"At a mile distant their thousand hooves were stuttering thunder, coming at a rate that frightened a man - they were an awe inspiring sight, galloping through the red haze - knee to knee and horse to horse - the dying sun glinting on bayonet points..." Trooper Ion Idriess
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Monday, 16 November 2009
The Jifjafa Raid, Sinai, April 10 to 14, 1916, New York Times Account, 16 April 1916 Topic: BatzS - Jifjafa
The Jifjafa Raid
Sinai, 10 - 14 April 1916
New York Times Account, 16 April 1916
New York Times Account, 16 April 1916
The Transcription:
LONDON, April 13.-The following official statement on the campaign in Egypt was issued by the British War Office tonight:
The Commander in Chief in Egypt, reports that on April 13 a successful reconnaissance was made by a column of Australian troops at Jifjaffa. The column moved out on the night of April 12-13 and reached Hill 1,082, three miles southwest of Jifjaffa, by 5:30 o'clock in the morning. The enemy's camp was attacked at 7 o'clock in the morning, and occupied after a brisk fight. The enemy's known casualties were six killed and five wounded. One Austrian Lieutenant of Engineers and forty-three Turks, of whom four were wounded, were made prisoner. Our only casualty was one non-commissioned officer killed. Only two unwounded mounted men of the enemy escaped. Our troops destroyed all water plants.
The Jifjafa Raid, Sinai, April 10 to 14, 1916, Times Account, 17 April 1916 Topic: BatzS - Jifjafa
The Jifjafa Raid
Sinai, 10 - 14 April 1916
Times Account
Times, 17 April 1916, p. 8.
The Transcription:
ENEMY CAMP IN EGYPT CAPTURED
AN AUSTRALIAN EXPLOIT.
ONLY TWO TURKS ESCAPE.
The Secretary of the War Office yesterday issued the, following for publication:
The General Officer Commanding-in-Chief in Egypt reports that on April 13 a successful reconnaissance was made by a 'column of Australian troops at Jifjaffa.
The column moved out on the night of April 12 - 13 and reached Hill 1,082, three miles west by south of Jifjaffa, by 5.30 a.m.
The enemy's camp was attacked at 7 a.m. and was occupied after a brisk fight,
The enemy's known casualties were six killed and five wounded, and one Austrian engineer Lieutenant and 33 Turks, of whom four were wounded, taken prisoners. Our only casualty was one non-commissioned officer killed. Only two unwounded mounted men of the enemy escaped. Our troops destroyed all well plant.
The Katia oasis has been occupied by our troops.
Though the Turks have never got beyond the Suez Canal, the fact remains that for more than a year they have been occupying Egyptian territory. The Sinai Peninsula, which lies between the canal and the Turco-Egyptian boundary, from Rafa and the Gulf of Akaba, has never been cleared of the enemy. Occasionally we have made short reconnaissances into the desert from the canal defences, and air raids over it.
The operations now narrated are the most considerable since the Turkish raid on the Canal in February last year.
There are three routes from Turkey to Egypt across the desert, all of which were used on that occasion. The most northern runs behind the Mediterranean sand-dunes from Rafa through El Arish, Katia, to Kantara. Our troops have occupied the Katia district, 30 miles east of the Canal, a very valuable acquisition owing to the fact that it has a good supply of water, in which the land is so deficient. The middle route runs from El Audja, believed to be the terminus of a railway from Beersheba, across the heart of the Peninsula, and reaches the Canal just south of Ismailia. This was the main line of the Turkish advance. Jifjaffa, which has been occupied by our troops, lies on it, and is about 60 miles east of the Canal. The third line of approach is from Akaba to Suez, and between the second and third line lies the post of El Hassana, recently bombed by our airmen.
The Battle of Ayun Kara, Palestine, 14 November 1917, Outline Topic: BatzP - Ayun Kara
The Battle of Ayun Kara
Palestine, 14 November 1918
Outline
Map outlining the action during the Battle of Ayun Kara.
The following account is extracted from H.S. Gullett (1944) The Australian Imperial Force in Sinai and Palestine, Sydney: Angus & Robertson, pp. 474 - 476.
