Battle of Tulkarm
Battle of Tulkarm | |
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Part of the 32°18′45″N 35°1′36″E / 32.31250°N 35.02667°E | |
Result | British Empire victory |
German Empire
Edward Bulfin
Harry Chauvel
Liman von Sanders
Jevad Pasha
60th Division
guns of the Destroyers HMS Druid and HMS Forester with most of the 383 land-based guns
Desert Mounted Corps
The Battle of Tulkarm took place on 19 September 1918, beginning of the
During the Battle of Tulkarm the 60th Division, (XXI Corps) advanced to cut the front line Ottoman trenches. They were supported as they moved forward by artillery fire, which lifted and crept forward while the infantry advanced to capture
Background
By July 1918, it was clear that the German Spring Offensive on the Western Front, which had forced the postponement of offensive plans in Palestine, had failed, resulting in a return to trench warfare on the Western Front. This coincided with the approach of the campaigning season in the Middle East.[1][2]
By September 1918, the front line held by the EEF began virtually at sea level at a point on the Mediterranean coast about 12 miles (19 km) north of
Prelude
British plans and preparations
On the first quarter of the front line which stretched 15 miles (24 km) across the Plain of Sharon from the Mediterranean Sea, the XXI Corps 35,000 infantry, Desert Mounted Corps' 9,000 cavalry and 383 artillery pieces were preparing for the attack. On the remaining three quarters of the front line stretching to the Dead Sea, 22,000 infantry, 3,000 mounted troops and 157 artillery pieces of the XX Corps and Chaytor's Force were deployed facing the Seventh and Fourth Ottoman Armies.[6]
"Concentration, surprise, and speed were key elements in the
The objective of the 60th Division, (XXI Corps), which consisted of three British Indian Army infantry battalions for each British battalion, was to attack in "overwhelming strength at the selected point",[11] supported by the "greatest possible weight of artillery",[11] to cut the German and Ottoman front line and create a gap sufficiently wide for the "great mass" [11] of mounted troops to break through, passing quickly, "unimpaired by serious fighting",[11] to the rear of the Seventh and Eighth Armies in the Judean Hills.[11]
After the cavalry breakthrough on the coast, the XXI Corps would advance to capture the headquarters of the Ottoman Eighth Army at Tulkarm together with sections of the lateral railway line in the Judean Hills between Tulkarm and Nablus, a branch of the Jezreel Valley railway, which supplied the two Ottoman Armies, including the important railway junction at Messudieh in the Judean Hills.[3][12] The infantry divisions were to continue their attack by swinging north–east, pivoting on their right to push the defenders back out of their trenches away from the coast and back into the Judean Hills towards Messudieh.[13]
The XXI Corps' 60th Division would advance north-east towards Tulkarm, while on their right the
Together, these attacks would force the enemy to retreat down the main
The successful exploitation of the infantry attack on the coast by Desert Mounted Corps' cavalry's breakthrough depended on the mounted corps occupying the Esdraelon Plain (also known as the
British Empire deployments
The 60th Division commanded by Major General J. S. M. Shea, was to fight on the ancient battlefield between Arsuf and
By the evening of 18 September, the 60th Division was deployed with the 180th Brigade in the lead and the 181st Brigade some 16 miles (26 km) from Tulkarm, with the 179th Brigade in reserve. The recently formed 5th Light Horse Brigade was attached to the 60th Division, although it was positioned for its initial advance directly towards Tulkarm, behind the 7th (Meerut) Division. Also attached to the 60th Division were the 13th Pontoon Park, which would build a pontoon crossing of Nahr el Faliq; the 102nd Brigade Royal Garrison Artillery; and the 2nd Light Armoured Motor Battery, who were to join the division at Tulkarm.[22][Note 2]
German and Ottoman forces and preparations
In August 1918, the
