Capture of Jericho
Capture of Jericho | |
---|---|
Part of the Jordan Valley | |
Result | Egyptian Expeditionary Force victory |
Philip Chetwode
John Shea
Edward Chaytor
Djemal Pasha
Ali Fuad Bey
Refet Bey
Egyptian Expeditionary Force
XX Corps
- 60th (London) Division
- 53rd (Welsh) Division
and Desert Mounted Corps's
Yildirim Army Group
Seventh Army
XX Corps
- 26th Division
- 53rd Division
The Capture of Jericho occurred between 19 and 21 February 1918 to the east of
Winter rains put an end to campaigning after the
General
Background
The advance from
Allenby wrote on 25 January: "I want to extend my right, to include Jericho and the N[orth] of the
General
Prelude
The country on the eastern side of the
Defending force
Three Ottoman armies were deployed to defend their front line: the Eighth Army (headquartered at Tul Keram) defended the Mediterranean section, the Seventh Army (headquartered at Nablus) defended the Judean Hills sector, and the Fourth Army (headquartered at Amman) defended the eastern Transjordan section of the line.[18][19] Between 3,000 and 5,000 Ottoman troops from the 26th and 53rd Infantry Divisions XX Corps defended the area on the western edge of the Jordan Valley. They garrisoned a series of hill-tops from Tubk el Kaneiterah, near the Dead Sea, through Talat ed Dumm to the Wadi Fara. Here the XX Corps was entrenched at Ras um Deisis and El Muntar Iraq Ibrahim astride the Jericho road.[16][20][21] There was also at least one regiment in the Jordan Valley near the Wadi el Auja.[22]
Mounted and infantry attacking force
By February, logistics had sufficiently developed to support the advance towards Jericho, and Allenby ordered Lieutenant General
The plan was for the 60th (London) Division to advance to Mukhmas eight miles (13 km) north-north-east of Jerusalem, then advance forward six miles (9.7 km) east through El Muntar Iraq Ibrahim and Ras et Tawil. Their left flank was to be covered the 53rd (Welsh) Division, which was to capture the high ground at Rammun three miles (4.8 km) north of Mukhmas while their right was covered by the Anzac Mounted Division.[27] The second stage required the 60th (London) Division to advance to a point yet to be decided, in three brigade columns: the right to Jebil Ekteif south of the main Jericho road, the centre to Talat ed Dumm, and the left column moving along the "Ancient Road" running east from Mukhmas. Their final advance would take them to the edge of the ridge overlooking Jericho and the Jordan Valley; there was no plan for them to enter the valley. Each infantry column was to be supported by a 60-pounder or 6-inch artillery battery, a Field artillery brigade and a field company of Royal Engineers.[27]
On 14 February, preliminary operations were carried out by the XX Corps; the 60th (London) Division which advanced to Mukhmas eight miles (13 km) north-north-east of Jerusalem, while on their left flank the 53rd (Welsh) Division captured the village of Deir Diwan.
Air support
On 3 January, two Australian aircraft discovered boats carrying corn and hay moving from Ghor el Hadit (behind Point Costigan) and Rujm el Bahr at the northern end of the Dead Sea. These were bombed and sprayed with bullets repeatedly until the boat service stopped.[30]
On 10 January, as part of the preparations for the attack on Jericho, six aircraft dropped 48 bombs on Amman and Kissir, a Hedjaz railway station six miles (9.7 km) to the south, resulting in several direct hits on rolling stock, station buildings and troops. Aircraft patrols were then directed to fly over Jericho and Shunet Nimrin on the western and eastern sectors of the Jordan Valley on alternate days. These patrols closely watched and reported tactical details, including the number of tents and camps, the state of supply dumps, the conditions of roads and tracks, and traffic on the railway.[31]
Battle
Infantry attack on 19 February
The 60th (London) Division advanced with their
Chetwode and Chauvel watched these operations begin from the Mount of Olives more than 2,000 feet (610 m) above sea level; by the time the light horse and mounted rifles brigades reached Jericho on 21 February they were nearly 1,200 feet (370 m) below sea level.[33]
20 February
Infantry attack
The three infantry columns advanced: the column in the centre, the 180th Brigade, captured their objective of Talat ed Dumm on the main road from Jerusalem to Jericho.
