The Charge at Kaukab took place on 30 September 1918 about south of
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 =
, ...
during the pursuit by
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 ...
following the decisive
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 ...
victory at the
Battle of Megiddo and the
Battle of Jisr Benat Yakub
The Battle of Jisr Benat Yakub was fought on 27 September 1918 at the beginning of the pursuit by the Desert Mounted Corps of the retreating remnants of the Yildirim Army Group towards Damascus during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of World ...
during the
Sinai and Palestine Campaign of
World War I
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 ...
. As the
Australian Mounted Division
The Australian Mounted Division originally formed as the Imperial Mounted Division in January 1917, was a mounted infantry, light horse and yeomanry division. The division was formed in Egypt, and along with the Anzac Mounted Division formed pa ...
rode along the main road north, which connects the
Galilee
Galilee (; he, הַגָּלִיל, hagGālīl; ar, الجليل, al-jalīl) is a region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Galilee traditionally refers to the mountainous part, divided into Upper Galilee (, ; , ) and Lower Galil ...
with
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 =
, ...
via
Quneitra
, ''Qunayṭrawi'' or ''Qunayṭirawi''
, population_density_metro_sq_mi =
, population_urban =
, population_density_urban_km2 =
, population_density_urban_sq_mi =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_bla ...
, units of the division charged a Turkish rearguard position located across the main road on the ridge at
Kaukab.
Following the victories at 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 ...
and
Battle of Nablus during the Battle of Megiddo, remnants of the
Ottoman Seventh
Seventh is the ordinal form of the number seven.
Seventh may refer to:
* Seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution
* A fraction (mathematics), , equal to one of seven equal parts
Film and television
*"The Seventh", a second-season e ...
and
Eighth Armies retreated in columns towards
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 =
, ...
from the
Judean Hills
The Judaean Mountains, or Judaean Hills ( he, הרי יהודה, translit=Harei Yehuda) or the Hebron Mountains ( ar, تلال الخليل, translit=Tilal al-Khalīl, links=, lit=Hebron Mountains), is a mountain range in Palestine and Israel whe ...
. They left rearguards at
Samakh, at
Tiberias
Tiberias ( ; he, טְבֶרְיָה, ; ar, طبريا, Ṭabariyyā) is an Israeli city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. A major Jewish center during Late Antiquity, it has been considered since the 16th century one of Judaism's Fo ...
and at
Jisr Benat Yakub, all of which were captured by the Australian Mounted Division. Remnants of the
Fourth Army retreating in columns towards Damascus along the Pilgrims' Road through
Deraa
Daraa ( ar, دَرْعَا, Darʿā, Levantine Arabic: , also Darʿā, Dara’a, Deraa, Dera'a, Dera, Derʿā and Edrei; means "''fortress''", compare Dura-Europos) is a city in southwestern Syria, located about north of the border with Jordan ...
, were pursued by the
4th Cavalry Division, which attacked a rearguard at
Irbid
Irbid ( ar, إِربِد), known in ancient times as Arabella or Arbela (Άρβηλα in Ancient Greek language, Ancient Greek), is the capital and largest city of the Irbid Governorate. It also has the second largest metropolitan population in ...
.
German and Ottoman remnants of the Seventh and Eighth Armies which had formed the defeated garrisons of Samakh and Tiberias, after being pushed back again from their next defensive positions at Jisr Benat Yakub, joined part of the defenders of Damascus and entrenched themselves at Kaukab on the high ground on both sides of the main road coming from Jerusalem to Damascus via
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 ...
and Quneitra. Here the
4th and
12th Light Horse Regiments charged up and onto the ridge capturing part of the rearguard, while the remainder withdrew in disorder as 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 ...
on the western side outflanked their positions.
Background
The pursuit to Damascus began on 26 September when the
4th Cavalry Division advanced east via
Irbid
Irbid ( ar, إِربِد), known in ancient times as Arabella or Arbela (Άρβηλα in Ancient Greek language, Ancient Greek), is the capital and largest city of the Irbid Governorate. It also has the second largest metropolitan population in ...
to Deraa which was captured by
Feisal's Sherifial Forces on 27 September. Their pursuit continued with the cavalry's right flank covered by Sherifial forces, north to Damascus away. The
Australian Mounted Division
The Australian Mounted Division originally formed as the Imperial Mounted Division in January 1917, was a mounted infantry, light horse and yeomanry division. The division was formed in Egypt, and along with the Anzac Mounted Division formed pa ...
with the
5th Cavalry Division in reserve, began their pursuit to Damascus on 27 September around the northern end of the
Sea of Galilee
The Sea of Galilee ( he, יָם כִּנֶּרֶת, Judeo-Aramaic: יַמּא דטבריא, גִּנֵּיסַר, ar, بحيرة طبريا), also called Lake Tiberias, Kinneret or Kinnereth, is a freshwater lake in Israel. It is the lowest ...