Cevat Pasha's Eighth Army of 10,000 soldiers supported by 157 guns, with its headquarters at Tulkarm, held a line from the Mediterranean coast just north of Arsuf to Furkhah in the Judean Hills. This army was organised into the XXII Corps (7th, 20th and 46th Divisions) and the "Asia Corps", also known as the "Left Wing Group", commanded by the German Colonel Gustav von Oppen[25][26][27][28] (16th and 19th Divisions, three German battalion groups of the German "Pasha II" detachment), with the 2nd Caucasian Cavalry Division in reserve. The Asia Corps linked the Eighth Army's XXII Corps on the coast with the Seventh Army's III Corps further inland, facing units of the British XX Corps. (See the Battle of Nablus for a description of this fighting.)[29]
The 7th, 19th and 20th Divisions held the shortest frontage in the entire Yildirim Army Group. The 7th and 20th Divisions, together held a total of 7.5 miles (12.1 km) of trenches; the 7th Division held 4.3 miles (6.9 km) nearest the coast while the 20th Division held 3.1 miles (5.0 km) and the Asia Corps' 19th Division held 6.2 miles (10.0 km) of trenches further inland, with the 46th Division in reserve 7.5 miles (12.1 km) from the front line, near the Eighth Army's headquarters at Tulkarm.[30][31]
These divisions were some of the most highly regarded fighting formations in the Ottoman Army; in 1915 the 7th and 19th Divisions had fought as part of Esat Pasa's III Corps at Gallipoli.[Note 3] The 20th Division had also fought towards the end of the Gallipoli campaign and served for a year in Galicia fighting against Russians on the eastern front. This regular army division, which had been raised and stationed in Palestine, was sometimes referred to as the Arab Division.[32]
The XXII Corps was supported by the majority of the Yildirim Army's heavy artillery for counter battery operations. Here, three of the five Ottoman Army heavy artillery batteries in Palestine (the 72nd, 73rd and 75th Batteries) were deployed. Further, the Ottoman front line regiments had been alerted that a major attack was imminent.[33]
On 17 September 1918, Ottoman Army intelligence accurately placed five infantry divisions and a detachment opposite their Eighth Army. As a consequence, the 46th Infantry Division was moved up 8.1 miles (13.0 km) to the south–west to a new reserve position at Et Tire, directly behind the Ottoman XXII Corps's front line divisions.[33]
Claims have been made that the Ottoman armies were understrength, overstretched, suffering greatly from a strained supply system and overwhelmingly outnumbered by the EEF by about two to one, and "haemorrhaging" deserters.[28][34] It is claimed, without taking into account the large number of machine guns, the effective strengths of the nine infantry battalions of the 16th Infantry Division each was equal to a British infantry company of between 100 and 250 men while 150 to 200 men were assigned to the 19th Infantry Division battalions which had had 500–600 men at Beersheba.[23][Note 4] It is also claimed that problems with the supply system in February 1918 resulted in the normal daily ration in Palestine being 125 grains (0.29 oz) of bread and boiled beans in the morning, at noon, and at night, without oil or any other condiment.[35]
Tabsor defences
The Tabsor defences consisted of the only continuous trench and
It has been suggested that an inflexible defence relying on a line of trenches had been developed by the Ottoman armies, which required every inch of ground ... to be fought for, when a more flexible system would have better suited the situation.[30]
Battle
Bombardment
"The infantry will advance to the assault under an artillery barrage which will be put down at the hour at which the infantry leave their positions of deployment. This hour will be known as the 'XXI Corps Zero Hour.' There will be no preliminary bombardment."[37]
Just as the preliminary attack by the
This intense bombardment, which closely resembled a Western Front bombardment, continued for half an hour, with guns deployed one to every 50 yards (46 m) of front.
XXI Corps' attacks
While the 60th Division's attack on the coast was proceeding, the 75th Division on their right attacked the
60th Division breach Ottoman front line
we suddenly rush[ed] his lines, and poured thousands and thousands of cavalry and infantry thro' the gaps. Thousands of prisoners were marching back to the cages within 2 hours of zero ...
