north and north-east. Ten minutes later the British Honourable Artillery Company
Honourable Artillery Company
The Honourable Artillery Company was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII. Today it is a Registered Charity whose purpose is to attend to the “better defence of the realm"...
mountain battery opened fire, but was hopelessly out shot, outnumbered, and out ranged by Ottoman guns of greater power and weight.
The approach of the 8th Ottoman Army's XX Corps (16th, 26th and 54th Divisions) as well as the XXII Corps' 53rd Division was at first unknown to the 5th Mounted Yeomanry Brigade in Balin. But at about 13:00 a force estimated at 5,000 Ottoman soldiers suddenly attacked and almost surrounded the mounted brigade. The attack was made by two Ottoman columns, one coming down the track from Junction Station to Tel el Safi and the other by rail to El Tineh Station. It was by far the heaviest counter attack experienced since the break through by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force at Sharia on 7 November. The Royal Gloucestershire Hussars
Royal Gloucestershire Hussars
The Royal Gloucestershire Hussars was a unit of the British Army.Raised in 1795 following William Pitt's 1794 order to raise volunteer bodies of men to defend Great Britain, through various re-organisations, the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars remain today on the establishment of the Territorial...
and Warwickshire Yeomanry
Warwickshire Yeomanry
The Warwickshire Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1794, which served as a cavalry and dismounted infantry regiment in the First World War and as a cavalry and an armoured regiment in the Second World War, before being amalgamated into The Queen's Own...
regiments of 5th Mounted Brigade, were pushed back out of Balin before being reinforced by the Worcester Yeomanry
Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars
-History:The Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars were formed in 1794, as the Worcestershire Yeomanry, when King George III, was on the throne, William Pitt the Younger was the Prime Minister of Great Britain, and across the English Channel, Britain was faced by a French nation that had recently...
. The 3rd Light Horse Brigade was sent up at a canter from Summeil, followed by the remaining two batteries of the Australian Mounted Division. One light horse regiment occupied Berkusie but was forced to retire by an attack from a very strong Ottoman force supported by heavy artillery fire from several batteries. All available troops of the Australian Mounted Division were now engaged and the Ottoman attack continued to be pressed. The counterattack forced the mounted division to concede the territory gained during the day, before fighting the Ottoman Army to a standstill in front of Summeil.
The 4th Light Horse Brigade could render no effective aid to the 3rd Light Horse or the 5th Mounted Brigades. It was strung out to the west as far as the Deir Sineid
Dayr Sunayd
Dayr Sunayd was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Gaza located northeast of Gaza. Situated at an elevation of along the southern coastal plain of Palestine, Deir Sunayd had a total land area of 6,081 dunams...
railway line and was being heavily attacked. Ottoman units managed to advance to within 100 yards (91.4 m) of the 4th Light Horse Brigade's position; only at the end of the day was this strong Ottoman attack repulsed by machine-gun and rifle fire. Hodgson (commander of the Australian Mounted Division) ordered a slow withdrawal by 3rd Light Horse and 5th Mounted Brigades to high ground on the line Bir Summeil–Khurbet Jeladiyeh. The order had only just been given when another Ottoman train was sighted moving to the south. It stopped west of Balin and disgorged a fresh force of Ottoman soldiers who deployed rapidly to advance against the left flank of the 5th Mounted Brigade. Two batteries of Australian Mounted Division were in action on the high ground north-west of Summeil firing on this fresh Ottoman force moving over the open plain in full view of the gunners. The artillery fire was so effective the attacking Ottoman advance was halted, forcing them to fall back a little where they dug trenches. Fighting steadily and withdrawing skilfully, the 3rd Light Horse and 5th Mounted Brigades had reached the edge of Summeil village where the Ottoman attack was finally held. The attack ended at 18:00 in darkness.
