Australia’s Battle of Beersheba

foreign August 1914 and Germany has just invaded Belgium immediately Britain declares war on Germany and over the next four years more than 70 million soldiers will be mobilized nine million of whom will be killed in combat alongside an additional 13 million civilian deaths more than 300 000 Australians will serve overseas during the first world war with over 60 000 paying the ultimate price October 1914 the Ottoman Empire joins the war allying with Germany and Austria-Hungary the war spreads to the Caucasus Mesopotamia and the Sinai Peninsula ottoman forces in the Sinai pose a distinct threat to British interests in the Middle East specifically control of the Suez Canal in November 1914 the first contingent of the Australian Imperial force is sent to the British protectorate of Egypt to conduct basic training in the desert March 1916 after withdrawal from Gallipoli Peninsula the infantry divisions of the aif are redeployed to the Western Front the Australian and New Zealand forces remaining in Egypt are incorporated into the newly raised Egyptian expeditionary Force the eef's mission is to secure British interests in Egypt including the Suez Canal and reclaim the Sinai Peninsula from the scattered ottoman forces currently garrisoned in the desert January 1917 the eef has been successful in pushing ottoman forces out of the Sinai the British government now decides to continue the advance and push into the territory of the Ottoman Empire but the effort quickly falters when two attempts to seize the city of Gaza fail in response the British war cabinet replaces Archibald Murray with General Sir Edmund Allenby as the new commander of the eef a successful campaign in Palestine and the capture of Jerusalem will place additional pressure on Germany and so the British government provides Allenby with reinforcements and new state-of-the-art weapons for the eef to accomplish their mission and drive the Ottomans out of Palestine the well-fortified city of Gaza and the defensive line that links it to the town of birsaba or Beersheba as we know it must first be broken after two failed attempts the eef is under pressure to continue the advance fighting on Horseback in the scorching hot Palestinian desert is thirsty work and the City of Gaza has been resupplied by additional ottoman forces time is of the essence with the eef newly resupplied reinforced and reorganized and now under Alan B's command a new plan is formed capture the town of Beersheba with its reliable water supply and use Beersheba as a base to push further into Palestine the town of Beersheba is well defended by barbed wire ottoman trenches and natural obstacles the ottoman forces consist of 1 000 infantry supported by machine guns artillery and aircraft the hill to the east known as Tel esaba forms a crucial part of the Ottoman defensive strategy protecting the Eastern flank it is heavily guarded by 400 ottoman infantry and a number of enemy machine guns it is the capture of this hill which will become the primary objective for the Anzac mounted division it is essential the capture of Beersheba be quick and decisive to prevent the Ottomans from destroying the town's precious water supply and withdrawing to the north should the attack fail or be prolonged the desert will ensure that allenby's plans to strike behind Gaza will fail General allenby's plan has two moving parts firstly the four British infantry divisions are to attack from the southwest capturing ottoman trenches and destroying ottoman artillery simultaneously the two Cavalry mounted divisions are to attack from the East capturing Tel asaba and cutting off any withdrawing ottoman forces early on the morning of the 31st of October 1917. the British infantry divisions having marched through the night reached their lines of departure to the southwest of Beersheba after a similarly exhausting 50 kilometer overnight ride the Anzac and Australian mounted divisions take up position to the east of Beersheba as Dawn begins to break the first phase of the attack begins a coordinated British artillery bombardment on the southwestern ottoman trench lines British infantry commenced the ground assault under heavy machine gun fire they penetrate the ottoman defensive line capturing prisoners and artillery guns the commander of the desert mounted Corps Lieutenant General Harry Chevelle orders the Anzac mounted division to commence The Assault on hilltel asaba with the New Zealand mounted rifles Brigade forward simultaneously the Australian second light horse Brigade is sent to cut off the main Supply route to the northeast of Beersheba the road to Jerusalem thereby preventing any ottoman forces from withdrawing as ottoman machine gun fire begins to rain