Letter written on 22 September 1918 by Captain R. C. Case, Royal Engineer, 313th Field Company, 60th Division[45]
180th Brigade capture of Nahr el Faliq
Twelve minutes after the artillery bombardment began, the 180th Brigade's three Indian infantry battalions attacked in two columns. The right column, led by the 50th Kumaon Rifles, captured Birket Atife and 110 prisoners along with eight machine guns. Then, advancing at a rate of 75 yards (69 m) a minute behind the artillery barrage, at 05:50 they captured redoubts and two succeeding lines of trenches, along with 125 prisoners and seven machine guns. Shortly afterwards, a further 69 prisoners were captured west of Birket Ramadan. The 2/97th Deccan Infantry following the Kumaon Rifles captured a redoubt, 40 prisoners and four machine guns.[46]
Meanwhile, the left column consisting of the
The bridge across
181st Brigade
Having captured
At 06:15 the 181st Brigade was ordered to advance to the north. The 181st had one machine gun section attached to each battalion, and the 2/97th Deccan Infantry in reserve. (Prior to this order to advance, the machine gun sections had formed part of the artillery barrage.) By 08:30 the leading troops of the brigade column had crossed Nahr el Faliq and the causeway at Kh. ez Zebabde.[47]
Then turning eastwards, their first objectives were to capture Ayun el Werdat and advance on Umm Sur 2 miles (3.2 km) further north. Both of these were captured by 11:00, by the
Ottoman defenders in the coastal sector
By 05:45 telephone communication to the Ottoman front had been cut and five minutes later all German and Ottoman reserves had been ordered forward.[53]
At 08:50, the Eighth Army's commander, Cevat reported to Liman von Sanders at the Yildirim Army Group headquarters at Nazareth, that the Ottoman 7th Division (XXII Corps, Eighth Army) was "out of the fight" and the 19th Division was under attack. Liman ordered the 110th Infantry Regiment to advance to support the Eighth Army. Meanwhile, a rearguard formed by 100 soldiers from the 7th Division armed with two machine guns and 17 artillery guns, and 300 soldiers from the 20th Division armed with four machine guns and seven artillery guns, made a desperate attempt to hold back the British Empire attack.[54][55] The rearguards established by the 7th and 20th Divisions continued to fight while retiring, the 7th Division establishing divisional headquarters at Mesudiye.[56]
Eventually, the 19th Division was forced to retreat towards Kefri Kasim, while the XXII Corps was in retreat towards Et Tire, having lost most of its artillery. The enemy has broken through our lines in spite of our counter–attacks ... Without assistance operations are impossible.[54][55]
By 12:00 Cevat was aware that British Empire infantry was advancing on his headquarters at Tulkarm, and by 16:30 that Et Tire had been captured. By dusk he had begun to move his headquarters north, having been finally and completely cut off from news and reports from his XXII Corps.[57]
Capture of Tulkarm
181st Brigade with 5th Light Horse Brigade
As the 181st Brigade approached Tulkarm from the south-west, a number of
The 5th Light Horse Brigade commanded by Brigadier General Macarthur Onslow with the 2nd New Zealand Machine Gun Squadron attached, had been instructed by the commander of the 60th Division to bypass Tulkarm if it was strongly defended, and cut the main road to Nablus from Tulkarm. This Australian and French cavalry brigade moved to the left, to clear the infantry battle and enemy machine gun fire opposing the 181st Brigade, and rode north of Tulkarm to eventually take up a position controlling the road to Nablus.[58]
About 21:00 a lieutenant, 23 troopers and two machine guns of the 5th Light Horse Brigade, guarding the road to Nablus, saw a long column approaching from the south. The light horsemen opened fire and stopped the column in the narrowest part of the road. After a brief discussion, between 2,000 and 2,800 Ottoman troops with between four and 15 guns surrendered to the Régiment Mixte de Marche de Cavalerie, 2,000 yards (1,800 m) north of the town.[40][58][59][Note 7]
Aftermath
By the end of the day, the 60th Division had captured all its objectives, including the town of Tulkarm, which had been the site of the Eighth Army's headquarters, after a hard march of 17 miles (27 km) from their starting line.
