The Desert Mounted Corps

the 13th the attack on t

large area of country to be covered, the 2nd A.L.H. Brigade, now Corps Reserve, was stationed at Khurbet Jeladiyeh. The 7th Mounted Brigade relieved the 5th, the horses of which were exhausted. The 2nd and 7th Brigades had only been withdrawn from the line late on the evening of the 11th, and had thus had but one day's complete rest. One of the chief difficulties of the Corps Command

lage common. Partly, no doubt, for purposes of defence, and partly to avoid wasting the fertile plain land, most of the villages are built on the tops of the hills, where the rock, outcropping over large areas, renders the land unsuitable for cultivation. Many of these villages are surrounded by trees and small enclosed gardens, and some are encircled by stout mud walls. All

rapid advance, unless they were definitely known to be strongly held by the enemy. If there proved to be few Turks in the village, or none at all, these troops would signal back to their regiment or brigade to advance. If, however, the village proved to be strong

g

k of the villages of Zernuka and Kubeibe, on which rested the extreme right flank of the enemy's line. The Turks were found in f

rnuka and El Mughar, and seize the village of Akir, behind the enemy's line. Intense machine-gun fire from Zernuka, h

i to El Mughar the ground sloped gently upwards, devoid of any cover, and traversed by no depression capable of concealing troops. The infantry extended along the wadi, and attempted to advance up the slope towards El Mughar, but were checked by a tremendous fire from machine guns and riflemen concealed in the gardens of

g

ch was now extended from Yebnah to El Gheyadah, abo

d had sent officers' patrols forward to reconnoitre a line of approach. The reports of these patrols confirmed the General's own impression that the enemy position could only be reached by a mounted charge. The country west of El Mughar was just as bare and open as that to the south, over which our infantry had found them

sition, and the Bucks on a portion of the ridge to the right of the Dorsets' objective, and immediately north of the village itself. The Berks Yeomanry was held in reserve, west of the wadi and near the south end of Yebnah. The Berks Battery R

a

rating the act

he ridge to the north of it. The machine gunners, taking advantage of some broken ground south-east of Yebnah, got into

two regiments scrambled up the steep sides of the Wadi Jamus into the open, and trotted forward over the plain in extended order, the squadrons of each

emy had in action was turned on the advancing lines of cavalry, while the Berks Battery and the 6th B

position, when they shook out into a fast canter, and swung up the rocky slope at the Turks

e before they could pull up. Ere the enemy troops had time to rally, the second and third squadrons dashed into them, completing the rout. In a few m

ft in the charge by the time the cavalry met the enemy, but the long swords do not need much pace behind them to do their work properly, and the issue of the fight was never in doubt. Before the dismounted squadron had gained the summit of the rid

with machine guns, inflicting some loss, and interfering with the work. Two squadrons of the Berks were sent up at a

ad accompanied each regiment in the[Pg 84] charge. In addition to those taken in Mughar village, 1100 prisoners fell into our hands, with three guns and a larg

horses killed and wounded, not an unduly heavy bill when compared to t

l nightfall by unexpectedly strong enemy opposition. The Brigade rounded up seventy prisoners and a few mac

d a point on the Deir Sineid line about two miles west of Junction Station in the evening. The Turks attacked in co

llage of El Jeladiyeh, three miles east of El Suafir el Sharkiye, got into touch by helio with the 53rd Division twenty miles away to the east, and exchanged news. This was the first and last communication between the two part

t enough to see, our line was on

private looting on their own account. The commander of the leading car summoned these men to surrender, and was answered by a scattering volley from their rifles. Whereupon he shut the armoured doors of his car, and

tly afterwards, and collected 100 prisoners, a

in the morning, where large quantities of ammunition and stores were found intact. Continuing their move, units of the division p

e two brigades which occupied the latter place were heavily shelled by the enemy from

thwards over the plain, followed by the Anzac Division. The 1st A.L.H. and New Zealand Brigades made good Kubeibe and Zernuka early in the morning, and then advanced on Ramleh and Khurbet Surafend respectively, with the Camel Corps Brigade patrolling the sand dune country on their left. The New Zealanders encountered a force of Turks on the high hill of Ayun Kara (Richon-le-Zion) about two in the afternoon, and drove them off without much difficulty. Half an hour later the Turks emerged from the shelter of the large fruit orchards and vineyards which

e a short distance farther south. The Yeomanry Division remained in occupation of Akir and Naane, watching the northern exits from the latter place, with the 52nd Division lying behind it about El Mughar.

a

ng the Situation o

out having yet succeeded in bringing the enemy to action. Favoured by the hard ground on the plain, and assisted to some extent by the railway along which they were retreating, the Turks made the best use of the nights during this period, and never stopped till they had put the wide and deep channel of the river Auja between themselves and

ron. Here the[Pg 89] valley opens out into the Vale of Ajalon, which slopes gently down to the level of the coastal plain. Running north and south across the western end of the Vale, a bold ridge stands up sharply from the plain,

s main body up the Jerusalem road. The Yeomanry Division was ordered to dislodge this rearguard, and

of Turks with machine guns was stationed some distance farther south, evidently in order to outflank any attack on the village from the west. The country on that side of the position was of an undulating nature, and afforded some cover to troops advancing over it. The rid

view of the open nature of the country on the west side of the ridge, and the distance to be covered, General Godwin, who had been reconnoitring the position with his regimental commanders since dawn, decided to repeat his tactics of the 13th. Had he been able to obta

as possible, from which to engage the enemy machine guns on the ridge. The Berks Battery R.H.A., from a position some 3500 yards south-west of the village, assisted in this task. The Bucks Yeomanry were ordered to charge the enemy at Abu Shusheh, while the

re. As they neared the position, the Yeomanry came under severe enfilade fire from the group of enemy machine guns on the southern[Pg 91] portion of the ridge. Leading his regiment at a gallop into the shelter of some dead ground, Colonel Cripps halt

sh machine gunners, and the Bucks Yeomanry, taking advantage of

thed, and reached the foot of the ridge. Then, catching their horses short by the head, they put them at the slope.

t the same moment, and completed the work. Once our cava

enemy ranks to charge the machine guns farther south. The charge got

oops. The Berks Battery, however, was on the watch, and at once opened a rapid and accurate fire on these Turks, driving them back with heavy losses, and breaking up the counter-[Pg 92]attack. By nine o'clock the whole of this

ble result must be given to the Turks themselves, whose shooting during the attack was exceedingly bad, and appeared to be completely out of control. It is probable that among the garrison were many who had spoken with survivors from El Mughar, and we may be sure

but the majority of the Turks escaped over the rocky, inaccessible country to