![]() ![]() See also: Stalemate in Southern Palestine On the edge of the Eastern DesertĪfter the first two battles for Gaza, it was obvious to British commanders that large reinforcements were needed "to set General Murray's army in motion again." Indeed, Murray made it clear to the War Cabinet and the Imperial General Staff early in May, that he could not invade Palestine without reinforcements. On 7 November, the second day of the battle for Hareira and Sheria, the 52nd (Lowland) Division and the Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade advanced unopposed through Gaza to attack strong rearguard positions at Wadi el Hesi, which were captured the next day. #Tannenberg eastern front download torrent fullThe Seventh and the Eighth Armies were by now in full retreat from the remains of the old Gaza to Beersheba line. On 6 November the Battle of Hareira and Sheria was launched on the centre of the old line, half-way between Gaza and Beersheba, and Hareira was captured but it was not until late the next day, that the Sheria position was finally captured by the 60th (London) Division, after a failed charge by the 4th Light Horse Brigade ( Australian Mounted Division). Fighting for the Beersheba to Jerusalem road, also encouraged the Turkish commanders to deploy their reserves, to hold the EEF threat. The next day, the fiercely contested fighting south of Tel el Khuweilfe by the EEF was not designed to capture Hebron, but to create sufficient area for the deployment of the XX Corps, for a flank attack on the central defences of the old Gaza to Beersheba line. Then, during the night of 1/2 November, the Third Battle of Gaza took place on the Mediterranean coast, when limited attacks by the XXI Corps were made against strongly held, formidable defences. This move up the road from Beersheba to Jerusalem, also threatened Hebron and Bethlehem. The next day, on 1 November, the Battle of Tel el Khuweilfe began, with an advance north of Beersheba into the Judean foothills, by the 53rd (Welsh) and the ANZAC Mounted Divisions. Ottoman counterattacks 27 November to 1 DecemberĪfter a joint attack by the XX and the Desert Mounted Corps, Beersheba at the eastern end of the Gaza to Beersheba line, was captured.Relief of XXI Corps and Desert Mounted Corps 24 November to 2 December. ![]() During five and a half weeks of almost continuous offensive operations, the EEF captured 47.5 miles (76.4 km) of territory. There followed three weeks of hard fighting in the Judean Hills before Jerusalem was captured on 9 December 1917. During the following seven days of pursuit, the Turkish forces were pushed back to Jaffa. After the capture of Beersheba, by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF), the Gaza to Beersheba line became increasingly weakened and, seven days later, the EEF successfully forced the Ottoman Turkish Empire's Seventh and Eighth Armies to withdraw. The Southern Palestine Offensive, employing manoeuvre warfare, began on 31 October 1917, with the Battle of Beersheba, during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign, of World War I. ![]()
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