At 20:45 in the evening of 19 September, General Bulfin, commander of the XXI Corps, issued orders for the continuation of the advance. The objectives for the 60th Division on 20 September were to take up "a position facing generally north on the north side of the Tul Karm to Deir Sheraf road with their right on Jebel Bir 'Asur north east of 'Anebta and left at Shuweike north of Tul Karm."[62]
The 60th Division's 179th Brigade moved from Tulkarm towards 'Anebta, with the objective of capturing the railway tunnel near Jebel Bir Asur 2 miles (3.2 km) to the north-east. The 3/151st Punjab Rifles, with a squadron from the Composite Regiment, Corps Cavalry, a section of machine guns, and two 4.5-inch howitzers formed the advance guard, which quickly pushed small rearguards from ridges. The Punjab Rifles entered 'Anebta at 11:20 having captured 66 prisoners, and occupied the intact tunnel shortly after, while the 181st Brigade took up a defensive line north of the Tulkarm to 'Anebta road from the right of the 179th Brigade to the village of Shuweike.[63]
Meanwhile, at 02:00 on 20 September, the 5th Light Horse Brigade, less one squadron guarding prisoners, advanced from Tulkarm towards 'Ajee to cut the railway from Messudieh to Jenin. Two squadrons reached the railway 1 mile (1.6 km) north of 'Ajee where they blew up the line. The brigade was then ordered to move north to Jenin, but instead the brigade concentrated back at Tulkarm at 19:00, having captured 140 prisoners and two machine guns.[48][64][65][Note 9]
During 19 September, the XXI Corps had destroyed the right wing of the Ottoman front line, capturing 7,000 prisoners and 100 guns. Remnants of the Eighth Army which had escaped were captured the next day by Desert Mounted Corps at Jenin, in the Esdrealon Plain to the north of the Judean Hills. On 19 and 20 September the XXI Corps suffered total of 3,378 casualties of whom 446 were killed. They had captured 12,000 prisoners, 149 guns and vast quantities of ammunition and transport. With the exception of the Asia Corps, the whole Eighth Army had been destroyed.[66]
Notes
- ^ See the Battle of Nablus (1918) for a detailed description of this corps' and Chaytor's Force' operations in the eastern Judean Hills and further east to Es Salt and Amman.
- ^ The 91st Heavy Battery was pulled by horses, while the 380th Siege Battery was pulled by tractors; these batteries arrived at Tulkarm about 03:30 on 20 September. [Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 484]
- ^ This Corps had held Beersheba at the time of the successful British Empire attack. [Erickson 2007 p. 146]
- ^ There has been no detailed analysis of the impact of the high number of machine guns on the army group's strength.
- ^ This compares with one gun to every 10 yards (9.1 m) on the Western Front. [Bou p. 194]
- ^ Dudley Russell with the 97th Deccan Infantry was awarded the MC for an attack on the Tabsor system of trenches. It appears from Falls Map 20 and his description of the fighting that this unit advanced up the coast to Nahr el Faliq to the north of Tabsor before turning inland to capture Ayun el Werdat and Umm Sur. [Falls 1930 Vol. 2 pp. 486–7]
- ^ It's been claimed the 5th Light Horse Brigade captured Tulkarm at 15:30 and 2,700 prisoners, 17 guns and vehicles, and that in the process, the brigade commander had fallen out with two of the regimental commanders, also with his Brigade Major. [Hall 1975 p. 111]
- ^ The only available German and Ottoman sources are Liman von Sanders' memoir and the Asia Corps' war diary. Ottoman army and corps records seem to have disappeared during their retreat. [Falls 1930 Vol. 2 pp. 494–5]
- ^ It has been claimed that the brigade rode all night, to cut the enemy frontline railway close behind Nablus. A few hours later, the Brigade captured Nablus itself. [Gullett 1919 p.33–6]
Citations
- ^ Woodward 2006 p. 190
- ^ Bruce 2002 p. 207
- ^ a b c Allenby letter to Wilson 24 July 1918 in Hughes 2004 pp. 168–9
- ^ a b c Gullett 1919 pp. 25–6
- ^ a b c d Wavell 1968 p. 205
- ^ a b Wavell 1968 p. 203
- ^ Woodward 2006 p. 191
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 448
- ^ Woodward 2006 pp. 190–1
- ^ Blenkinsop 1925 pp. 236, 241
- ^ a b c d e Wavell 1968 pp. 197–8