, also known as Lake Tiberias, via
Jisr Benat Yakub and
Kuneitra.
[These advances have been characterised as a "race for Damascus". ullett 1919 pp. 39–40See also Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 567]
Liman von Sanders and Yildirim Army Group withdraws
By 26 September the Fourth Army's Amman garrison (less the
rearguard captured at Amman) had not been "heavily engaged," and "was still intact as a fighting force even though it was in rapid retreat" north along the
Hejaz railway and Pilgrims Road, some miles to the east of the
Jordan River
The Jordan River or River Jordan ( ar, نَهْر الْأُرْدُنّ, ''Nahr al-ʾUrdunn'', he, נְהַר הַיַּרְדֵּן, ''Nəhar hayYardēn''; syc, ܢܗܪܐ ܕܝܘܪܕܢܢ ''Nahrāʾ Yurdnan''), also known as ''Nahr Al-Shariea ...
, towards Damascus.
Between 6,000 and 7,000 German and Ottoman soldiers remaining from the Ottoman Fourth, Seventh and Eighth Armies had managed to retreat via Tiberias or Deraa, before these places were captured on 25 and 27 September, respectively.
[Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 567]
The retreating columns which moved via Deraa were at or north of Muzeirib on their way to Damascus by 27 September.
When Mustafa Kemal Pasha, commander of the Seventh Army arrived at Kiswe from Deraa, with his army's leading troops on 29 September, Liman von Sanders ordered him to continue on north of Damascus to Rayak.
[Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 595]
By the next morning; 30 September, the leading column of the Fourth Army consisting of an Ottoman cavalry division and some infantry, was approaching Kiswe south of Damascus, followed along the Pilgrims' Road by the 4th Cavalry Division behind.
[Wavell 1968 p. 227]
Australian Mounted Division
During the cavalry phase of 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 ...
the Australian Mounted Division's
3rd Light Horse Brigade
The 3rd Light Horse Brigade was a mounted infantry brigade of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), which served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. The brigade was initially formed as a part-time militia formation in the early 1900s i ...
had captured
Jenin
Jenin (; ar, ') is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank. It serves as the administrative center of the Jenin Governorate of the State of Palestine and is a major center for the surrounding towns. In 2007, Jenin had a population of app ...
, the
4th Light Horse Brigade
The 4th Light Horse Brigade was a mounted infantry brigade of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) serving in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. The brigade was initially formed as a part-time militia formation in the early 1900s in Victo ...
had captured
Samakh and during the infantry phase of the Battle of Sharon 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 ...
had assisted the
60th Division to capture
Tulkarm
Tulkarm, Tulkarem or Tull Keram ( ar, طولكرم, ''Ṭūlkarm'') is a Palestinian city in the West Bank, located in the Tulkarm Governorate of the State of Palestine. The Israeli city of Netanya is to the west, and the Palestinian cities of N ...
.
Prelude
The Australian Division orders for 30 September were to secure and hold the Kuneitra area with "a strong force, with headquarters and the bulk of its troops" while Brigadier General L. C. Wilson's 3rd and Brigadier General G. M. M. Onslow's 5th Light Horse Brigades and Bourchier's Force (4th and 12th Light Horse Regiments commanded by Lieutenant Colonel M. W. J. Bourchier) were ordered to continue the advance to the west of Damascus to cut the lines of retreat, west to Beirut and north to Homs.
At dawn Bourchier's Force took over from the 3rd Light Horse Brigade, as the Australian Mounted Division's advanced guard and by 05:00 had passed through the Sa'sa position, while the 5th Light Horse Brigade at Khan esh Shiha, with the 3rd Light Horse Brigade in reserve, rode out at 07:30 having reassembled after the engagement at Sa'sa the previous night. They were ordered to outflank Damascus moving via
Qatana
Qatana ( ar, قَطَنَا, Qaţanā) is a city in southern Syria, administratively part of the Qatana District of Rif Dimashq Governorate. Qatana has an altitude of 879 meters. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics, the city had ...
north-easterly along the foothills of the
Kalabat el Mezze.
[3rd LHBwd AWM4-10-3-44 Appendix 4 Report pp. 5–6]
The pursuit towards Damascus via Daraya on the road to Damascus, continued with difficulty at first, "through narrow passes with snipers on both sides," before entering a plain when daylight allowed the advance to quickly attack an enemy column from Kaukab.