The Ottoman attackers dug themselves in on a line through Balin and Berkusie while the line taken up by the Australian Mounted Division began with the 3rd Light Horse Brigade facing east on a line running due north from about half way between Iraq el Menshiye and Summeil. The line then turned westward so the 5th Mounted Brigade faced northwards in front of Summeil with the 4th Light Horse Brigade to their left in front of Ipseir and connecting with the right of the 75th Infantry Division at Suafir esh Sharqiye. A critical situation created by the strong Ottoman attacking forces had been controlled by the coolness and steadiness of the troops, especially the machine-gun squadrons of the 5th Mounted and the 4th Light Horse Brigades. The Australian Mounted Division suffered about 50 casualties mainly from the 5th Mounted Brigade.
To the east von Falkenhayn, the commander of the 7th and 8th Armies, held his reserve force of 3rd Cavalry Division (7th Army's III Corps) and 19th Infantry Division (8th Army reserve) in front of Beit Jibrin. They waited throughout the day for the main attack to make progress before beginning their own advance, but the opportunity never eventuated. This powerful Ottoman counterattack had been contained and had not forced any rearrangement of the invading forces, whose preparations and concentration on the plain were now complete. But von Falkenhayn was forced to halt his 7th Army's attack and then to take away from it the 16th Infantry Division plus one regiment.
Battle on 13 November
In southern Palestine the wet season was approaching with another thunderstorm and heavy rain on the night of 11 November. The dark cotton soil over which the Egyptian Expeditionary Force was now advancing would not need much more rain to turn it into impassable mud. But 12 November had been fine and the roads had dried out. The rolling maritime plain was dotted with villages on low hill tops surrounded by groves and orchards. These were in turn surrounded by hedges of prickly pear or cactus, making them strong natural places of defence. In the distance to the right the spurs and valleys of the Judean Hills were visible even to the invading British Empire troops near the Mediterranean coast. On 13 November the weather was clear and fine with at first no sign of the Ottoman Army.The 20,000-strong Ottoman force was deployed to defend the Jaffa to Jerusalem railway along the Wadi Surar and Nahr Rubin
Al-Nabi Rubin
Al-Nabi Rubin was a Palestinian village located 28 kilometers northeast of Acre.Al-Nabi Rubin students used to attend school in the nearby village of Tarbikha.-History:...
.DMC's Operation Order 7 estimates 13,000 on Beit Jibrin – El Kustineh – Burkah line. [AMD Gen.Staff War Diary 13/11/17 AWM4, 1/58/5] The battlefield was generally cultivated but with winter approaching it was bare and open. Its most prominent feature, the 100 feet (30.5 m) high ridge which continues north towards Zernukah and El Kubeibeh formed the backbone of the Ottoman Army's 20 miles (32.2 km) long defensive position. The naturally strong Ottoman line was defended by the 8th Army's 3rd Infantry Division (XXII Corps) to the north, the 7th Division (8th Army Reserve) to the east, the 54th Division (XX Corps) near el Mesmiye and the 26th Division (XX Corps) holding Tel es Safi. Benefiting from the terrain two strong defensive positions with commanding views of the countryside were located on the ridge. They were the villages of Katrah
Qatra
Qatra was a Palestinian Arab village located southwest of the city of Ramla and west of Jerusalem, some above sea level.- History :Qatra was a Canaanite center of political and economic authority that along with 30 other urban sites in regions bordering the Mediterranean sea, entered a period...
(also known as Qatra) and El Mughar
Al-Maghar
al-Maghar was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Ramla. It was depopulated by the Givati Brigade during Operation Barak on 18 May 1948. It was located 12 km southwest of Ramla, situated north of Wadi al-Maghar....
(also known as Al Maghar). These villages were separated by the Wadi Jamus which links the Wadi Surar with the Nahr Rubin.
While the Ottoman counterattack had been in progress on 12 November, Allenby issued orders for the attack on 13 November to the commanders of XXI Corps and Desert Mounted Corps at the latter's headquarters near Julis
Jilya
Jilya was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Ramla. The Romans referred to it as Jilya by Galla. It was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War by the Givati Brigade of the first stage of Operation Dani on July 9, 1948. It was located 17 km south of Ramla.A 1596 census revealed...