On the right, the 179th Brigade column marched towards Jebel Ekteif (to the south of Talat ed Dumm); their 2/13th Battalion, London Regiment, however, faced a sheer drop of over twenty feet (6.1 m) and had to proceed across intervening ridges into parallel wadis, arriving too late for the attack. Meanwhile, two companies of the 2/16th Battalion, London Regiment from the 179th Brigade, of the 60th (London) Division were ordered to support an attack on Jebel Ekteif by the 2/15th Battalion, London Regiment. By 08:15 they had captured the advanced trenches, three companies, and fought their way up into the firing line on the summit of the hill.[32] At 10:00 the British infantry were reported to have captured this dominating position on the Jerusalem–Jericho road, but a strong counter-attack drove them off. Jebel Ektief was finally captured at about 12:30 when heavy artillery helped the desperate attackers secure their objective.[34][Note 2]
Mounted attack
Meanwhile, the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade (with the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment which had returned from the 179th Brigade) led the 1st Light Horse Brigade at 03:30 in their advanced on El Muntar.[35] The advance guard formed by the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment moved from Bethlehem along an ancient road down the Wadi en Nar to the valley near El Muntar hill, followed by their brigade and the 1st Light Horse Brigade. They zig-zagged three miles (4.8 km) down to the valley floor while Ottoman soldiers on the height of El Muntar 1,250 feet (380 m) above watched their approach. Because of the terrain they moved in single file: the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade was strung out from five to eight miles (8.0–13 km), and it was hours before the long column could deploy for the attack.[36][37]
By 06:00 all the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade was in the valley; the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment was attacking Hill 306 while the Canterbury and
Even in daylight I should not have dreamt of riding this track [down the Wadi Qumran to the valley of the Jordan], and yet the whole brigade passed along it without mishap. At 11.00pm we were at the arranged position, and after tethering out the horses rolled ourselves up in our blankets. The night was bitterly cold, and we missed our "bivvies", orders having been given to travel light, so that every man rode with an absolute minimum weight. We are to leave here at 3.30 am to attack Neby Musa.
— Frank Hurley, the Official Australian War Photographer, attached to the 1st Light Horse Brigade[38]
Meanwhile, at dusk, the 1st Light Horse Brigade began its descent. They moved down the Wadi Qumran to the Jordan Valley, following a goat track which fell 1,300 feet (400 m) in two miles (3.2 km) to get into position to attack Nebi Musa from the rear. This journey was successfully completed by midnight.[34][35]
21 February
Under cover of darkness, the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade advanced north along a very rough track and by daylight had reached just east of the Neby Musa position.
When the 1st Light Horse Brigade reached the floor of the Jordan Valley near the Dead Sea, 1,300 feet (400 m) below sea level, it turned north towards Jericho. A single troop of 3rd Light Horse Regiment entered Jericho at about 08:00 to find the Ottoman garrison had withdrawn.[39][40] The remainder of the brigade advanced up the Jordan Valley as far as the Wadi el Auja, while the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment (New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade) occupied Rujm el Bahr on the north shore of the Dead Sea.[35][41] Meanwhile, the 60th (London) Division moved to the top of the cliff overlooking Jericho and the Jordan Valley from Neby Musa to Jebel Qruntul.[35]
Divisional Headquarters Staff set up their report centre about one mile (1.6 km) behind Jericho; when they were sitting down to a morning cup of tea, Chetwode and Chauvel joined them. Chaytor was sitting on the step of his car when shells fired from the other side of the Jordan River started to explode. One hit the front of his car and he narrowly escaped injury. This gun continued shelling the area at a range of over 10,000 yards (9,100 m); the British 13-pounders could get no further than 6,000 yards (5,500 m).[40] Chetwode's force of infantry and mounted units suffered 510 casualties during these operations.[13]
