The Capture of Jerusalem

CHAPTER CCXXVI. THE CAPTURE OF JERUSALEM. REVIEW OF PALESTINE OPERATIONS JULy-DECEMBER, 1917-GENERAL ALLENBY'S PLANS TURKS' DEFENSIVE PREPARATIONS- MINOR OPERATIONS-BRITISH OFFENSI~E OPENED-BoM BARDMENT OF GAZA-BEERSHEBA CAPTURED- STIFF FIGHTING ON THE HEBRON ROAD-OUTER DEFENCES OF GAZA CAPTURED-TURKISH CENTRE SMASHED AT SHERIA- GAZA EVACUATED BY THE ENEMy- TURKISH ARMY IN RETREAT-YEOMANRY CHARGE AT HUJ- THROUGH THE LAND OF THE PHILISTINES- BATTLE OF EL MUGHAR- TURKISH FORCES CUT IN ,+WO-YEOMANRY CHARGE AT ABU SHUSHEH-JOPPA CAPTURED-ADVANCE INTO JUDEAN HILLS- ENVER AND FALKENHAYN AT JERUSALEM-GERMANS LEAVE THE CITy-NEBI SAMWIL RIDGE WON-HEAVy'ENEMY COUNTER ATTACKS-THE VVELSH HORSE AT BETH HORON-BRITISH ADVANCE RESUMElD-HEBRON AND BETHLEHEM OCCUPIED-NoRTHERN DEFENCES OF JERUSALEM CAPTURED-FLIGHT OF THE TURKS TO JERICHO- SURRENDER OF THE HOLY CITy-GENERAL ALLENBY'S OFFICIAL ENTRy--FREEDOM FOR ALL FAITHS- TURCO-GERMAN ATTEMPTS TO DISCOUNT Loss OF JERUSALEM- GRATITUDE OF THE ARABS- EFFECT ON THE JEws-ATTITUDE OF THE VATICAN AND OF GERMAN CATHOLICS , ENERAL ALLENBY opened the between the second battle of Gaza and the open campaign which, in seven weeks, iug of General Allenby's offensive they had G resulted in the surrender of J eru constructed most formidable defences on the salem by an attack on Beersheba on Gaza-Beersheba front. Strategic railways were October 31, 1917. Since the failure of the built, the garrison of Southern Palestine was Egyptian Expeditionary Force to capture Gaza largely reinforced and provided with powerful in the spring of 1917 there had been little fight artillery; the air service waFl · enlarged and ing on the Palestine border, but on both sides rendered very efficient. In all these measures great preparations had been made for the the Turks had the active help of the Germans, coming contest. who were concerned for the p reservati~n of The military situation in the autumn of Up7 their own interests in the Near East. General in the outlying provinces of the Turkish Empire von Falkenhayn had been sent to Syria af> was not favourable to the Ottomans. They had mil'itary adviser of the Turks and from his lost Baghdad in March, 1917, and had since headq uarters he watched developments both suffered serious reverFles both on the Tigris and on the Mesopotamia and Palestine fronts. Euphrates; the Russian Army of the Caucasus, If the Turks succeeded in holding the British though inactive, still held Armenia, while the at Gaza and Beersheba, von Falkenhayn was forces of the Grand Sherif of Mecca, who had crecti ted with the intention of endeavouring to proclaimed his independence in the summer of recapture Baghdad. The Turks, however, 1916, had advanced to the south-eastern borders failed to hold their lines in Palestine. of Syria. In these circumstances the Turks Beersheba was captured the same day it was were compelled to defend Palestine to the attacked, and during the next. few days the utmost of their ability, and in the six months enemy line was crumpled up and the Turks Vol. XV.-Part 187. 145 146 THE TIJYIES HISTORY OF THE WAR. driven from their positions between Beersheba The Turkish Army, which ha c~ now recovered and the Mediterranean, Gaza itself being taken its moral, took up very strong position::; a ' few on November 7. The swiftness with which miles north and east of Jerusalem. The loss of General Allenby followed up these first successes Jerusalem, next to Mecca and Medina the most completely disorganized, for a time, the Turkish sacred of cities to Moslems, was a severe blow Army. The British made rapid progress across to Ottoman prestige, and a serious effort was the Plain of Philistia, seized the junction made to recapt'ure it. For this attempt the of the Jerusalem-Damascus railways, cut the Turks were reinforced by a considerable part enemy forces in two, and on November 17 of two German divisions. A determined occupied Jaffa (Joppa). The disorder into attack waa made on the British lines on which the Tm'ks had ' been thrown enabled December 27. It failed, an.d the British General Allenby's troops to penetrate the gorge~ in a counter-attack captured positior:.s which of the Judean Hills from the west with com- rendered Jerusalem secure against ' any Scale of Miles 15 VUU 'e ! SOUTHERN PALESTINE AND PHILISTIA. parative ease, and on November 21 the Nebi surprise attack. Meantime the forces of the Samwil ridge, five miles north-west of Jerusalem, King of the Hedjaz (the Sherif of Mecca) had was seized. Oh December 4 an advance was become increasingly active on the left flank of made from the south through the hill country, the Turks and by the beginning of February 1918 and Hebron was occupied on the 6th. There had established themselves in the