. The main attack was to be carried out by the XXI Corps' 52nd (Lowland) and 75th Divisions westwards towards Junction Station between the Gaza road on the right, and El Mughar on the left. On the right flank of the XXI Corps the Australian Mounted Division
Australian Mounted Division
The Australian Mounted Division was a mounted infantry division formed in Egypt during World War I. When the British forces in the Middle East expanded in late 1916, a second mounted division was created called the Imperial Mounted Division...
's 3rd and 4th Light Horse and 5th Mounted Brigades, reinforced by the 2nd Light Horse Brigade (Anzac Mounted Division), the 7th Mounted Brigade (Yeomanry Mounted Division) and two cars of the 12th LAM Battery, would attack in line advancing northwards towards Junction Station. The remainder of Desert Mounted Corps; the Anzac and Yeomanry Mounted Divisions would cover the left flank of XXI Corps, with Yebna
Yibna
Yibna was a Palestinian village of 5,420 inhabitants, located 15 kilometers southwest of Ramla. Yibna was occupied by Israeli forces on June 4, 1948, and was depopulated during the military assault and expulsion.-History:...
as their first objective and Aqir
Aqir
Aqir was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Ramle located 9 km southwest of Ramla and 1 km north of Wadi al-Nasufiyya .-History:...
the second. As soon as Junction Station was captured they were to swing north to occupy Ramleh
Ramla
Ramla , is a city in central Israel. The city is predominantly Jewish with a significant Arab minority. Ramla was founded circa 705–715 AD by the Umayyad Caliph Suleiman ibn Abed al-Malik after the Arab conquest of the region...
and Ludd
Lod
Lod is a city located on the Sharon Plain southeast of Tel Aviv in the Center District of Israel. At the end of 2010, it had a population of 70,000, roughly 75 percent Jewish and 25 percent Arab.The name is derived from the Biblical city of Lod...
and reconnoitre towards Jaffa
Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
.
In the centre
During the first phase of the attack by 75th Infantry Division (XXI Corps) was to capture the line Tel el Turmus–Kastine–Yazur and then seize Mesmiye. On their left the 52nd (Lowland) Division was to secure the line Yazur–Beshshit and then seize Katrah. After a pause for the artillery to be brought forward, the second phase attacks on the final objectives of Junction Station for the 75th and El Mansura for the 52nd (Lowland) Divisions were to be made. The first phase was due to start at 08:00 hours on 13 November preceded by one hour's bombardment.By 10:00 the 75th Division's 232nd and 233rd Brigades of Somerset, Devon, Hampshire, Wiltshire
Wiltshire Regiment
The Wiltshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 62nd Regiment of Foot and the 99th Duke of Edinburgh's Regiment of Foot....
, 2/3rd and 3/3rd Gurkha Rifles were advancing along the main road. They occupied the undefended villages of Tel et Turmus
Tall al-Turmus
Tall al-Turmus was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Gaza located on a low hill on the coastal plain of Palestine, northeast of Gaza. In 1945, it had a population of 760 and a land area of 11,508 dunams. The village was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.-History:According...
, Kustineh and Yazur
Yazur
Yazur was an Arab town located east of Jaffa. Mentioned in 7th century BCE Assyrian texts, the village was a site of contestation between Muslims and Crusaders in the 12th century....
. The 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division had already occupied Beshshit
Bashshit
Bashshit was a Palestinian Arab village located southwest of Ramla about half a mile from Wadi Bashshit. Archaeological artifacts from the village attest to habitation in the Early Islamic period and 12th and 13th centuries CE...
. The 75th Division proceeded to attack Mesmiye on a lower and southward extension of the ridge on which Katrah and el Mughar were situated with the 52nd (Lowland) Division attacking directly towards these two villages. But these attacks were held up by very strong Ottoman defences.
