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The Battle of Arara took place on 19 September 1918 during the
Battle of Sharon The Battle of Sharon fought between 19 and 25 September 1918, began the set piece Battle of Megiddo half a day before the Battle of Nablus, in which large formations engaged and responded to movements by the opposition, according to pre-existi ...
, which along with the Battle of Nablus formed the set piece Battle of Megiddo fought between 19 and 25 September in the last months of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. During the infantry phase of the Battle of Sharon the
British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
60th Division, XXI Corps attacked and captured the section of the front line nearest the
Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
coast under cover of an intense artillery barrage including a
creeping barrage In military usage, a barrage is massed sustained artillery fire (shelling) aimed at a series of points along a line. In addition to attacking any enemy in the kill zone, a barrage intends to suppress enemy movements and deny access across tha ...
and naval gunfire while the 3rd (Lahore), 7th (Meerut) and 75th Divisions XXI Corps attacked the Tabsor group of trenches. These
Egyptian Expeditionary Force The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was a British Empire military formation, formed on 10 March 1916 under the command of General Archibald Murray from the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and the Force in Egypt (1914–15), at the beginning of ...
(EEF) victories over the entrenched Ottoman Eighth Army, composed of
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
and Ottoman soldiers, began the Final Offensive, ultimately resulting in the destruction of the equivalent of one
Ottoman army The military of the Ottoman Empire ( tr, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu'nun silahlı kuvvetleri) was the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire. Army The military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the ...
, the retreat of what remained of two others, and the capture of many thousands of prisoners and many miles of territory from the Judean Hills to the border of modern-day
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
. After the end of the battle of Megiddo, the
Desert Mounted Corps The Desert Mounted Corps was an army corps of the British Army during the First World War, of three mounted divisions renamed in August 1917 by General Edmund Allenby, from Desert Column. These divisions which served in the Sinai and Palestine ...
pursued the retreating soldiers to
Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...
, six days later. By the time an
Armistice of Mudros Concluded on 30 October 1918 and taking effect at noon the next day, the Armistice of Mudros ( tr, Mondros Mütarekesi) ended hostilities in the Middle Eastern theatre between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies of World War I. It was signed by th ...
was signed between the
Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
and the Ottoman Empire five weeks later,
Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...
had been captured. During the Battle of Arara the
Yildirim Army Group The Yildirim Army Group or Thunderbolt Army Group of the Ottoman Empire ( Turkish: ''Yıldırım Ordular Grubu'') or Army Group F (German: ''Heeresgruppe F'') was an Army Group of the Ottoman Army during World War I. While being an Ottoman unit, ...
of the
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
and
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
s was attacked by the
54th (East Anglian) Division The 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army. The division was raised in 1908 following the creation of the Territorial Force (TF) as the East Anglian Division. During the First World War the division fo ...
and the Détachement Français de Palestine et de Syrie (DFPS) which included the
French Armenian Legion The Armenian Legion (french: Légion arménienne) was a volunteer unit that was raised by the Allied Powers to serve in the Middle East Theatre during World War I. Trained and led by French army commanders, the Légion d'Orient (The Eastern Le ...
also known as La Légion Arménienne (XXI Corps). This battle on the extreme right of the main attack covered the flank of the attackers pivoting on their positions. The Armenian's' role during this battle was so prominent that their efforts were recognized by the top commanders of the Allied Force.


Background

In September 1918, on the Palestinian front, the Ottoman army was crumbling before the
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
expeditionary forces in the Middle East, which contained an Armenian contingent commanded by a French colonel and French officers, as well as
Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
n officers. Many of the Armenians were survivors from
Musa Dagh Musa Dagh ( tr, Musa Dağı; hy, Մուսա լեռ, ; ar, جبل موسى ; meaning "Moses Mountain") is a mountain in the Hatay province of Turkey. In 1915, it was the location of a successful Armenians, Armenian resistance to the Armenian g ...
, where Armenians had resisted against Turkish massacres during the
Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was ...
. The legion had landed at
Jaffa Jaffa, in Hebrew Yafo ( he, יָפוֹ, ) and in Arabic Yafa ( ar, يَافَا) and also called Japho or Joppa, the southern and oldest part of Tel Aviv-Yafo, is an ancient port city in Israel. Jaffa is known for its association with the b ...
in the middle of September and was prepared to take part in the final British offensive to evict the Ottomans from Palestine.


