SOLUTION NO. Uo.U THE COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF SCHOOL CEtOUP PALESTINE CATJAIGIT. OPERATION;' of the AUATMLIAJT 7,'CUKl«Er DIVI3ICIT, :.'ept,18,19lC to t)o 1UJ> ProbUm No StriM. Captain Ko1)ort A,I.TcClxuro,Infantry. IN CASE OF REPLY TO BE RETURNED TO RECEPTACLE BY 9:00 A.M. 1028—C. & Q. S. Set., Fort I^avenworth—0-26-31—26M * VGIU W\o Director, <"d Yoar Claop^Cocwand and Conoral f'taff .'ohoolfT'ort Loayonv/orv. iir : V/crld V/cuM Talootino Ct'inraltjn* (KID^T 1«A "billiocTap}^ for tlda y ruipc,(on tliroo ohcoto), nhovdntf routoc and four oporatlonc* Y KffijISIEBl). — T3io operations of the Australian llotmtod Divioion from 19 r3optom"bor,1918 to tho J\jpmiotaoo'#' -1­ 1/Jinoo tho plwi of erjttj>&i{3i and tho military Geography of tho thoatro aro oovorGl in othor papers and,AD thin papor treats only vdth tho operations of tho .Vuotralian • ountod division,it in sufficient orientation to ztato that Allonby's plan v/as oarofully prepared,basod on intolli{;onoo data which provod to oc accurato* Unite woro assigned dofinito missions and objectives,tho taking of which vould acsuro tho dootruction of the h Seventh and Eighth /vrjuico. plan provided for: Direct pursuit ty Corps Cavalry, Tactical purmiit "by the 5t3i Australian Li^ht Horse Brigade of tho Australian rountod Division,attached temporarily to tho XXI Corps,to attack tho enemyTs flank and immediate rear* Strategic,(Parallel),pursuit "by the Desort lountecl Corps, (l)'# £hc bulk of the cavalry v/as assigned to tho strategic pursuit, Tho 4th and 5th Cavalry divisions being directed to reach vital points on the Turkish lines of communication far in rearfviiilo the Australian Lxmnted Division,(herinafter /JT)),agted from the rear against tho retreating Turkish columns* Spoed "being a primary essential,parallel roads v/ere \ised little rosistonco was to be expected. Australian Juountod Division, (AI*©), consisted of tho follov/ing xmits: 3d Australian Light Horse Brigade,(AHIB),vdth 0th,9th,10th Hogimont£ 4th " » " " " , » 4th, 11th, 12th " Tr 5th «« " » « f « Uth & 15th Regiments and an attached French Cavalry Detachment* XIX 33rigade Hoyal Horse /irtillory,v/itli A & B Batteries M C and llott1 Battery- 1 AI.3) Field r.'quodron Engineers* (3)-* Eacli brigade had three regiments of throo squadrons each. Che squadron (l)* (1-129 et socf;1 6-33S,334,336) (2)* (1-150, 2-150* 4-G92) * (3-6G7*) contained about 145 men|tho rogiuont about 470 monjtho brlgado about 2000 Monftha division about 8000 mon#(4)# »f3ljr tho 10t3\ Soptombor t' o AVJ") had boon oonoontratod in tho vioin^y of LUTC and south of .'JEH EH, in aocordanco with tho plans for tho prrsuit. Ti\o :3th Cavalry Hri£;ado,vdt> tho l?ronoh Cavalry ^otaohmont attached,hud Voon placed tomporarily undor tho ordorc of t?\o COth "^ivinion of tho 1 ::a corps inirin;; tho 19th,it did littlo but follow tho 4th Division,as plnnnod, moving early in tho morning a distanoo of 20 milos and bivouacin^ for the ni$\t on tho north bank of tl\e imm (V/ADI) ir^JTDEBUlTAV(6). On tlio 20th,tho division marched about 1:00 All toward IBJJU1T (1.IEOID35O) arriving there with little or no opposition about 3:30 R% At this place reports indicated that the enemy was retreating in large numbers from JEHIJIITt Ehis latter tovm v/as the exit of tho passes behind the Turkish lines and on the only railroad serving the Turkish main forcoo, in addition,it was an important rood center and the fbfcttleneck! of the routes of communication from OTL ICEHAi,I and 1TAI3LUC3 • (7) • Tho 3d ALIEBrigade had boon advanco gviard for the DivisiorfV V/ith ono battery »and less the 8th Regiment,it v/as ordered to advance rapidly to occupy JEHHIN and block the rQtreat of tho forces reported retreating to and throu^ii that place. It covered tlie olevon miles in about seventjy minutes,encountering little resistance and entered tho town shortly before sun3ot by a vigorous combined attack which succeeded in ovor­ coming and demoralizing the dofendorn. All exits from the tovm woro * blockcd#(8)# A lieutenant,with two machinogun3 and the necessary porconnol to handle them,wan sent to tho south of the tovm to block the (5)# (1-139fMO* .?-149» 3-528. 4-694* 7-3D#) (6). (2-155# 3-529) (7)# (1-139• 2-105, 3-529.) (8). (1-139• 2-156* 3-529,530. 