At Mesmiye the Ottoman Army was strongly posted on high ground in and near the village, and well-sited machine-guns swept all approaches. The 75th Division made steady slow progress; the main body of the Ottoman rear guard eventually falling back to a slight ridge 1 miles (1.6 km) to the north-east. The attack by 3/3rd Gurkhas and 234th Brigade
234th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)
-History:The 234th Infantry Brigade was a British Army Infantry Brigade created on 1 April 1943 from the 4th Infantry Brigade, which had garrisoned the island during its siege by air and sea by the Axis powers. The unit was formed as the main British military force of the operation to capture the...
moved up to Mesmiye el Gharbiye and cleared the place of snipers. One company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
of 58th Vaughan's Rifles
58th Vaughan's Rifles (Frontier Force)
The 58th Vaughan's Rifles was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1849 as the 5th Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 58th Vaughan's Rifles in 1903 and became 5th Battalion 13th Frontier Force Rifles in 1922...
suffered heavy casualties during an Ottoman attack on the flank of 233rd Infantry Brigade. Towards dusk the final stage of the infantry assault was supported by two troops of 11th Light Horse Regiment (4th Light Horse Brigade), who galloped into action on the infantry's right flank and gave valuable fire support. An infantry frontal attack covered by machine-gun fire drove the Ottoman defenders off the ridge, enabling Mesmiye esh Sherqiye to be occupied soon after. With Ottoman resistance broken the 75th Infantry Division pushed on through Mesmiye where they took 300 prisoners, and although ordered to capture Junction Station they halted short of their objective in darkness.
On the flanks
The Australian Mounted Division covered the right flank of the infantry divisions. At 10:00 the 4th Light Horse Brigade moved forward but was held up by an Ottoman position covering El Tineh. The brigade was ordered at 11:50 to push forward to protect the right of the 233rd Brigade (75th Division) as their attack had succeeded and they advanced to occupy Mesmiye. In order for the 4th Light Horse to move the 7th Mounted Brigade was ordered to relieve them in the line. At 12:00 troops of the 4th Light Horse Brigade entered KezazeQazaza
Qazaza was a Palestinian village, located south of Ramla. It was depopulated in 1948.-History:A European traveler reported that he passed Qazaza in the 1860s on his way to examine a nearby tell. The villagers of Qazaza, who were predominantly Muslim, maintained a village mosque and some owned...
2 miles (3.2 km) south-south-east of Junction Station with the 7th Mounted Brigade on its left then only 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) from the station. By 16:00 the 4th Light Horse Brigade was ordered to push forward to El Tineh as the infantry advance on their left was progressing. It was occupied the following morning.
The Yeomanry Mounted Division, with the Anzac Mounted Division in reserve, covered the infantry's left flank. Yebna was captured by the 8th Mounted Brigade which then advanced northwards against El Kubeibeh and Zernukah. The 22nd Mounted Brigade was held up by Ottoman units defending Aqir while the 6th Mounted Brigade (with the Imperial Camel Corps
Imperial Camel Corps
The Imperial Camel Corps was a brigade-sized military formation which fought for the Allies in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign in World War I. Its personnel were infantry mounted on camels for movement across desert....
Brigade protecting their northern flank) was directed against el Mughar.