Prelude


Deployment of 54th Division and DFPS

The
54th (East Anglian) Division The 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army. The division was raised in 1908 following the creation of the Territorial Force (TF) as the East Anglian Division. During the First World War the division fo ...
, consisted of the 161st, 162nd and 163rd Brigades of the British Army. Alongside them were most of the Détachement Français de Palestine et de Syrie (DFPS) commanded by Colonel Gilles de Philpin de Piépape. Whilst its mounted troops served elsewhere in the
5th Light Horse Brigade The 5th Light Horse Brigade was a mounted infantry brigade of the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF) that served during World War I. The brigade was initially formed as a part-time militia formation in the early 1900s in Queensland. During Wor ...
, the rest of the organisation served alongside the 54th. Under cover of a British barrage, the 54th (East Anglian) Division on a frontage between
Mejdel Yaba Majdal Yaba ( ar, مجدل يابا) was a Palestinian people, Palestinian Arab village in the Ramle Subdistrict, Mandatory Palestine, Ramle Subdistrict, located northeast of Ramla and east of Jaffa. A walled city stood at the same site as early ...
and Rafat, with the ''Détachement Français de Palestine et de Syrie'' (DFPS) on the right, the 163rd Brigade in the centre and the 161st Brigade on the right pivoting on the Rafat salient, were to advance through Crown Hill north east of
Kufr Qasim Kafr Qasim ( ar, كفر قاسم, he, כַּפְר קָאסִם), also spelled as Kafr Qassem, Kufur Kassem, Kfar Kassem and Kafar Kassem, is a hill-top city in Israel with an Arab population. It is located about east of Tel Aviv, on the Israe ...
. While the 162nd Brigade on the left would move eastwards on Bidya and capture the crossings of the Wadi Qana south of Kh. Kefir Thilth towards Kefr Kasim before advancing north east. p. 473 p. 205


Deployment of Asia Corps

The 16th Division, one of the four front–line Ottoman divisions of the Eighth Army, consisted of the 47th and the 48th Infantry Regiments with the 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry and part of the 48th Regiment's machine–gun company, with the divisional assault, engineer, and cavalry companies in reserve. This division held the front line during the night of 18/19 September, expecting an attack from part of the 54th (East Anglian) Division and the DFPS. p. 149


Battle

The 19th Division (von Oppen Group) was attacked by the British 54th (East Anglian) Division which pushed forward as the pivot for the infantry advance across the coastal
plain of Sharon The Sharon plain ( ''HaSharon Arabic: سهل شارون Sahel Sharon'') is the central section of the Israeli coastal plain. The plain lies between the Mediterranean Sea to the west and the Samarian Hills, to the east. It stretches from Nahal ...
. The 19th Division (Asia Corps) was shelled heavily and subjected to infantry assaults which resulted in both of von Oppen's divisions; the 19th and 16th Divisions retreating intact. German General
Otto Liman von Sanders Otto Viktor Karl Liman von Sanders (; 17 February 1855 – 22 August 1929) was an Imperial German Army general who served as a military adviser to the Ottoman Army during the First World War. In 1918 he commanded an Ottoman army during the Sin ...
commander of the
Yildirim Army Group The Yildirim Army Group or Thunderbolt Army Group of the Ottoman Empire ( Turkish: ''Yıldırım Ordular Grubu'') or Army Group F (German: ''Heeresgruppe F'') was an Army Group of the Ottoman Army during World War I. While being an Ottoman unit, ...
at
Nazareth Nazareth ( ; ar, النَّاصِرَة, ''an-Nāṣira''; he, נָצְרַת, ''Nāṣəraṯ''; arc, ܢܨܪܬ, ''Naṣrath'') is the largest city in the Northern District of Israel. Nazareth is known as "the Arab capital of Israel". In ...
, despatched a battalion of the 125th Regiment to the north of 'Azzun Ibn 'Atme shortly after heaving about the breakthrough. In the afternoon, German Colonel
Gustav von Oppen Gustav, Gustaf or Gustave may refer to: * Gustav (name), a male given name of Old Swedish origin Art, entertainment, and media * ''Primeval'' (film), a 2007 American horror film * ''Gustav'' (film series), a Hungarian series of animated short car ...
commander of the
Asia Corps The Asia Corps (German: ''Asien-Korps'' or ''Levantekorps'') was a detachment of the German Army, sent to assist the Ottoman Army during World War I. Pasha I The first German troops despatched to assist the Ottoman Army in 1914 and 1915 were P ...
despatched a German lieutenant with clerks, orderlies and transport men with some machine guns to Kh. Kefar Thilth to rally the retreating 19th Division which had been near
Jaljulye Jaljulia ( ar, جلجولية, he, גַ׳לְג׳וּלְיָה), officially also spelled Jaljulye, is an Arab town in Israel near Kfar Saba. In it had a population of . History In Roman times the village was known as ''Galgulis'', while duri ...
. p. 495 The 162nd Brigade, 54th (East Anglian) Division, less the 11th Battalion London Regiment escorting divisional artillery, covered the gap between the division's left and the
right Rights are law, legal, social, or ethics, ethical principles of Liberty, freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people according to some legal system, social convent ...
of the
3rd (Lahore) Division The 3rd (Lahore) Division was an infantry division of the British Indian Army, first organised in 1852. It saw service during World War I as part of the Indian Corps in France before being moved to the Middle East where it fought against troops ...
at Ras el Ain, where they were heavily shelled south west of
Kufr Qasim Kafr Qasim ( ar, كفر قاسم, he, כַּפְר קָאסִם), also spelled as Kafr Qassem, Kufur Kassem, Kfar Kassem and Kafar Kassem, is a hill-top city in Israel with an Arab population. It is located about east of Tel Aviv, on the Israe ...
by long range guns. On hearing of the capture of Kufr Qasim at 09:30 they began an advance between Sivri Wood and Crown Hill but was directed to support the 161st Brigade attack at Sivri Wood which was captured. Subsequently, three battalions advanced steadily eastwards to the Wadi Qana where three howitzers were captured. Later in the day Azzun Ibn Atme was captured and during the early morning Kh es Sumra was reached. The advance of the 161st Brigade on Kufr Qasim was checked but eventually they managed to captured it by 07:00 along with Jevis Tepe to the west. The 6th and 7th Battalions,
Essex Regiment The Essex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958. The regiment served in many conflicts such as the Second Boer War and both World War I and World War II, serving with distinction in all three. ...
then moved up to attack the next line of trenches with their right near Crown Hill, where they encountered obstinate resistance but after another bombardment the whole position was occupied. The 163rd Brigade advanced towards the front line trenches and at 04:20 just as the 4th and 5th Battalions,
Norfolk Regiment The Royal Norfolk Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army until 1959. Its predecessor regiment was raised in 1685 as Henry Cornwall's Regiment of Foot. In 1751, it was numbered like most other British Army regiments and named ...
reached these, the British barrage lifted and began to move forward. Their first objective was taken so quickly they had to wait for the barrage's next lift then the 5th Battalion,
Suffolk Regiment The Suffolk Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army with a history dating back to 1685. It saw service for three centuries, participating in many wars and conflicts, including the First and Second World Wars, before bein ...
captured a position north of the Wadi el 'Ayun. A very strong Ottoman counter-attack north of this wadi became critical until units in the Détachement Français de Palestine et de Syrie (DFPS) appeared on Scurry Hill and opened fire on the Ottoman attackers who were forced to surrender. By 14:00 it was found that Ottoman defences to the north had been captured and a move towards
Mesha King Mesha ( Moabite: 𐤌𐤔𐤏 *''Māšaʿ''; Hebrew: מֵישַׁע ''Mēšaʿ'') was a king of Moab in the 9th century BC, known most famously for having the Mesha Stele inscribed and erected at Dibon. In this inscription he calls himself ...
,
Bidya Biddya ( ar, بديا) is a Palestinians, Palestinian city in the Salfit Governorate, located 32 kilometers southwest of Nablus and half that distance from Salfit in the northern West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics ...
and Kh. Sirisia began. This fighting continued on into the night and by 03:00 20 September Mesha had been occupied and Bidya entered. On the right of the 54th (East Anglian) Division's 163rd Brigade, the DFPS fought against the German Pasha 11 Group which held a ridge opposite the Rafat salient captured and held by the British since April 1918. p. 247 pp. 224–5 Here, the DFPS attacked the col west of Rafat and the sites known as Three Bushes and Scurry Hills; these last two being quickly captured at 05:10 and 05:45 respectively. Although Kh. Deir el Qassis east of Scurry Hill was occupied soon after it had to be abandoned due to heavy artillery beyond the reach of the French artillery. During the night of 19 September the DFPS occupied Arara north east of Rafat having captured almost all their objectives and 212 prisoners. The DFPS and the 54th (East Anglian) Division eventually captured their objectives and established a secure pivot on the ridge for the XXI Corps' line of attack which stretched across five divisions to the Mediterranean Sea. In the process they captured about 700 prisoners, nine guns and 20 machine guns suffering 535 casualties.


Aftermath

The Seventh Army, commanded by Mustafa Kemal Pasa, reported it had repelled virtually all attacks on its front but was about to withdraw to its second line of defences between
Kefar Haris Kifl Haris ( ar, كفل حارس) is a Palestinian village in the northern West Bank, located six kilometers west of Salfit and 18 kilometers south of Nablus in the Salfit Governorate, northwest of the Israeli settlement city Ariel. History She ...
and
Iskaka Iskaka ( ar, إسكاكا) is a Palestinian town located in the Salfit Governorate of the State of Palestine, in the northern West Bank, 27 kilometers southwest of Nablus. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, it had a populati ...
, to conform with Oppen's retirement. Liman ordered the 110th Regiment at Nablus and any other troops the commander of the Seventh Army could spare to defend the Tul Karm to
Nablus Nablus ( ; ar, نابلس, Nābulus ; he, שכם, Šəḵem, ISO 259-3: ; Samaritan Hebrew: , romanized: ; el, Νεάπολις, Νeápolis) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank, located approximately north of Jerusalem, with a populati ...
road at 'Anebta, at 12:30 ordering the occupation of the mouth of the Musmus Pass at El Lajjun by six companies and 12 machine guns. At the end of the day, the front of the British Empire's XXI Corps ran just west of the 54th Division at Bidya, Kh. Kefar Thilth and
Azzun Azzun (also spelled Azzoun) (, from the root word عز ''′izz'' which means honor or esteem) is a Palestinian town in Qalqilya Governorate in the northern West Bank, located 9 kilometers east of Qalqilya and 24 kilometers south of Tulkarm. Accord ...
through
Jiyus Jayyus ( ar, جيوس) is a Palestinian territories, Palestinian village near the west border of the West Bank, close to Qalqilya. It is a farming community. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the village had a population of ...
west of the 3rd (Lahore) Division at Felamiye through
7th (Meerut) Division The 7th (Meerut) Division was an infantry division of the British Indian Army that saw active service during World War I. Pre-1857 The Meerut Division first appeared in the Indian Army List in 1829, under the command of Sir Jasper Nicolls, ...
at Et Taiyibe, Irta and
60th (2/2nd London) Division The 60th (2/2nd London) Division was an infantry division of the British Army raised during the First World War. It was the second line-formation of the 47th (1/2nd London) Division, and was the second of two such Territorial Force divisions for ...
at Tul Karm; the heads of the corps' columns describing a virtual straight line from the DFPS at Rafat to Tul Karm.


Commendation

General
Edmund Allenby Field Marshal Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby, (23 April 1861 – 14 May 1936) was a senior British Army officer and Imperial Governor. He fought in the Second Boer War and also in the First World War, in which he led th ...
commended Armenian forces in his official dispatch to the Allied High Command, "On the right flank, on the coastal hills, the units of the Armenian Legion d'Orient fought with great valour. Despite the difficulty of the terrain and the strength of the enemy defensive lines, at an early hour, they took the hill of Dir el Kassis." Allenby remarked, "I am proud to have had an Armenian contingent under my command. They have fought very brilliantly and have played a great part in the victory."Kerr, Stanley E. (1973) ''The Lions of Marash: Personal Experiences with American Near East Relief, 1919–1922.'' New York: State University of New York Press. p. 31 . A monument for the Armenian troops killed during the battle was moved from its original location on the battlefield to
Mount Zion Mount Zion ( he, הַר צִיּוֹן, ''Har Ṣīyyōn''; ar, جبل صهيون, ''Jabal Sahyoun'') is a hill in Jerusalem, located just outside the walls of the Old City (Jerusalem), Old City. The term Mount Zion has been used in the Hebrew ...
in October 1925.


Notes


Further reading

* Boyajian, Dickran H. ''Հայկական լեգեոնը'' (Haykakan legyonĕ, ''The Armenian Legion''). New York:
AGBU The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU, Eastern Armenian: Հայկական Բարեգործական Ընդհանուր Միություն, ՀԲԸՄ, ''Haykakan Baregortsakan Endhanur Miutyun'', or hyw, Հայ Բարեգործական Ընդ ...
Publishing Press, 1965. {{DEFAULTSORT:Arara, Battle Of (1918) Conflicts in 1918 1918 in British-administered Palestine Battles involving Armenia Battles of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign Battles of World War I involving Australia Battles of World War I involving New Zealand Battles of World War I involving the United Kingdom Battles of World War I involving the Ottoman Empire 1918 in Armenia Battles of World War I involving France Battles of World War I involving British India Battles of World War I involving Germany Aerial operations and battles of World War I History of the Royal Air Force during World War I September 1918 events