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2 Part II pp. 455–6
- ^ Wavell 1968 pp. 198–9
- ^ Maunsell 1926 p.213
- ^ Carver 2003 p. 232
- ^ Bruce 2002 p. 216
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2 Part II pp. 455
- ^ Wavell 1968 pp. 198–9, 208–9
- ^ Preston 1921 pp. 200–1
- ^ Keogh 1955 pp. 242–3
- ^ Keogh 1955 pp. 243–4
- ^ a b c Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 484
- ^ a b Erickson 2007 p. 132
- ^ Keogh 1955 p. 242
- ^ Carver 2003 p. 231
- ^ Erickson 2001 p. 196
- ^ Keogh 1955 pp. 241–2
- ^ a b Wavell 1968 p. 195
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2 Sketch Map 30
- ^ a b Bou 2009 p. 192
- ^ Erickson 2007 pp. 142–3, 145
- ^ Erickson 2007 p. 146
- ^ a b Erickson 2007 p. 145
- ^ Bou 2009 pp. 192–3, quoting Erickson 2001 pp. 195,198
- ^ Erickson 2007 p. 133
- ^ Hill 1978 p. 165
- ^ Force Order No. 68 quoted in Woodward 2006 p. 193
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 485
- ^ Bou 2009 p. 194
- ^ a b c Powles 1922 p. 239
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2 pp. 470–1, 480–1, 485
- ^ Bruce 2002 p. 224
- ^ a b Wavell 1968 p. 206
- ^ Bruce 2002 pp. 224–5
- ^ Woodward 2006 p. 196
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 485–6
- ^ a b c Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 486
- ^ a b Wavell 1968 p. 207
- ^ Carver 2003 p. 233
- ^ Bruce 2002 p. 225
- ^ Keogh 1955 p. 247
- ^ a b Falls 1930 Vol. 2 pp. 486–7
- ^ Erickson 2001 p. 198
- ^ a b Erickson 2007 p. 148
- ^ a b Erickson 2001 pp. 198–9
- ^ Erickson 2007 p. 151
- ^ Erickson 2007 p. 149
- ^ a b c Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 487
- ^ Paget 1994 Vol. 4 pp. 263, 291
- ^ Bruce 2002 p. 227
- ^ Hill 1978 p. 168
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 504
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2 pp. 508–9
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2 pp. 504–5
- ^ 5th Light Horse Brigade War Diary AWM4-10-5-2
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2 pp. 488, 509–10
References
- Bou, Jean (2009). Light Horse: A History of Australia's Mounted Arm. Australian Army History. Port Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-19708-3.
- Bruce, Anthony (2002). The Last Crusade: The Palestine Campaign in the First World War. London: John Murray. ISBN 978-0-7195-5432-2.
- ISBN 978-0-283-07347-2.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - OCLC 43481698.
- Erickson, Edward J. (2007). Gooch, John; Reid, Brian Holden (eds.). Ottoman Army Effectiveness in World War I: A Comparative Study. No. 26 of Cass Series: Military History and Policy. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-203-96456-9.
- OCLC 256950972.
- Henry S. Gullett; Charles Barnet; David Baker, eds. (1919). Australia in Palestine. Sydney: Angus & Robertson. OCLC 224023558.
- Hall, Rex (1975). The Desert Hath Pearls. Melbourne: Hawthorn Press. OCLC 677016516.
- OCLC 5003626.
- Hughes, Matthew, ed. (2004). Allenby in Palestine: The Middle East Correspondence of Field Marshal Viscount Allenby June 1917 – October 1919. Army Records Society. Vol. 22. Phoenix Mill, Thrupp, Stroud, Gloucestershire: Sutton Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7509-3841-9.
- OCLC 220029983.
- Maunsell, E. B. (1926). Prince of Wales' Own, the Seinde Horse, 1839–1922. Regimental Committee. OCLC 221077029.
- ISBN 978-0-85052-395-9.
- Powles, C. Guy; A. Wilkie (1922). The New Zealanders in Sinai and Palestine. Official History New Zealand's Effort in the Great War. Vol. III. Auckland: Whitcombe & Tombs. OCLC 2959465.
- Preston, R.M.P. (1921). The Desert Mounted Corps: An Account of the Cavalry Operations in Palestine and Syria 1917–1918. London: Constable & Co. OCLC 3900439.
- Wavell, Field Marshal Earl (1968) [1933]. "The Palestine Campaigns". In Sheppard, Eric William (ed.). A Short History of the British Army (4th ed.). London: Constable & Co. OCLC 35621223.
- Woodward, David R. (2006). Hell in the Holy Land: World War I in the Middle East. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0-8131-2383-7.
External links
- "5th Light Horse Brigade War Diary". First World War Diaries AWM4, 10-5-2. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. September 1918. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2012.