Charge at El Mughar
At about 11:30 two leading battalions of 155th Brigade (52nd (Lowland) Division) were advancing under heavy shrapnel and machine-gun fire to the shelter of the Wadi Jamus about 600 yards (548.6 m) from their objective.There is one reference to the 'Wadi Katrah' which has been changed to 'Wadi Jamus' to preserve consistency. [Keogh 1955, p. 172] But every attempt to leave the wadi was stopped by very heavy fire from well placed machine-guns. The reserve battalion was brought up but an attempt to work up the wadi between Katrah and El Mughar was barred by heavy machine-gun fire from the villages. At about 14:30 it was agreed between the GOCGeneral Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
52nd (Lowland) Division and the GOC Yeomanry Mounted Division that the 6th Mounted Brigade should attack El Mughar ridge in combination with a renewed assault on Katrah and El Mughar by the 52nd (Lowland) Division. Half an hour later the Buckinghamshire and Dorset Yeomanry Regiments, already in the Wadi Jamus, advanced in column of squadrons extended to four paces across 3000 yards (2.7 km) at first trotting then galloping onto the crest of the ridge. They gained the ridge but the horses were completely exhausted and could not continue the pursuit of the escaping Ottoman units down the far side. The charge cost 16 killed, 114 wounded and 265 horses; 16 per cent of personnel and 33 per cent of horses. However, the Ottoman defenders continued to hold El Mughar village until two squadrons of the Berkshire Yeomanry
Berkshire Yeomanry
94 Signal Squadron forms part of 39 Signal Regiment. They are currently based in three locations in the Home Counties...
of the 6th Mounted Brigade fighting dismounted, with two battalions of the 155th Infantry Brigade (52nd (Lowland) Division), renewed the attack. Fighting in the village continued until 17:00 when they succeeded in capturing the two crucial fortified villages of Katrah and El Mughar but at a cost of 500 casualties. Two field guns and 14 machine-guns were captured. The prisoners and dead amounted to 18 officers and 1,078 other ranks and more than 2,000 dead Ottoman soldiers.
Aftermath
On the morning after the battle at Mughar Ridge, Junction Station was occupied and during the following days other villages in the area were found to have been abandoned. Later in the morning of 14 November the New Zealand Mounted Rifles BrigadeNew Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade
The New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade, consisting usually of four units of mounted infantry, fought in World War I and World War II. Initially a milita, under the instruction of Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Henry Banks they formed the core of the New Zealand Army following successful service in the...
(commanded by Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
William Meldrum) ran into a determined and well entrenched Ottoman rearguard near Ayun Kara, which they attacked. Fierce close quarter fighting against the Ottoman 3rd Infantry Division continued during the afternoon. Although severely threatened, the New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade eventually prevailed and went on to occupy Jaffa two days later.
Units of the 75th Division supported by several armoured cars occupied Junction Station during the morning of 14 November cutting the Jaffa to Jerusalem railway. Seventeen days of operations virtually without rest, had resulted in an advance of 60 miles (96.6 km) from Beersheba; major and minor engagements occurring on 13 of those days. Most of the mounted units had covered at least 170 miles (273.6 km) since 29 October 1917 capturing 5,270 prisoners and over 60 guns and about 50 machine-guns. At Junction Station two train engines and 60 trucks in the station were captured along with an undamaged and fully functioning steam pumping plant which supplied unlimited, easily accessible water. Junction Station, with its branch line running south to El Tineh and extensions southwards towards Beersheba and Gaza was an important centre for both sides' lines of communication.
On 14 November at 06:30 4th Light Horse Brigade entered El Tineh with the rest of the Australian Mounted Division following a couple of hours later. Here good wells containing plenty of water were found but without steam pumps and so watering was not complete until 16:00. The horses had done all that had been asked of them, existing during this time on only 9 1/2 lbs of grain ration (practically no bulk food) and scarce water while all the time carrying about 21 stones (294 lb). That they were able to carry on into the Judean Hills after only a limited period of rest established a remarkable record. Meanwhile, the Australian Mounted Divisional Supply Train followed the fighting units as closely as they could, moving out from Beersheba via Abu Hareira and Gaza on 11 November to Esdud on 14 November; to Mesymie the day after and Junction Station on 16 November.
