Battle of Tell 'Asur
Battle of Tell 'Asur | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Yebrud on right. Photo taken by the 230th Brigade, 74th Division. | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Ottoman Empire German Empire | |||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Edmund Allenby Edward Bulfin Philip Chetwode |
Fevzi Pasha Erich von Falkenhayn Liman von Sanders | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
XX Corps XXI Corps 1st Light Horse Brigade |
Seventh Army Eighth Army |
The Battle of
After the capture of Jericho by the
Background
General
The objectives of the XX Corps were Kh. el Beiyudat and Abu Telul in the Jordan Valley north of the Wadi el Auja and to the west astride the Jerusalem to Nablus road, the road running from
Prelude
Some preliminary operations mainly to gain better gun positions commenced on the night of 2 March when infantry from the
Battle
Against the Ottoman Seventh Army
The main advance by infantry from the XX Corps, began during the night of 8 March, by the 53rd (Welsh) Division with the 1st Light Horse Brigade (probably operating dismounted in the rough terrain — see map opposite), the 74th (Yeomanry) Division and the 10th (Irish) Division. On the right flank the 181st Brigade, 60th (2/2nd London) Division, which took part on the first day only, was to secure the line of the Wadi el Auja in and just above the Jordan Valley and guard it and the open right flank of the 53rd (Welsh) Division against an attack.[6] The 60th (2/2nd London) Division pushed Ottoman units back from high ground on the north bank of the Wadi Auja, well beyond the valuable water supply in the river.[1][3] The XX Corps began its advance during the night of 8 March at the same time as the Ottoman XX Corps began to arrive on the Auja.[4] The wadi was 20 yards (18 m) across but only 3 feet (0.91 m) deep and the 2/22nd and 2/21st Battalion, London Regiment crossed the wadi in the plain without incident before 05:00. The 2/24th and 2/23rd Battalions, London Regiment in the hills had difficulties and a gap of 5 miles (8.0 km) developed where an Ottoman division had given the defences an unexpected strength.[4][7]
Meanwhile, infantry from the 53rd, 74th and 10th Divisions advanced north up both sides of the Jerusalem to Nablus road from
Infantry from the 74th (Yeomanry) Division's attack was made astride the Jerusalem to Nablus road; the
Operating in two groups; the 10th (Irish) Division's right attacked
During these operations the infantry advanced up and down precipitous cliffs and through deep gorges with every Ottoman machine gun carefully placed in strong defensive positions. These had to be located by careful reconnaissance on foot as the country was very rough and due to the low cloud and mist aerial reconnaissance could not be used. Artillery was also severely hampered by the rough terrain making it virtually impossible to produce effective artillery fire support.[4]
Against the Ottoman Eighth Army
On the plain the operations of the XXI Corps were carried out without any of the difficulties suffered by the XX Corps.[11] The XXI Corps moved its right forward from the Wadi Deir Ballut to Ras el Ain and secured a commanding position near Abu Tellul and Musallabeh which overlooks the Jordan Valley and the Beisan to Jericho road.[1][3]
Their final objective was a line north of the Wadi Deir Ballut (which becomes the Wadi el Jib) and the Wadi Abu Lejja where it enters the Nahr el Auja north of
Aftermath
The final line captured was found to be overlooked on all sides so a slight retirement to the heights just to the south was made and the positions consolidated. Elsewhere objectives had not all been gained but the depth of the advance in the centre was 5 miles (8.0 km) over a 14-mile (23 km) front at a cost of over 1,300 casualties; only 169 prisoners had been captured.[13]
The new line established by these infantry corps remained almost the same for six months; until the general advance in September 1918. The success of these infantry operations provided a sufficiently large base to support the Transjordan operations which began at the end of the month with the
Notes
- ^ The names of the infantry divisions, brigades and battalions and some other units have, in many cases, been changed so they no longer reflect the names of these units as they appear in the sources quoted.
- ^ Creeping barrages were also successfully employed on the maritime plain by the XXI Corps, to which both the 54th and 75th Divisions transferred, during the morning attack of 19 September 1918. [Falls 1930 Vol. 2 pp. 470–1]
References
- ^ a b c d e Blenkinsop 1925, p. 223
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2 Parts I and II, pp. 326, 656–7
- ^ a b c d Bruce 2002, p. 189
- ^ a b c d e Keogh 1955, p. 208
- ^ a b Falls 1930 Vol. 2, p. 312
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2, p. 313
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2, p. 314
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2, pp. 314–5
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2, pp. 315–7
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2, pp. 317–20
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2, p. 323
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2, pp. 323–6
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2, pp. 321–2
- ^ Bruce 2002, pp. 190–1
Bibliography
- Blenkinsop, Layton John; Rainey, John Wakefield, eds. (1925). History of the Great War Based on Official Documents Veterinary Services. London: H.M. Stationers. OCLC 460717714.
- Bruce, Anthony (2002). The Last Crusade: The Palestine Campaign in the First World War. London: John Murray. ISBN 978-0-7195-5432-2.
- Falls, Cyril (1930). Military Operations Egypt & Palestine from June 1917 to the End of the War. Official History of the Great War Based on Official Documents by Direction of the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence. Vol. 2 Part I. A. F. Becke (maps). London: HM Stationery Office. OCLC 644354483.
- Falls, Cyril (1930). Military Operations Egypt & Palestine from June 1917 to the End of the War. Official History of the Great War Based on Official Documents by Direction of the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence. Vol. 2 Part II. A. F. Becke (maps). London: H.M. Stationery Office. OCLC 256950972.
- OCLC 220029983.