"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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Jordan Valley 1918, The Battle of Abu Tellul, Palestine, 14 July 1918, Outline Topic: BatzJ - Abu Tellul
Jordan Valley 1918
The Battle of Abu Tellul, Palestine, 14 July 1918
Outline
Map highlighting the troop movements during The Battle of Abu Tellul, Palestine, 14 July 1918
[Click on map for enlarged version.]
Abu Tellul, a prominent hill on the west bank of the Jordan River in Palestine, was the scene of a strong attack upon Australian outposts on the night of 14 JuIy 1918. The height, and another called Musallabeh immediately north of it, formed a crucial bastion at the junction of the British defensive line running both west and south from here along the Jordan Valley Covering this important ground was a line of posts which were either dug or built up with stone sangars, and protected by curtains of barbed wire; these were situated 400-1,000 metres apart, and often separated by ravines. An attack was fully anticipated, and it was also recognised that when such an attempt was made the position might for a time be surrounded and isolated. The Australian light horsemen who held it - men of the 1st Brigade commanded by Brig. General Charles Cox - were, however, confident of their ability to hold out in such circumstances.
When the attack came at about 3.30 a.m., following a heavy artillery barrage, it was spearheaded by two battalions of the German Asia Corps (about 1,000 men) ahead of three Turkish regiments. Although one of the posts quickly became untenable and was abandoned under heavy pressure, elsewhere the Australians held firm and when ground was lost - as at Musallabeh for a time-made spirited counter-attacks. Sunrise revealed all the posts now isolated and under repeated assault by waves of enemy infantry, but with the defenders unwavering in their resistance. The position became critical once the Germans, having penetrated the outpost line, began climbing Abu Tellul's slopes. In savage fighting, which took place in temperatures already exceeding 38°C in the shade at 7 a.m., they succeeded in overwhelming one group of defenders, and reduced another to just three unwounded men.
The barren heights of Abu Tellul in the Jordan Valley.
At this juncture, however, Cox's reserve regiment counter-attacked with the bayonet, catching the Germans off balance and chasing them down into the valley between the two main ridge lines. Here the retreating enemy were caught in crossfire from the outposts they had bypassed and were effectively trapped. A similar bayonet charge at about 8 a.m. on a feature between the two heights met with equal success, and by 9 a.m. the enemy had been pushed back out beyond the outpost line and the situation restored.
The attack cost the enemy at least 105 dead and 45 wounded (these being found within the Australian-held ground), and as well 425 prisoners were taken; 358 of the latter were Germans. This was, in fact, the only time in which the Asia Corps was known to have carried the primary role in an attack, or - as the Official History puts it – the German infantry was used as 'stormtroops' in Palestine. As well, 41 machine-guns were taken from the enemy as a result of the action. Australian losses amounted to 31 killed and 46 wounded.
Germans captured at Abu Tellul marched through the Jordan Valley.
Extracted from the book produced by Chris Coulthard-Clark, Where Australians Fought - The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles, Allen and Unwin, Sydney, 1998, pp. 149-150.
Additional References cited by Chris Coulthard-Clark:
H.S. Gullett (1944) The Australian Imperial Force in Sinai and Palestine, Sydney: Angus & Robertson.
Jordan Valley 1918, Jordan Valley Maps, El Ghoraniye Bridgehead Topic: BatzJ - JV Maps
Jordan Valley 1918
Jordan Valley Maps
El Ghoraniye Bridgehead
Jordan Valley Map highlighting the region around the El Ghoraniye Bridgehead
[Click on map for enlarged version.]
The El Ghoraniye Bridgehead was seen as an important crossing point from Jerusalem to the west of the Jordan River over to the east into the hills of Moab. When the Allied forces arrived in the Jordan Valley at the end of 1917 to take full control of the region in early 1918, the problem of pursuing the war into Moab required excellent communications between the two sides of the river, a major natural barrier.
El Ghoraniye Bridgehead
[Click on map for enlarged version.]
El Ghoraniye Bridgehead, during 1918, was occupied by a strong British infantry force supplemented by Australian Light Horse and New Zealand Mounted Rifles. The above map gives a clear idea of the approaches to the El Ghoraniye Bridgehead.
Talaat ed Dumm
[Click on map for enlarged version.]
Talaat ed Dumm was the western entry point to the Jordan Valley. It was here that an Allied base was built to allow transit of troops going east and west.
Shunet Nimrin
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Shunet Nimrin was the access route to Amman through Moab on the eastern bank of the Jordan River.
Jordan Valley 1918, Jordan Valley Maps, Tel el Truny Topic: BatzJ - JV Maps
Jordan Valley 1918
Jordan Valley Maps
Tel el Truny
Tel el Truny
Tel el Truny, during June 1918, was an open area upon which both the Ottomans and Australians occupied depending upon the will to exert authority. No permenant outposts were established upon this mound but it was the site for many proxy contests between the combatants.
For example, the 9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary makes mention of a particular skirmish.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Hahn, Lieutenant HJ, with “A” Squadron patrol occupied Tel el Truny. By a quick movement to the right flank he surprised an enemy patrol of four who were proceeding to Wadi Auja ½ mile North West of Tel el Truny, capturing two Turks whilst the remaining two fled into the rough broken ground nearby where it was impossible to pursue. Hahn, Lieutenant HJ and his patrol showed just the right amount of dash and used sufficient caution not to become seriously involved with the enemy holding Tel el Rishem.
On 31 May 1918, Lieutenant RNL Hopkins of the 6th Light Horse Regiment draw a panorama of the area.
Panorama
[Click on map for enlarged version.]
The following map of the Jordan Valley illustrates the area around which the action took place from May to August 1918.
Jordan Valley Map highlighting the region around Tel el Truny
[Click on map for enlarged version.]
The reason for General Allenby allowing the fluid movement of lines in the Jordan Valley was to give the Ottoman Turks the impression that the break out attack would occur through the Jordan Valley to Amman as a repeat of the previous two failed attacks. By keeping up this pressure, the Ottoman planners were blindsided by the attack in the north where the breakthrough actually occurred. An attack was made in the Jordan Valley by a composite column known as Chaytor's Force which did penetrate to Amman in September 1918.
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