Australia’s Battle of Beersheba

Australia’s Battle of Beersheba

August
1914 and Germany has just invaded
Belgium immediately Britain declares war
on Germany and over the next 4 years
more than 70 million soldiers will be
mobilized 9 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 austrialia
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 Suz 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 galipoli
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 ef’s mission is to secure
British interests in Egypt including the
sez canal and reclaim the Sinai
Peninsula from the scattered otoman
forces currently garrisoned in the
desert January
1917 the EF 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 Arch Murray with General Sir
Edmund Allenby as the new commander of
the
EF a successful campaign in Palestine
and the capture of Jerusalem will place
additional pressure on Germany and so
the British government provides alen be
with reinforcements and new
state-of-the-art weapons for the EF to
accomplish their mission and drive the
Ottomans out of Palestine the well
fortified city of Gaza and the defense
ensive line that links it to the town of
beaba or Beba as we know it must first
be
broken after two failed attempts the EF
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
EF newly resupplied reinforced and
reorganized and now under alen B’s
command a new plan is formed capture the
town of B Sheba with its reliable water
supply and use B Sheba as a base to push
further into Palestine the town of be
Sheba 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 bish Sheba be quick and
decisive to prevent the utans 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 alen’s plans
to strike behind Gaza will fail General
Allen’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 esaba 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
BBA after a similarly exhausting 50 km
overnight ride the Anzac and Australian
counted divisions take up position to
the east of BBA 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 Corp leftenant General
Harry chel orders the Anzac mounted
division to commence The Assault on Hill
Tel esaba with the New Zealand mounted
rifles Brigade
forward simultaneously the Australian
second lighthorse Brigade is sent to cut
off the main Supply route to the
northeast of BBA the road to Jerusalem
thereby preventing any ottoman forces
from
withdrawing as ottoman machine gun fire
begins to rain downhill the New Zealand
assult slows the bare Rocky terrain
offering little in the way of cover or
concealment British artillery
immediately assists firing on Hill Tel
laaba and suppressing the Ottomans who
are forced to duck for cover as rocks
and trapnel flies everywhere under the
cover of artillery fire the Australian
third lighthorse regiment advances up on
the Left Flank to assist the new
zealanders the Australian second ligh
horse regiment later follows to provide
additional reinforcements however the
assault remains painstakingly slow using
fire and movement Australian forces
eventually reach a dry riverbed 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 lighthorse Brigade captures an
ottoman Supply Convoy of 10 wagons
withdrawing along the main Supply route
to
Jerusalem on the other side of beeba 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 lighthorse
Brigade is deployed to the east of Hill
Tel laaba the attackers have now
concentrated sufficient Firepower the
the Ottomans unable to return effective
fire are overrun by the new zealanders
and Hill Tel esaba is captured without
Tel esaba the ottoman defense of BBA
becomes
impossible the order is given for
ottoman forces to completely destroy the
town’s water supply and withdraw to the
north from EF headquarters far to the
West alanby sends word to chel demanding
that BBA be captured before nightfall
but by employing Mission command chl’s
preparations for the attack are well
underway earlier reconnaissance of
Ottoman positions to the east of be
Sheba 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 ly
towards the Eastern ottoman trenches no
other plan offers a faster result for
the capture of B Sheba this will
subsequently be viewed as one of the
most daring military maneuvers of the
first world war chel 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 component on 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 Fourth
lighthorse Brigade charges forward
coming under onfa Fire from an ottoman
machine gun British artillery
demonstrates superb accuracy immediately
silencing the ottoman position to the
South finally the fourth lighthorse
regiment reaches the Eastern ottoman
trench line and jumps right over it
clearing the trench at a Gallop Riders
Dismount and Close Quarters combat
commences simultaneously the 12th
lighthorse 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 Beba
within the hour as night falls B Sheba
is captured and the battle is
won 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 B Sheba marks the
beginning of the end for the ottoman
defense of Southern Palestine now able
to outflank the Ottomans and attack from
both the South and the East Gaza Falls
to Allied Forces within the week and
Jerusalem is captured by years end the
charge of the Australian ligh horse
Brigade is proven to Be an Effective
tactic in maneuver Warfare and is used
by the British a 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 core
return home regarded by the Allies as a
highly effective military force and one
which made a vital contribution to Alan
be’s Victory on the Palestine campaign
the battle honor for the capture of
beers Sheba is awarded to 14 Australian
lighthorse regiments and is emblazened
as Gaza BBA on regimental gons six
current armor units claiming lineage to
those aif units still display the Gaza
Bea battle Honor on their gons today

The Battle of Beersheba was fought on the 31st of October 1917 between the British Empire forces of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) and elements of the Ottoman Empire’s Yildirim Army Group.

Following the EEF’s advance out of the Sinai and failed attempts to seize Gaza, a plan is devised to capture the important town of Beersheba, thereby outflanking the Ottoman forces. At dawn on 31 October, EEF forces including the Australian Mounted Division and ANZAC Mounted Division, commenced the assault on Beersheba.

By the late afternoon, with initial objectives seized, the Australian and ANZAC Mounted Divisions were ordered to make a final assault and capture the town of Beersheba before night fell. Thus, the stage was set for the 4th Light Horse Brigade to make their daring cavalry charge, seizing victory for the EEF and ensuring their place in Australian military history forevermore.

This is the second video released in The Cove’s Australian Army Battle Honours Series. See the first video on Australia’s Gallipoli Campaign.

This video has been a collaboration between The Cove, the Australian Army History Unit, Ignition Immersive, Interserv, and Effective Animations.

Original post: https://cove.army.gov.au/article/australias-battle-of-beersheba
More on Australian Army Battle Honours Series: https://cove.army.gov.au/article/australian-army-battle-honours

About

The Cove is the Australian Army’s professional development platform. We provide access to professional resources and events and promote discussion within the profession of arms. Visit https://cove.army.gov.au

Socials
https://www.facebook.com/cove.army
https://www.instagram.com/cove_insta/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cove-army
Tweets by covetweet
https://www.youtube.com/@covearmy