Southern Palestine offensive

Southern Palestine offensive
Part of the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I
Date 31 October – 9 December 1917 (1 month, 1 week and 2 days) Location Southern Palestine from the Mediterranean coast west of Gaza to the east of Beersheba then north to Jaffa and Jerusalem Result Allied victory Territorial changes Capture of 50 miles (80 km) of Ottoman territory
Belligerents
British Empire  France  Italy	Ottoman Empire  German Empire
Commanders and leaders
Edmund Allenby	Erich von Falkenhayn Fevzi Pasha Friedrich von Kressenstein
Units involved
Egyptian Expeditionary Force XX Corps XXI Corps Desert Mounted Corps	Yildirim Army Group Seventh Army German Asia Corps Eighth Army
Casualties and losses
	25,000

The Southern Palestine offensive, began on 31 October 1917, with the Battle of Beersheba, when the British Empire's Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) under the Command of Field Marshall Edmund Allenby attacked Ottoman Empire forces at the Palestinian town of Beersheba during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign, of World War I. After the capture of Beersheba, by the EEF, the Gaza to Beersheba line became increasingly weakened and, seven days later, the EEF successfully forced the Ottoman Turkish Empire's Seventh and Eighth Armies to withdraw. During the following seven days of pursuit, the Turkish forces were pushed back to Jaffa. There followed three weeks of hard fighting in the Judean Hills before Jerusalem was captured on 9 December 1917. During five and a half weeks of almost continuous offensive operations, the EEF captured 47.5 miles (76.4 km) of territory.

After a joint attack by the XX and the Desert Mounted Corps, Beersheba at the eastern end of the Gaza to Beersheba line, was captured. The next day, on 1 November, the Battle of Tel el Khuweilfe began, with an advance north of Beersheba into the Judean foothills, by the 53rd (Welsh) and the ANZAC Mounted Divisions. This move up the road from Beersheba to Jerusalem, also threatened Hebron and Bethlehem. Then, during the night of 1/2 November, the Third Battle of Gaza took place on the Mediterranean coast, when limited attacks by the XXI Corps were made against strongly held, formidable defences. The next day, the fiercely contested fighting south of Tel el Khuweilfe by the EEF was not designed to capture Hebron, but to create sufficient area for the deployment of the XX Corps, for a flank attack on the central defences of the old Gaza to Beersheba line. Fighting for the Beersheba to Jerusalem road, also encouraged the Turkish commanders to deploy their reserves, to hold the EEF threat. On 6 November the Battle of Hareira and Sheria was launched on the centre of the old line, half-way between Gaza and Beersheba, and Hareira was captured; but it was not until late the next day, that the Sheria position was finally captured by the 60th (London) Division, after a failed charge by the 4th Light Horse Brigade (Australian Mounted Division). The Seventh and the Eighth Armies were by now in full retreat from the remains of the old Gaza to Beersheba line.

On 7 November, the second day of the battle for Hareira and Sheria, the 52nd (Lowland) Division and the Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade advanced unopposed through Gaza to attack strong rearguard positions at Wadi el Hesi, which were captured the next day.