These companies of horse- and mule-drawn wagons could operate to serve their brigades during brigade operations and when required could form into divisional trains during divisional operations. Saris was eventually won during the afternoon of 21 November.Eleven Ottoman infantry divisions had been forced to retire, suffering 28,443 casualties; some 12,000 prisoners were captured, 100 guns, and scores of machine guns were also captured. Such a counterattack could well see them driven back to Gaza and Beersheba.Picture - Detail of Ottoman counterattack on morning of 28 November 1917Military operations resumed a fortnight later with the final attack on Jerusalem.The Yeomanry Mounted Division was relieved by the 74th (Yeomanry) Infantry Division.
The War Cabinet instructed Robertson to telegraph Allenby on 18 December 1917 with a project based on alternative policies -But Allenby reviewed the threat of counterattack and his supply situation and decided a force large enough to attack into the Judean Hills and another separate force to operate on the maritime plain could be maintained far from base. Advertizing ▼Allenby replied on 20 December 1917:Get XML access to reach the best products.In addition to the Nahr Sukrerir line stretching to Beit Jibrin together with Summeil and El Tineh (where the Battle of Mughar Ridge was fought), the positions of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force and the Ottoman armies on the evening of 19 November 1917 are shown on this sketch map.Add new content to your site from Sensagent by XML. Advertising ▼[A]ll the armies that have sought to take Jerusalem have passed this way, save only that of Joshua. The 7th Mounted Brigade was ordered forward into the gap in the line. The troops were demoralized and exhausted and could not be controlled without their officers. The French army was still recovering from a serious mutiny, the Italians were defeated at the Battle of Caporetto, and Russia was out of the war following the Bolshevik Revolution. The British successfully counterattacked on both flanks, forcing the Ottoman troops to withdraw to Rantye. With only one blanket (and/or a Greatcoat), this gear gave little protection from the driving rain and bitter chill.The planned advance into the Judean Hills would rely heavily on the ability of the lines of communication to keep the front line troops supplied with food, water and ammunition. They also recognised within the Jerusalem Operations, the Battle of Jaffa from 21 to 22 December 1917 fought between the Tul Keram-Junction Station-Jaffa railway and the sea, as a subsidiary battle.Counterattacks on British Empire lines of communicationWith its headquarters at Nablus, the 7th Ottoman Army was deployed to defend Jerusalem; its left flank covered by the III Corps' 3rd Cavalry Division. The 8th Light Horse Regiment north east of El Burj withstood four separate onslaughts with stick bombs (hand grenades). They had enjoyed 10 days rest before being ordered to take over responsibility for operations in the Judean Hills.