During 14 November the 52nd (Lowland) and 75th Divisions concentrated and reorganised their ranks. The advance was taken over by the Yeomanry Mounted Division which crossed the railway north of Junction Station and the Anzac Mounted Division which pressed the retreating Ottoman Army northwards near the coast. The Anzac Mounted Division had been ordered to cut the road linking Jaffa to Jerusalem by capturing Ramleh and Ludd. This was the only main road from the coast through Ramleh up the Vale of Ajalon to Jerusalem. During the morning Meldrum's New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade crossed the river close to the sand dunes with 1st Light Horse Brigade on its right. By 09:00 El Kubeibeh
Cabbon
Cabbon was named in the Bible as a place in Judah near Eglon. It has been identified with the modern el-Kubeibeh....
had been occupied by the New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade before pushing on towards the Wadi Hanein
Wadi Hunayn
Wadi Hunayn was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Ramla. It was located 9 km west of Ramla. According to a local tradition, it was named after the Yemeni home of the Qada'a tribe who settled here in the early Islamic period....
. Here Ottoman rearguards were encountered in the orange groves and on the hills between El Kubeibeh and the sand dunes. About noon the 1st Light Horse Brigade drove an Ottoman rearguard from a ridge facing Yebna where the Anzac Mounted Division had bivouaced the night before and occupied the village of Rehovot
Rehovot
Rehovot is a city in the Center District of Israel, about south of Tel Aviv. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 112,700. Rehovot's official website estimates the population at 114,000.Rehovot was built on the site of Doron,...
h also called Deiran. At the same time the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade fought off a strongly entrenched rearguard at Ayun Kara. After conceding considerable ground the Ottoman soldiers made a vigorous counterattack but were finally defeated.
Action of Ayun Kara, 14 November
About 9 miles (14.5 km) south of JaffaJaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
some 1,500 fresh troops of the Ottoman Army's 3rd Infantry Division (8th Army's XXII Corps) with 18 machine-guns and one field battery, under orders from von Kressenstein (commander of the Ottoman 8th Army) made a determined stand in well chosen terrain. The battlefield was located on the edge of sand dunes to the north of El Kubeibeh and west of the villages of Surafend el Harab
Sarafand al-Kharab
Sarafand al-Kharab ) was a Palestinian Arab village located above sea level, west of al-Ramla, in the area that is today north-east of Ness Ziona.-History:...
and Ayun Kara. Attacking the Ottoman infantry division was the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade
New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade
The New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade, consisting usually of four units of mounted infantry, fought in World War I and World War II. Initially a milita, under the instruction of Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Henry Banks they formed the core of the New Zealand Army following successful service in the...
's Auckland
Auckland Mounted Rifle Regiment
The Auckland Mounted Rifle Regiment was a New Zealand Mounted Regiment formed for service during World War I. It was formed from units of the Territorial Foirce consisting of the 3rd Mounted Rifles the 4th Mounted Rifles and the 11th Mounted Rifles.They served in the Middle Eastern theatre of...
, Canterbury
Canterbury Mounted Rifle Regiment
The Canterbury Mounted Rifle Regiment was a New Zealand Mounted Regiment formed for service during World War I.It was formed from Units of the Territorial Force consisting of one squadron each from the 1st Mounted Rifles , the 8th Mounted Rifles and the 10th Mounted Rifles.They served in the...
and Wellington Mounted Rifle Regiment
Wellington Mounted Rifle Regiment
The Wellington Mounted Regiment was a New Zealand Mounted Regiment formed for service during the Great War. It was formed from units of the Territorial Force consisting of the Queen Alexandra's 2nd Mounted Rifles the 6th Mounted Rifles and 9th Mounted Rifles.They served in the Middle Eastern...
s. In the centre the Auckland and Wellington Regiments' combined fighting strength was about 1,000 with 200 horse holders. On the right of this engagement the Canterbury Mounted Rifle Regiment was held up and heavily engaged in the orange groves of the Wadi Hanein
Wadi Hunayn
Wadi Hunayn was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Ramla. It was located 9 km west of Ramla. According to a local tradition, it was named after the Yemeni home of the Qada'a tribe who settled here in the early Islamic period....
near Nes Ziyona
Ness Ziona
Ness Ziona is a city in central Israel founded in 1883. At the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 38,100, and its jurisdiction was 15,579 dunams.-Nahalat Reuben:...