Air support
During these three days of operations No. 1 Squadron's aircraft completely dominated all enemy aircraft, bombing and machine-gunning Ottoman positions, and reporting to headquarters on progress and estimates of Ottoman dispositions and strength. Messages were also dropped on troops in the front line with urgent news. Considerable Ottoman reinforcements were seen to arrive at Shunet Nimrin on the eastern side of the Jordan River, and an aerial raiding formation from No. 1 Squadron bombed troop tents, marquees and a supply dump in the area.[16][42]
Aftermath
On 22 February the 60th (London) Division withdrew its main line to Jebel Ekteif – Talat ed Dumm – Ras et Tawil, leaving outposts on the cliffs above the Jordan Valley and the Anzac Mounted Division started their journey back to Richon LeZion via Bethlehem. The Anzac Mounted Division left behind in the Jordan Valley the Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment with a subsection of machine guns and an artillery battery (under orders of the 60th Division) in a strong position where the road from Jerusalem falls into the Jordan Valley.[42][43][44]
Ottoman troops on the western bank of the Jordan River were holding a strong bridgehead at Ghoraniyeh, protecting the old stone bridge on the main Jerusalem to Es Salt road. There was also a smaller detachment down stream, covering the ford at Makhadet Hijlah (the traditional site of Christ's baptism).[42]
The Auckland Mounted Rifle Regiment patrolled the Jordan River and valley area under enemy observation, attracting artillery shelling from Ottoman field guns.[29] The patrols monitored the Ottoman positions at Ghoraniyeh and Makhadet Hajlah ("Partridge Ford"; cf. Deir Hijla) until 25 February when all Ottoman troops, guns and a pontoon bridge were found to have been removed to the east bank of the river. At the same time Shunet Nimrin was rapidly entrenched by the Ottoman Seventh Army and was soon held in force.[15][21][45]
Ottoman army garrisons continued to hold the Hedjaz railway from
On 6 March the
Notes
- Footnotes
- ^ The 2nd Light Horse Brigade remained on the maritime plain, near the Mediterranean Sea, holding a portion of the front line. [Powles 1922 p. 173]
- ^ Falls states it was captured at 11:25. [Falls 1930 Vol. 2 Part II p. 307]
- ^ This corps was not formed because the Spring Offensive had drained Allenby's force.
- ^ Bruce claims that although the occupation of Jericho protected Jerusalem from Ottoman attack from the east, it did not provide the hoped-for secure base to mount operations on the Hedjaz railway. [Bruce 2002, p. 188]
- Citations
- ^ Battles Nomenclature Committee 1922 p. 33
- ^ a b Bou 2009, p. 185
- ^ Powles 1922, pp. 172–3
- ^ Grainger 2006, p. 218
- ^ Allenby to Robertson 25 January 1918 quoted in Woodward 2006, p. 160
- ^ Hamilton 1996, p. 99
- ^ Powles 1922, p. 171
- ^ Hurley, O'Keefe 1986, p. 112
- ^ Allenby to Robertson 25 January 1918 in Hughes 2004, p. 127
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 303
- ^ Woodward 2006, pp. 161–2
- ^ Wavell 1968, pp. 176–7
- ^ a b Wavell 1968 pp. 177–8
- ^ Blenkinsop 1925, p. 223
- ^ a b c Cutlack 1941, p. 103
- ^ a b c Cutlack 1941, pp. 102–3
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 305
- ^ Keogh 1955 p. 219
- ^ Hughes 1999 p. 73
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2 Parts I II pp. 305, 655
- ^ a b Erickson 2001 p. 193
- ^ Keogh 1955 p. 204
- ^ Kinloch 2007, p. 249
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2 Part II pp. 655, 663
- ^ a b Cutlack 1941, p. 102
- ^ Brief Record of the Advance of the EEF 1919 pp. 37–79
- ^ a b c Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 304
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 306
- ^ a b Downes 1938 pp. 679–81
- ^ Cutlack 1941 pp. 99–100
- ^ Cutlack 1941 p. 100
- ^ a b c d Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 307
- ^ Hill 1978, p. 142
- ^ a b c d Powles 1922, p. 178
- ^ a b c d e Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 308
- ^ Powles 1922, pp. 176–7
- ^ Moore 1921, p. 98
- ^ Hurley, O'Keefe 1986 p. 108
- ^ a b Moore 1921, p. 101
- ^ a b c Powles 1922, p. 179
- ^ Powles 1922, p. 182
- ^ a b c Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 309
- ^ Moore 1921, p. 103
- ^ Powles 1922 p. 184
- ^ Powles 1922, p. 183
- ^ Erickson 2001 p. 174
- ^ Erickson 2007, p. 130
- ^ Woodward 2006 p. 162
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