Iii Palestine

Left to themselves, the Turkish commanders would now proba bly have retired to a fresh position while there was yet time.

But Falkenhayn, imbued with German principles of defence and ignorant of the qualities of the Turkish troops he led, ordered a counter-attack with all available reserves to the north of Beer sheba. This led to three days' heavy fighting against the British 53rd Division, which had been sent into the hills to guard the right flank of the loth Corps. The 53rd Division held its own; conse quently, when at dawn on Nov. 6 the remainder of the loth Corps (loth, 6oth and 74th Divisions) attacked and broke through at Abu Hureira, the Turks had no reserves to restore the situa tion. By nightfall Gaza was being evacuated and the whole Turk ish force was in full retreat.

The pursuit by Allenby's mounted troops was hampered by lack of water; and the Turkish rear-guards were well handled.

A gallant charge at Huj on Nov. 8 by some squadrons of Wor cestershire and Warwickshire Yeomanry captured three batteries of guns; but no large bodies of Turks were cut off; and the supply question limited the number of divisions which could be used in the pursuit.

On Nov. 11 the Turks took up a position to cover Junction Station, where the railway to Jerusalem branches off the main line. After a short pause to organize for attack, Allenby's pur suing troops attacked on Nov. 13 and soon dislodged their enemy, in an action remarkable mainly for a dashing charge by a brigade of yeomanry on a strongly held hill above the village of El Mughaiyir. On the following day Junction Station was captured; Jaffa was occupied on the i6th. The capture of Junction Station definitely divided the Turkish armies ; the 7th was left in the hills to defend Jerusalem, while the 8th was in the plain to the north of Jaffa; there was no good communication between the two armies south of the line Tul Karm-Nablus.

Before Jerusalem.

Allenby had originally intended to wait until the development of his communications allowed of his whole force being brought up before turning into the difficult hills towards Jerusalem. He now decided to oppose the Turkish 8th

Army with a detachment, while with the remainder of his force he turned east and advanced on Jerusalem at once. It was a bold decision, since he had only three infantry and two mounted divisions immediately available, and the supply of these strained the resources of his transport to the utmost ; the troops available had already done much hard marching and fighting; little was known of the hill country save that it was very difficult and that there was only one road fit for wheels. The Anzac Mounted Division and the 54th Division were left to hold the Turkish 8th Army in the plain, while the remaining three divisions advanced into the hills, the 75th up the main road, the 52nd on its left and the Yeomanry Mounted Division on the left of the 52nd. Both these two latter divisions were entirely dependent on pack trans port. The intention was to pivot on the 75th, when that division arrived within a certain distance of Jerusalem, and to swing the left across the Jerusalem–Nablus road north of the city. It was hoped thus to compel the surrender or withdrawal of the defend ing Turks and to avoid fighting in vicinity of the Holy City.

There was some hard fighting on Nov. 20 and 21 ; the 75th Division captured the crest of the ridge at Enab in a fog on Nov.

20

and on the 21st stormed the commanding hill of En Nabi Sam weil; the 52nd made similar progress; and the yeomanry were at one time within a short distance of the Nablus road. But the British effort had shot its bolt ; the men were suffering much from cold and wet, and the artillery support available was insuffi cient against strong prepared positions. The yeomanry were counter-attacked and driven back, and the 52nd and 75th could make no headway; by Nov. 24 it was evident that without fresh troops and a period of preparation Jerusalem could not be taken. The difficult passes through the hills had, however, been secured and the boldness of the advance justified.