until late in the afternoon. They successfully covered the right of the Auckland and Wellington regiments pushing large bodies of Ottoman soldiers back through the orchards of the Wadi Hanein and eventually won the village. On the right of these engagements, after the 1st Light Horse Brigade
1st Light Horse Brigade
The 1st Light Horse Brigade was a mounted infantry brigade of the First Australian Imperial Force which served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. The brigade first saw action during the Dardanelles Campaign in the Battle of Gallipoli. After being withdrawn to Egypt in February 1916 they...
had secured Yebna this brigade encountered Ottoman units defending the Jewish colony of Deiran. The brigade pushed the defenders back into the village which they eventually occupied.
To the west of the Wadi Hanein the Auckland and Wellington Mounted Rifle Regiments at first advanced quickly over the more open but hillocky country, their left on the edge of the dunes with the Somerset Battery supporting them from north of El Kubeibeh. But they soon encountered a substantial entrenched position of the 3rd Ottoman Infantry Division on a high ridge one side of which was a steep face to the orange groves and the other slopped gradually towards the sand dunes. The ridge formed an inverted "L," the long side reaching towards the approaching New Zealanders, while the short side bent westward until it reached the sand dunes.
By noon the situation had developed and Meldrum (commander of New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade) ordered an attack by the Wellington Regiment in the centre to gain contact with the main Ottoman entrenched position. The Auckland Regiment advanced on the Wellington Regiment's left towards the foot of the "L", but suffered very heavy machine-gun fire from the long ridge against the end of which the Wellingtons were pressing.
By 13:30 the Wellington Regiment had gained a footing on the ridge by rapidly capturing small tactical positions at the gallop. They achieved their objective by successive rushes driving the Ottoman defenders back from their main position. Major Wilder's 9th Squadron supported by the 2nd Squadron had rushed the first Ottoman position with the bayonet; one machine-gun and one Lewis gun were captured. These guns were used against the second position which was captured by another bayonet charge; two more machine-guns being captured. The third Ottoman position situated well along the long side of the ridge was then attacked. But Red Knoll, located close to the junction with the short leg and practically in front of the dividing line between the two regiments, poured fire directly on them all.See 'Action of Ayun Kara' Map above. Red Knoll is indicated by an oblong outlined in green. This central position was covered by an Ottoman battery which was run forward under cover of trees and opened fire at a range of 1200 yards (1,097.3 m) delaying the New Zealanders' attack. Shortly after 14:00 while the Auckland Regiment was pushing small groups up along the sand dunes, Ottoman soldiers were discovered gathering in a basin in front of the Auckland and Wellington Regiments but just over and behind the short leg of the "L" and completely out of sight of both regiments. Ottoman reinforcements were also seen by Anzac Mounted Division headquarters at Neby Kunda and reported to the attacking regiments. But there was no reserve or reinforcements available to the New Zealanders as 2nd Light Horse Brigade had been attached to the Australian Mounted Division during the attack on Junction Station the day before.
Every available man including signallers, gallopers, batmen, grooms and messengers were formed into a troop in case they were needed. The 3rd Squadron, led by Major Twistleton, galloped forward to within a few yards of the heavily attacked line; he was mortally wounded in the charge. About this time Ottoman defenders were driven back from the third position and the New Zealanders gained practically the whole of the long ridge south of the orange groves of Rishon le Ziyon. At 14:30 a counterattack was launched against the Wellington Regiment and beaten off by enfilading cross fire from both the Wellington and Auckland Regiments' machine-guns and Hotchkiss automatic rifles. Another counterattack a quarter of an hour later by two companies of between 200 and 300 Ottoman soldiers armed with hand grenades was launched against the Auckland Regiment. They charged with fixed bayonets approaching in places to within 15 yards (13.7 m) throwing their hand grenades or bombs, in a determined effort to turn the New Zealanders' left flank. A group of Ottoman soldiers reoccupied a small hill on which all New Zealanders had been killed or wounded, firing obliquely on the Auckland Regiment's main position. The fierce intensity of the fight continued at close quarters for some time with well-sited Ottoman machine-guns handled with skill and boldness enfilading the New Zealanders. The machine-gun on Red Knoll continued to cause very heavy losses until it was captured by a troop of 2nd Squadron, Wellington Regiment, commanded by Captain Herrick (killed in the engagement), which made a mounted charge at the gallop to the foot of the knoll where they dismounted and charged up to engage the defenders in hand-to-hand fighting. With the capture of the knoll two remaining troops of Herrick's squadron came up and brought to bear heavy fire on the Ottoman soldiers in front of the Auckland Regiment.