4-705,706,707V 7-36,) -3­ uo. Vbout 9:00H ho mol a Ion;; column of troops approaching from the* uoutlw Point; vuraipportod aiv' not kno.inr just v/horo "\o rorcaindor of Me forco Y/an,tho L:loul;onantf1)y shoor "bluff fforoocl tl.o nurrendor of tie ontiro column, r<omov;horo ^ otv/oon two uvi tl-poo thousand non,vit!: rjiimalti, CMir, r.n-.-. imol'.ino{-'onfi|thi^v'i<l;h only maohino-#un firo directed over tie of ::oa,nv/liilcfti c 4t: ^ri^do^.^ich l\nd Voon detailed as oroort r.nd troncport r ^ii£irdfarrivod .'it IiEJJ^3: and \.nc ordered to t?o a-riotnncc of tJ o r>d 3?ri£~ r r ado# J)-urinr; t--.o nirfit itf wrl t3:o 8t)i vioeixnont,arrived at JKl7n:: . (i?lio 4t3i ]lcclr.iont : f till rcminod at LEJJTj]: ao catarcl ca\6 escort}• rJ3)O follov/ dac'f (21flt)fthe 14th Brigade of tho 5th Cavalry division arrived v.\ JEIHTIH and ar;;;ictod in clcoxin^ tlic position; f'omo 7000 to 8000 priConors v/oro dispatched to LEJJini under escort of tie 8th 7?ecir.:cnt# (-ho Mt?- j3ri{;oxle tl.-cn v;a^ v/it' drav/n,after order : ad icon restored* (10)# 'l\o nnxt ±o:: dr^'s v/crc one a of comparative inactivity for the division, !•• In t;:C :noa2iY<fliilofthc 5t]?. 7ri;v^.io j.r.A parsed to the rifjht of tr.c 7th Infantry 2;ivision,v/ith orders to get clear of t3io Infantry fif^it as soon as possible,with the idea of it f s operating against tho immediate rear of the cneii^". It arrived soon after noon on the plain v;ost of TUL I0©l/\J,I v/hcrc itf s attacks,in conjunction v/ith air attacks,caused considerable confusion an-' pemittod many prisoners to "be takon, 5Sic 60th infantry "Division was coning; up "oohind the cavalry, rro the capture of the town and the laoppin^; up v/cre left to it,thereby utilijsing tho mobility of the cavalry for more distant and speedy missions, 2ro :?t1\ :?-ri.:;ade novod to attack the flanks of the retreating forces and did so v:ith considerable r:uccoss# 'X 6:00 r::,ono authority states,the rrigado alone had secured fifteen £uns and £000 prisoners. Another author it:' ©stirr-tos t! o prisoners at 5000• (9). (3-D31t 4-707, 7-58. ) (10). (:>ir>7. 3-531,532* 4-709.) (!!)• (1-140. 4-G90 to 704.) -4­ rir.:0 nt: ::vi>;iv\o \/uci v:on ordoro.l to pusl> on r.».1 exit t3 o railv/ny "botv/oon ? 1 IWJJAJ;: :MI- JlJi::;i:F# -V: t?-.o l>ri:;ado \.uo vory coattoro3.fduo to it 2 r.otivity rfivin;; - c dayf it Y/ao nocrly morning of tho ."Oth ^oforo it coulu l>o aao­ omblot. and movo* 7/urinr.; the nomine it clt tho railroad jit anooriblod t fl.t a»l yrcparo'l to novo on :r/J3LU.'> oarly the next morning# It r.rrivod horof after :Jono minor opposition,and roooivod tlio formal D\irrondor of t?.io tcrvn. It thon aoDonl)?.cd jv.st rrout:. of 2T;j3LUo viioro i t rccoivod ordoro o rojoin tho AlIO at J&i:31L (l^)» On tho 2,?d it rojoined tho clivinion«(l3) D* fJP.\e 4th Brigade was ordorod to novc to tho capture of fXATJUHI. It did not march until the 24th.(14). OSio rciuiindor of tho division marched on EL AF .'23, arriving during the morning of the 23d and sending out reconnaissance tov/ard BEIfMlT.(l5) Q]"he 4th '/ri&ade narched early on tho .14th,reached BEIRUT after noon and JIfflR EL J.1JJJ\IHE that ni^it. fJ5io brigade was short tho 4th fiegimont and five troop3 of tho 12th,which wore on guard and escort detail. (G?ho over len£#honing linoe of comnrunication and the dispersion of the division made the gaoxd. kn<l escort details a matter of much concern). Knowing that SEMAJQI was guarded.tho Brigade Coirrmnder had to decide "between rapidity of accomplishing hi3 mission of the more conservative choice of awaiting the arrival of the remainder of his command,which he knov/ had "been ordered to join* Without waiting for these troops, the brigade pushed on,reaching just prior to dawn. Situated at the southern end of tlie Sea of GALILEE, (LAKE TlBERIAS),V>.AJ.IAJCH presented an open plain to the approaching Australians* Adopting the normal attack formation of fire pivot and nancuvcr force,tho Brigade Commander directed araoiinted che,r£;e prior to it.Sketch 37,attached,clearly illustrates tho schemo of maneuver* This attack was highly successful and reconnaissance was pushed toward which tho romaindcr of the division v/a3 inarching,via (12)* (1-140. 4-700-704), (13)* (1-140. 4-729.) (M)* (1-140* 3-524, 4-730.) (15). (1-139. 4-750#) (1-140* 3-542,543. 4-731,732,734.) -5­ Mio city of VHtEIlLV: wa« capturod aftor ahort opponition and tl.o div­ ioion conoontrr/tod in that vicinity.'17 )• Eho remainder of tho Corpo likov/i&o was concentrated near LIBERIA!,5 • f>.