The charge at Beersheba: The last great cavalry victory of WWI

The First World War is often remembered as a conflict that took place in the wet and cold conditions of the western front in northern France.

However, there were significant battles that also occurred in Egypt and the Middle East, in far dryer and hotter conditions than the western front.

This theatre of the war was fought mostly between the British forces located in Egypt and the Turkish Ottoman forces located modern Turkey, Israel and Palestine.

The Ottoman Empire joined WWI as a German ally in October 1914 and was therefore at war with Russia to its north, as well as France, and Britain further to the west.

Since Australia was a part of the British Empire at the time, by extension, the Ottoman Empire was also at war with Australia as well.

In early 1915, the Turkish army had attacked the Suez Canal in British-controlled Egypt.

The Ottoman forces were composed mainly of Arab units, led by a German commander called Kress von Kressenstein.

The British forces successfully repelled the attackers but didn't pursue them because of the size of the Sinai Desert that they had to cross in order to reach Palestine.

Very little happened in the region for the rest of 1915, as British forces based in Egypt were used in the failed Gallipoli landings from April to December of that year.

However, following the withdrawal of the British forces from Gallipoli, there was an influx of manpower back into Egypt, which allowed Britain to prepare for an assault on the Ottoman controlled regions in the Middle East.

In January 1916, General Sir Archibald Murray led the British Army's 'Egypt Expeditionary Force'.

The most famous units that made up this force included the Australian Light Horse and the New Zealand Mounted Rifles. 

Murray planned an attack on the Ottoman Empire that would take the British forces along the Mediterranean coastline, which could keep him in contact with supplies by ship and rail. 

The most important resources during the entire campaign would be water. The Middle East is a dry and arid region, with few rivers and lakes. The men and horses needed daily access to clean drinking water.

The first operation that Australian troops were involved in was a reconnaissance mission on Wady um Muksheib on the 21st of March 1916, followed by an attack on the 13th of April, which led to the capture of Jifjapa.  

Another British unit failed to capture Romani, which was held by a Turkish army led by von Kressenstein.

A new unit, called the ANZAC Mounted Division was formed, led by Australian Major General Harry Chauvel, which helped recapture Romani by 5th August.

The Battle of Romani was a significant victory for the British forces, and it marked the start of the push out of the Sinai towards Palestine.

For the rest of 1916, and into 1917, the British forces continued to advance north, capturing towns as they went.

However, access to water became the main concern over which settlements they took and when.

In early 1917, the British forces failed to capture the major port city of Gaza in two separate battles.

During several months where little fighting took place, the Ottoman forces strengthened their defenses and communication capabilities in the region. 

To try and break the stalemate around Gaza, an attack was planned on the inland settlement of Beersheba.

Upon the night of the 30th of October 1917, British forces undertook a surprise nighttime march towards the town.

At dawn, artillery bombarded Beersheba and its 5 kilometres of Turkish trenches. British troops were then able to capture the outer town defenses by midday.

The ANZAC Mounted Division moved around to the south-east and east of Beersheba, and the 2nd Light Horse Brigade took a key road to the north. 

However, the Turkish defenders held on and, by 3 pm, it looked as if the British attempt to capture the town in one day might fail.

As time was running out, and the British forces needing access to the water wells in the town before dark, Chauvel ordered the 4th Light Horse Brigade to make a direct charge on the town.

Chauvel was aware that the Turkish trenches were not protected by barbed wire. At 4:50 pm, the brigade charged the 6 kilometres to reach Beersheba.

This was the first time that Australian Light Horse was used as a proper cavalry division, rather than as an infantry division. 

The attack began as a trot, and then a gallop, a speed that was too fast for Turkish artillery to target the attackers. 

At 3 kilometres from the town, machineguns fired at the horsemen, but supporting British artillery neutralised them.

The Light Horse unit jumped the first trench and then the main trench, before some soldiers dismounted and attacked with rifles and bayonets. 

Other horsemen continued on and captured the final line of trenches, before the rest entered the centre of Beersheba.

Australian casualties amounted to thirty-one killed and thirty-six wounded, while they captured over 700 Ottoman combatants.

The victory at the Battle of Beersheba turned the entire Turkish defensive line, leading to the eventually capture of Gaza on the 8th of November and Jerusalem on the 30th of December 1917.