downhill the New Zealand assault slopes the bare Rocky terrain offering little in the way of cover or concealment British artillery immediately assists firing on hilltel lasaba and suppressing the Ottomans who are forced to duck for cover as rocks and shrapnel flies everywhere under the cover of artillery fire the Australian third light horse regiment advances up on the Left Flank to assist the new zealanders the Australian second Lighthouse regiment later follows to provide additional reinforcements however the assault remains painstakingly slow using fire and movement Australian forces eventually reach a dry riverbat where they take up position and use Machine Gun and Rifle fire to cover the new zealanders who are once again able to advance to the north the Australian second Lighthouse Brigade captures an ottoman Supply Convoy of 10 wagons withdrawing along the main Supply route to Jerusalem on the other side of Beersheba the British infantry has captured the final ottoman trench line and British artillery begins to Target the town all now depends on the Australian and New Zealand forces the Australian third light horse Brigade is deployed to the east of hilltel lasaba the attackers have now concentrated sufficient Firepower the Ottomans unable to return effective fire are overrun by the new zealanders and Hill tell esaba is captured without telesaba the ottoman defense of Beersheba becomes impossible the order is given for ottoman forces to completely destroy the town's water supply and withdraw to the north from eef headquarters far to the West Allenby sends word to chavel demanding that Beersheba be captured before nightfall but by employing Mission command Chevelle's preparations for the attack are well underway earlier reconnaissance of Ottoman positions to the east of Beersheba has revealed ottoman trenches not yet fully developed and lacking in barbed wire a daring plan is formed a frontal assault on Horseback with bayonets in hand a mounted charge of 800 Australian Cavalry aimed directly towards the Eastern ottoman trenches no other plan offers a faster result for the capture of Beersheba this will subsequently be viewed as one of the most daring military maneuvers of the first World War Chevelle gives the order and as dusk Falls the Australian Fourth lighthorse Brigade lines up under the command of Brigadier General William Grant the Brigade forms up into its regimental components the fourth and the 12th when riding at a Gallop rifles are impossible to aim so each man straps his rifle to his back armed with handheld bayonets and led by their commanding officers the four Lighthouse Brigade charges forward coming under on filet fire from an ottoman machine gun British artillery demonstrates superb accuracy immediately silencing the ottoman position to the South finally the fourth Lighthouse regiment reaches the Eastern ottoman trench line and jumps right over it clearing the trench at a Gallop Rider's Dismount and Close Quarters combat commences simultaneously the 12th Lighthouse regiment attacking the ottoman trench lines to the South finds a gap and is able to bypass through the ottoman defensive line Nothing Now lies between Australian forces and the town of Beersheba within the hour as night Falls Beersheba is captured and the battle is one the charge of the Australian Fourth lighthorse Brigade results in the capture of more than 700 ottoman prisoners nine artillery pieces and three machine guns the precious water wells within the town are also secured Australian casualties resulting from the charge number just 31 men killed and 36 wounded the fall of Beersheba marks the beginning of the end for the ottoman defense of Southern Palestine now able to outflank the Ottomans an attack from both the South and the East Gaza Falls to Allied Forces within the week and Jerusalem is captured by Year's End the charge of the Australian Lighthouse Brigade is proven to Be an Effective tactic in maneuver Warfare and is used by the British to great effect in several of the subsequent battles on the advance towards Jerusalem in November 1918 the Central Powers have been defeated the Australian components of the desert mounted Corps return home regarded by the Allies as a highly effective military force and one which made a vital contribution to allenby's Victory on the Palestine campaign the battle honor for the capture of Beersheba is awarded to 14 Australian Lighthouse regiments and is emblazoned as Gaza Beersheba on regimento gidons six current armor units claiming lineage to those aif units still display the Gaza Beersheba battle Honor on their gidons today

Channel: Australian Army

Views: 1,046

Keywords:

Id: 0VU72wWdMeU

Length: 12min 25sec (745 seconds)

Published: Mon Aug 14 2023