As Cox's brigade entered Deiran, the New Zealanders on the left closed on Wadi Hanein, and further to the west advanced towards Richon. No opposition was met until Wadi Hanein was reached, but the 1st Light Horse Brigade reported columns of troops crossing their front towards the New Zealand sector. Soon after midday Meldrum's brigade advanced strongly, with the Canterbury Regiment on the right, the Wellingtons in the centre, and the Aucklands on the left, and soon located a stoutly-held enemy line running across the sand-hills. Machine-gun and rifle fire for a time obstructed the advance in the centre, but the Wellingtons, with a dashing bayonet attack, in which twenty Turks were killed and two machine-guns captured, drove through the resistance. The Aucklands on the left were then held up by a strong body of infantry, which was being rapidly reinforced, and the regiment came under fire from a battery towards Richon. At 2.30 the Turks opened heavy fire from all arms upon the Aucklands, and a quarter of an hour later a force of 1,500 advanced to the attack.
The New Zealanders, lying down in the open, shot rapidly and accurately; but they were few and scattered, and the Turks, favoured in their approach by cover from the little sand-hills, closed quickly and in overwhelming numbers on the Auckland position. Lieutenant-Colonel J. N. McCarroll,' the commanding officer, reported the situation serious and asked for reinforcements; but only one squadron of Wellingtons was available. For some time a hot duel was waged at close quarters by the rival machine-gunners, but at 4 o'clock the Turks, who were now very close to the New Zealanders, dashed forward with the bayonet and hand-grenades. McCarroll had all his men, including batmen and gallopers, in the firing line. The shouting enemy got within fifty yards of the riflemen; then the Aucklands, who had taken severe punishment with absolute steadiness, rose and met the Turks with the bayonet. The Turks had the numbers, but they were no match with the steel for the powerful young New Zealand farmers. As the two lines closed, the fighting was bloody, but brief; then the Turks broke and fled, leaving 162 dead and a large number of wounded on the ground. The New Zealanders had one officer and twenty other ranks killed, and nine officers and seventy-eight other ranks wounded.
This counter-attack was the last effort made by the enemy to save his Jaffa-Ramleh-Jerusalem communications. With the loss of Junction Station, in the east, the advance of the yeomanry in the centre, and the failure of his spasmodic assault near Richon, his whole line was in retreat by the evening of the 14th (November).
NZMR troopers and members of the local Jewish community attend the memorial service of the first anniversary of the Battle of Ayun Kara.
[Photograph taken by Trooper Charles Broomfield - permission given by the Cato family, Ohaupo and the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Association.]
The Battle of Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, 25 April 1915, Wellington Infantry Battalion War Diary Topic: BatzG - Anzac
The Battle of Anzac Cove
Gallipoli, 25 April 1915
Wellington Infantry Battalion War Diary
War Diary account of the Wellington Infantry Battalion.
The following is a transcription of the War Diary of the Wellington Infantry Battalion, of their role in the landings at Anzac on 25 April 1915.
25 April 1915
Battalion Headquarters (minus Machine Guns) Taranaki and Ruahini Companies disembarked and landed on the beach at Kabe Tepe. The disembarkation was complete at 6 pm from transport to torpedo destroyer and lighter and from those in life boats to the shore. The enemy were raining shells whilst the landing was being carried out. The only casualty was a slight wound on the neck by the Dai from a spent shrapnel bullet. Two men of Hawkes Bay and 2 men Taranaki not seriously. The boats were grounded and pinnaces connected to lighters grounded which the troops passed to the beach. Ruahini and Taranaki Companies, and Battalion Headquarters bivouacked in a gully for the night.
No.'s 9 and 10 Platoons Taranaki Company moved to right flank and took up a position with Australian troops under Colonel Pope. This half company had to dig themselves in with entrenching tools and remained fast until the night of the 26th. They were subject to enfilading fire and shells from the front. This Company arrived in position at midnight and were relieved at 2.30 am the 26th by Otago Battalion and returned to the beach and rested for a day and were then occupied in road making at the bottom of Walker's Ridge.
26 April
During the action of No.'s 9 and 10 Platoons Taranaki Company the following casualties occurred - killed 7, including Major McGlade; wounded 26. All ranks worked with determination and coolness. No. 10/273 Pte HE Hayson went out under enemy fire and retrieved boxes of ammunition that had become ignited by enemy fire and carried them up with ???? in this action he was killed.
No 10/747 Lance Corporal Looney left his position under heavy fire to attend and bandage a comrade. He was killed while doing so.
No 10/1116 Sergeant Major JH Boner showed great bravery all throughout by going out and bringing wounded to a place of cover. He undoubtedly saved the lives of a number of men.
One and a half companies entrenched themselves on Maclagan’s Ridge on the night of the 26th returning to Howitzer Gully at 9 am the 27th.
Battalion Headquarters remained in the gully north east of Corps Headquarters for the day.
Remainder of Taranaki company returned to beach during the night.
WWC Hawkes Bay and Machine Guns disembarked and joined the Battalion in the gully at about 6.30 pm.
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