[4th Light Horse Regiment War Diary AWM4-10-9-45][Australian Mounted Division General Staff War Diary AWM4-1-58-15] The leading troop of 4th Light Horse Regiment, "broke a disorganized body of the enemy ... cutting off 180 men ...
hen
Hen commonly refers to a female animal: a female chicken, other gallinaceous bird, any type of bird in general, or a lobster. It is also a slang term for a woman.
Hen or Hens may also refer to:
Places Norway
*Hen, Buskerud, a village in Ringer ...
groups of three or four horsemen riding at bodies of Turks ten times their own strength and calling upon them to surrender." The captured 350 prisoners, a field gun, eight machine guns and 400 rifles were collected at Khan esh Sheikh from Kaukab.
[Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 571]
After collecting their prisoners, the 4th Light Horse Regiment arrived near Kaukab ridge when patrols found the Nahr Barbar, flowing through a valley to the slopes of Mount Hermon, easily fordable "at almost any place for mounted troops."
Defence of Damascus
Liman von Sanders ordered the 24th, 26th and 53rd Infantry Divisions, XX Corps Seventh Army and the 3rd Cavalry Division, Army Troops Fourth Army, under the command of Colonel Ismet Bey (commander of the III Corps Seventh Army) to defend Damascus, while the remaining Ottoman formations were ordered to retreat northwards. The Tiberias Group commanded by Jemal Pasha, commander of the Fourth Army was also ordered to defend Damascus.
Defence of Kaukab
The 4th Light Horse Regiment saw a strong column about long take up a defensive position on Kaukab ridge. They occupied all the commanding places from the western edge of a volcanic ridge stretching eastwards along the high ground.
"From the right, a large enemy force appeared and headed across the Australians' front. They then set up a strong line of machine–gun posts ...
cross
A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...
their line of advance."
[Baly 2003 pp. 284–7] The Ottoman rearguard had been established on the road from Kuneitra, between Kaukab and Qatana, about south of Damascus and west of
Kiswe.
Patrols reported no sign of troops to protect the right flank of this new Kaukab position estimated to be 2,500 strong.
Plan of attack
The 4th and 12th Light Horse Regiments of Bourchier's Force with the 19th Brigade RHA in support were to advance straight on while the 5th Light Horse Brigade moved to the west between Artuz and
Qatana
Qatana ( ar, قَطَنَا, Qaţanā) is a city in southern Syria, administratively part of the Qatana District of Rif Dimashq Governorate. Qatana has an altitude of 879 meters. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics, the city had ...
to
Daraya towards El Mezze with the 3rd Light Horse Brigade in Divisional Reserve led by Divisional Headquarters.
Battle
The 4th and 12th Light Horse Regiments (4th Light Horse Brigade) were deployed on the right, while the
14th Light Horse Regiment
The 14th Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry or light horse unit of the Australian Army. The unit takes its lineage from units raised as part of the colonial forces of the state of Queensland in 1860 and served during the Second Boer War ...
and the ''Régiment Mixte de Marche de Cavalerie'' (RMMC) (5th Light Horse Brigade) took up a position on the left with the 3rd Light Horse Brigade in the rear; "each in column of squadrons in lines of troop columns."
The uncontested advance of the Régiment Mixte de Marche de Cavalerie quickly got behind the enemy's right flank; riding "up the valley, swinging westward near 'Artuz to get beyond reach of fire from the high ground at Kaukab."
[Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 572]
After
A Battery, HAC and the
Notts Battery RHA opened effective fire from a hillock from the rearguard line, at 11:15 the 4th and 12th Light Horse Regiments charged mounted "with the sword."
These two regiments rode across stony ridges and ravines to find protection behind a ridge away, where two squadrons of each regiment drew swords, leaving two squadrons in reserve, and charged up the slope towards the crest of the ridge in artillery formation.
When the 4th Light Horse Regiment on the left and the 12th Light Horse Regiment on the right,
charged up the slope, the defenders "broke and fled into the gardens at his rear, a squadron of Turkish cavalry galloping wildly up the road towards Damascus".
About 72 prisoners were captured along with 12 machine guns while large numbers of infantry retreated into nearby woods heading for Daraya.
The Ottoman rearguard had been heavily fired on by the two Australian Mounted Division batteries, and would have seen the advance of the Régiment Mixte de Marche de Cavalerie to their right rear.
From Kaukab, Damascus was away.
Aftermath
The Australian Mounted Division was ordered to move west of Damascus to block the road to Beirut and the road north to Homs. During the afternoon a redoubt defended by machine guns on the road to Damascus was attacked and captured, and refugees retreating from Damascus towards Beirut were attacked.