By 16:15 fierce fighting had been going on for two and three quarter hours when a squadron of the Wellington Regiment carried out a bayonet charge against a close Ottoman position. It was too much for the Ottoman units whose fighting strength gave way. They fell back beyond Ayun Kara pursued by rifle and machine-gun fire as neither regiment was in a fit state to follow. It appeared that the 3rd Ottoman Division left behind some 400 dead in front of the Auckland's position alone; although others have quoted totals of between 150 and 162 dead. The New Zealanders captured great numbers of machine-guns (some with prismatic sights) including two Lewis guns. Their casualties numbered 175; three officers and 29 other ranks killed, 11 officers and 132 other ranks wounded with the Auckland Regiment suffering 89 of those casualties.Ramleh War Cemetery contains the graves of 49 New Zealand men who died between 14 and 16 November. [Kinloch 2007, p. 226]
The official New Zealand historian concluded in 1922 that the engagement at Ayun Kara demonstrated the ability of the New Zealand mounted rifles regiments to rapidly attack and reinforce successive positions on horseback. During this intense engagement, the attacking power of the mounted rifle arm, against a strongly entrenched infantry position was comprehensively proven.
15–16 November 1917
At midnight on 14 November Falkenhayn ordered a general withdrawal and in the days following the Ottoman 7th ArmySeventh Army (Ottoman Empire)
The Ottoman Seventh Army was a large military formation of Ottoman Empire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although designated as an army, at least by 1918, it was only of corps strength....
fell back into the Judean Hills towards Jerusalem while the 8th Army
Eighth Army (Ottoman Empire)
The Eighth Army of the Ottoman Empire was one of the field armies of the Ottoman Army. It was formed during the World War I.- Order of Battle, January 1918 :In January 1918, the army was structured as follows:...
retreated north of Jaffa across the Nahr el Auja. The Ottoman armies suffered heavily and their subsequent withdrawal resulted in the loss of substantial territory; between 40–60 mi (64.4–96.6 km) was invaded by the British north of the old Gaza–Beersheba line. In its wake the two Ottoman armies left behind 10,000 prisoners of war and 100 guns.
The day after the action at Ayun Kara, the 75th Division and the Australian Mounted Division advanced towards Latron where the Jaffa to Jerusalem road enters the Judean Hills, while the Anzac Mounted Division occupied Ramleh and Ludd. An Ottoman rearguard above Abu Shusheh blocked the Vale of Ajalon on the right flank of the advance on Ramleh. This rearguard position was charged and overwhelmed by the 6th Mounted Brigade (Yeomanry Mounted Division). And on 16 November Latron itself was captured and the first British unit to enter Jaffa; the New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade (Anzac Mounted Division) occupied the city, without opposition. They administered Jaffa until representatives of the director of Occupied Enemy Territory arrived. And marking the end of the British Empire's first advance into Palestine, the 8th Ottoman Army retired to the northern bank of the Auja River some 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Jaffa and the 7th Army retreated into the Judean Hills. Since the advance from Gaza and Beersheba began very heavy casualties and losses had been inflicted. The invasion had spread 50 miles (80.5 km) northwards into Ottoman territory while over 10,000 Ottoman prisoners of war and 100 guns had been captured by the victorious Egyptian Expeditionary Force.