neighbourhood had meantime been severe fighting in the N ebi of the Dead Sea. The capture of Jericho by Samwil district, but as the force from the south General Allenby on February 21 practically got nearer Jerusalem the troops at Kebi completed the conquest of Southern Palestine. Samwil advanced (December 8). The next morning the troops from the west gained General Allenby, when he took over the positions astride the road running north to command of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force Shechem, and those from the south reached from Sir Archibald Murray (June 28, 1917), had on the east the road to Jericho. The Turks instructions to report upon the conditions in had already fled, and J erusalem, thus isolated, which offensive operations might be undertaken was surrendered (December 9) by its mayor. in the autumn or winter. After visiting the Two days later General Allenby, on foot, front and consulting Sir Philip Chetwode, the made his formal entry into the city. commander of the Eastern Force he submitted THE TINIES HISTORY OF THE WAR. 147 . _ (H. W!liter F!!lY1tett, photograph. GENERAL SIR EDMUND ALLENBY, G.C.M.G., K.C.B., Commander-in-Chief Egyptian Expeditionary Fo"ce operating in Palestine. proposals in the second week of J ·uly. They situation and on the scheme which he put received the approval of the vVar Cabinet. His forward to me on my arrival in Egypt." And plan was to strike the main blow at the eastern to General Chetwode's "strategical foresight and end of the Turkish line and thus obtain an open tactical skill," added the Commander-in-Chief, flank against which to operate. General " the success of the campaign was largely due." Allenby put on record that this plan wad based Much had to be done before the plan was on G<Jneral Chetwode's "apprec i~ti0l?- _ of the ready to be executed; fortunately the period 187-2 148 THE TIMES HISTORY OF THE WAR. of preparation included the summer months, The decision not to make the main attack when the heat is so great in the Sinai-Palestine at the Gaza end of the line was fully justified borderlands that campaigning is usually avoided by the character of the Turkish defences. -though the Turks in 1916 had invaded Sinai Gaza had been made into "a strong modern in August, the very hottest season. For the fortress, heavily entrenched and wired, offering purposes of the offensive two striking forces every facility for protracted defence." Beyond were formed out of the troops of the Eastern the immediate environs of Gaza, following Force; one, which General Chetwode personally roughly the road to Beersheba, the Turks directpct, was to operate nt the eastern or had constructed a. series of works known as the Beersheba end of the Trout. The other, with Sihan group, the Atawina Ridge works, the _'''Iajor-General E. S. Bulfin, C.B., in loc3-l Baha group, and the Hareira-Sheria group. Gommand, W3,S on the western or Gaza side. By the end of October these works had been Major-General Sir H. Chauvel commanded the joined up, and formed a practically continuous' mounted troops, composed of Yeomanry, ' line fr0m the Mediterranean to a point south Australian Light Horse, N~w Zealand Mounted of Sheria. Then, after a gap of some 4-! miles, Rifles, and Indian cavalry. The infantry were the defences covering Beersheba. Beyond divisions chiefly employed were the 5:lrd Beersheba was a considerable desert area where· (Welsh), which was with Chetwode, and the the Turks had no troops. The forces they 5'4th (Lowland), with Bulfin. The Imperial had still farther west, to the south of the Dead Camel Corps was with the Beersheba force. Sea and along the line of the Hedjaz railway, Major-General L. J. Bols, C.B., D.S.O., WB,S' took no part in the campaign; they had enough Chief of Staff to General Allenby and performed to do to meet the attacks of the Hedjaz Arabs. "brilliant work." * Including the gap between Sheria and Beer sheba the Turkish front was about 30 miles * Other officers whom General Allenby specially mentioned were Major-General J. Adye, Deputy Adjutant long. The enemy's communications were good General, Major-General Sir WaIter Campbell, Deputy and any' threatened point of his line could be Quartermaster-General, and Brevet Lieut.-Colonel G. P. easily reinforced. Beersheba was connected Dawnay, Brig.-General, General Staff. Chetwode, Bulfin andChauvel all held the temporary rank of Lieut.-General. by raiJway with Sheria and the north, and GAZA: A STRONG TRENCH WELL PROTECTED WITH CACTUS. THE TIMES HISTORY. OF THE WAR. 149 ·CAMEL AND CATERPILLAR IN THE DESERT. another railway crossing the Plain of Philistia The difficulties to be overcome to maintain came to Beit Hanun, only five miles north of the Expeditionary Force in the desert were Gaza.

Load more