[Cutlack 1941 p. 168]
The Régiment Mixte de Marche de Cavalerie (5th Light Horse Brigade) continued their advance from Kaukab, riding on to the
Baniyas
Baniyas ( ar, بَانِيَاس ') is a Mediterranean coastal city in Tartous Governorate, northwestern Syria, located south of Latakia (ancient Laodicea) and north of Tartous (ancient Tortosa).
It is known for its citrus fruit orchards an ...
to Damascus road beyond
Qatana
Qatana ( ar, قَطَنَا, Qaţanā) is a city in southern Syria, administratively part of the Qatana District of Rif Dimashq Governorate. Qatana has an altitude of 879 meters. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics, the city had ...
, and on to the southwest of El Mezze where they were heavily fired on by machine guns. The regiment dismounted to attack the position "in a narrow corridor between the enclosed gardens on the right and the hills of the Anti-Lebanon on the left,"
with one squadron of the 14th Light Horse Regiment following. The French regiment slowly fought their way along the Qalabat el Mezze ridge which runs parallel with the Baniyas to Damascus road, until horse artillery batteries advanced up the main road at 13:00 and commenced firing on the enemy position which silenced them.
Barda Gorge
The 5th Light Horse Brigade advanced north westwards towards the Beirut road, closely followed by the 3rd Light Horse Brigade, the latter with orders to continue round to the north of the city to block the Damascus to Homs road, but the precipitous cliffs of the
Barada
, name_etymology = From ''barid'', meaning 'cold' in Semitic languages
, image = Barada river in Damascus (April 2009).jpg
, image_size = 300
, image_caption = Barada river in Damascus near the Four Seasons Hote ...
gorge blocked their way.
[Bruce 2002 p. 244]
The fast flowing Abana River cascaded between banks overgrown with trees and bushes along the Barda gorge also called the Abana Pass. Along the floor of the gorge ran the main road and railway line to Beirut, which cross and re–cross the "tumbling stream" on their way out of Damascus to Beirut, with high cliffs of the desert on either side.
[Gullett 1919 p. 43] A column many miles long crowded into the deep, narrow gorge, less than across.
The 3rd and 5th Light Horse Brigades
[Only the 5th Light Horse Brigade was involved. ou 2009 p. 196/ref> opened fire on the leading section of the column, causing large numbers of casualties, while those in the rear of the column retreated back to Damascus.] Return fire by German machine gunners on top of "motor wagons and lorries, fought to the death; 370 men were killed, and fell among the dead and dying horses in the wild tumult of chaotic column."
5th Light Horse Brigade
Following the capture by the Régiment Mixte de Marche de Cavalerie of the El Mezze position, Commandant Lebon was ordered at 15:00 to continue his regiment's advance to cut off the line of retreat towards Baalbek.
While the 5th Light Horse Brigade's 14th Light Horse Regiment advance took them along lower ground, the Régiment Mixte de Marche de Cavalerie reached the clifftops overlooking the Barda Gorge, west of Er Rabue soon after 16:30; an hour before sunset. Six machine guns of the 2nd New Zealand Machine Gun Squadron opened fire from the height on the front of the retreating column in the gorge. Those who turned back; about 4,000, were captured by the 14th Light Horse Regiment. Another six machine guns of the 5th Light Horse Brigade squadron reached the Barda Gorge higher up to the southeast of El Hame also firing on the retreating columns.[Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 573]
3rd Light Horse Brigade
The leading squadron of the 9th Light Horse Regiment, arrived shortly after the Régiment Mixte de Marche de Cavalerie about to the west of their position "at a point above the Barda Gorge overlooking the village of Dummar
Dummar ( ar, دُمَّر, Dummar) is a municipal district of Damascus, Syria, located in the northwest of the city. It is the largest district of Damascus in terms of area.
History
The construction of the district was launched in the 1970s, with ...
." From here they also fired on the retreating columns.
Position of Desert Mounted Corps
By midnight on 30 September/1 October, the Australian Mounted Division was at El Mezze to the west of Damascus, the 5th Cavalry Division was at Kaukab to the south of the city and the 4th Cavalry Division was at Zeraqiye 34 miles (55 km) from Damascus on the Pilgrims' Road with the 11th Cavalry Brigade at Khan Deinun and the Arab Sherifial forces north east of Ashrafiye. Chauvel ordered the 5th Cavalry Division to move to the east of Damascus while the 4th Cavalry Division continued their advance from the south.[Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 586] Next morning, 1 October, Damascus was captured.
Notes
Citations
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaukab, Charge at
Conflicts in 1918
1918 in Mandatory Syria
Battles of World War I involving the Ottoman Empire
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Battles of World War I involving Australia
Battles of World War I involving New Zealand
Battles of World War I involving France
Battles of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign
September 1918 events
Battles of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk