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Capture of Damascus (1918)
Part of Final Offensive Sinai and Palestine Campaign World War I
Date 26 September to 1 October 1918 Location Advance from Tiberias and Deraa to Damascus Result British Empire victory
Belligerents
British Empire  British India  Australia  New Zealand Indian Princely states Hyderabad Jodhpur Mysore  Arab Revolt  France	Ottoman Empire  German Empire
Commanders and leaders
Edmund Allenby Henry Chauvel	Liman von Sanders Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Jevad Pasha Oberst von Oppen
Units involved
Desert Mounted Corps	Fourth Army Seventh Army Eighth Army Asia Corps

The Capture of Damascus occurred on 1 October 1918.

Background

see 3/17A Tiberias to Damascus

Advance to Aleppo

Allenby was under considerable pressure from Wilson (CIGS) at the War Office, to follow up the success of the Battle of Megiddo with a pursuit. "There is much talk here of the usual kind some saying you could go to Petrograd and some saying that all your force should now be transported to France, and some again who would like to see you march east to Baghdad!"

Your success being so complete, I should like you to consider the possibility of a cavalry raid on Aleppo, to be supported by infantry or not as the situation developed and as opportunities offered.

— Wilson (CIGS) to Allenby received 24 September 1918

The War Cabinet was prepared to take full responsibility for any "risks involved," but Allenby hesitated as Aleppo was about 300 miles (480 km) from Nazareth and informed Wilson that such a raid did not seem feasible unless supported by large–scale military and naval operations at Alexandretta. Allenby envisaged his next advance would be to the Damascus–Beirut line.

Allenby replied:

I could not hope, even if the opposition was negligible, to reach Aleppo, which is distant 300 miles from Nazareth, with three cavalry divisions in less than three weeks. A march of this description would furthermore entail very heavy wastage, and the cavalry would arrive in no condition to deal with the troops in the Aleppo–Alexandretta area. These latter now amount to 25,000 combatants, and during the next three weeks they will be augmented by reinforcements of a good quality, which are already setting out from Anatolia. In each succeeding week the Turkish situation will be ameliorated by the arrival of further reinforcements, which are believed to have started from Constantinople and the Caucasus.

— Allenby to Wilson 25 September 1918

Allenby's Plan

I am firmly of the opinion that the only sound policy is to advance by stages as in the past, unless and until the War Cabinet is prepared to undertake a combined Naval and Military operation on a large scale at Alexandretta, and to maintain by sea the military forces employed in it. An advance to the line Damascus–Beirut is the first of these stages, and this I hope to begin within a few days, an infantry division marching up the coast from Haifa to Beirut, while the Desert Mounted Corps, consisting of three divisions, moves on Damascus. The infantry division I propose to feed, as the advance proceeds, by putting supplies from the sea into Acre, Tyre and Sidon, and finally Beirut. I shall leave one cavalry division in the Amman area to operate against and cut off the enemy retreating Northwards from Maan, and thereafter it will proceed to Damascus and rejoin Desert Mounted Corps.

— Allenby to Wilson 25 September 1918

At a meeting with Chauvel on 25 September, Allenby outlined his intention to push on immediately. Allenby issued his orders the next morning for Barrow's 4th Cavalry Division to advance eastwards across the Jordan River at Jisr Mejamie north of Beisan and ride via Irbid to Deraa in the hope of capturing the retreating remnants of the Fourth Army. If it failed to capture the retreating Ottoman column they were to follow it north along the ancient Pilgrims' Road and the Hedjaz Railway to Damascus in pursuit. He ordered the Australian Mounted Division at Tiberias and the 5th Cavalry Division at Nazareth to advance to Damascus by the most direct route. This meant a journey of 90 miles (140 km) travelling along the west coast of the Sea of Galilee and round its northern end, across the upper Jordan River to the south of Lake Huleh, through Kuneitra across the Hauran.

The Australian Mounted Division, followed by the 5th Cavalry Division left a day after the 4th Cavalry Division but arrived in Damascus within an hour of each other.

Populations living on the battlefields

At the time the peoples of the area varied greatly in their background, religious beliefs and political outlook. In the Eastern Hauran, the bulk were Druses, while in the Jaulan, more Circassians, Metawala and some Algerian colonists lived. North of these in the Southern Lebanon, four varieties of Christians; the Maronite, Greek Uniats, Greek and Syrian Orthodox (Jacobite) lived alongside many Protestants, Druses and Metawala. Living in the Southern Bukaa and on the western slope of Mount Hermon, were more Druses, while in the Bukaa, Metawala and Syrian Orthodox Christians lived. In the Northern Lebanon, besides the same sects of Christians as in the south, more Metawala and an exclusive set of Shiahs, the Ismailiyah lived. North of Damascus many Syrian Christians lived, and to both the north and the south some Metawola, while east of all these peoples, the Bedouin Arab lived.

Liman's withdrawal

While Liman was out of contact until late in the afternoon of 20 September, following his hasty retreat from Nazareth in the early hours of the morning, the Fourth Army, still without orders stood firm. Liman continued his journey via Tiberias and Samakh late in the afternoon, to arrived at Deraa on the morning of 21 September, on his way to Damascus. At Deraa he received a report from the Fourth Army, which he ordered to withdraw to the Yarmuk to Deraa to Irbid line, without waiting for the southern Hedjaz troops. Liman found Deraa "fairly secure" and placed its commandant, Major Willmer in temporary command of the whole front from Deraa to Samakh.(See also Battle of Nablus (1918)

At Deraa, during the evening of 21 September Liman met with the leaders of several thousand Druses who agreed to remain neutral.

Liman's staff was already at Damascus, when he arrived there in the evening of 23 September, after his journey from Nazareth. He requested the Second Army garrisoning Northern Syria to move to the defence of the city.

In all some 6,000 or 7,000 fugitives, mostly from the Fourth Turkish Army, escaped by way of Deraa or the Lake Tiberias road towards Damascus.

Desert Mounted Corps advance

After passing Nazareth in moonlight on 25 September the 5th Light Horse Brigade halted at Kefr Kenna for water and a rest, before moving on next morning to Tiberias, on the Sea of Galilee. The brigade continued passed Luiyeh, said to have been built when Herod ruled the district in 16AD. Here in 1799 the French under Junot fought the Turks, on the shore of the lake which is 13 by 7.5 miles (20.9 km × 12.1 km) and 680 feet (210 m) below sea level.

The 5th Cavalry Division, which was not relieved by the infantry till early the next morning, left that place at once, and reached Kefr Kenna about 17:00 on 26 September.

The 5th Light Horse Brigade led to Australian Mounted Division and 5th Cavalry Division out of Tiberias.

The Australian Mounted Division, followed by the 5th Cavalry Division left a day after the 4th Cavalry Division but arrived in Damascus within an hour of each other. From Tiberias the 5th Light Horse Brigade led the Australian Mounted Division, followed by the 5th Cavalry Division moved north from Tiberias on the road along the Sea of Galilee shore with "high striated clay ridges that again recalled the ridges of Gallipoli." The XXI Corps advancing to garrison Haifa before advancing along the coast to Beirut.

Feisal's planned arrival at Damascus

There is no objection to Your Highness entering Damascus as soon as you consider that you can do so with safety. I am sending troops to Damascus and I hope that they will arrive there in four or five days from to–day. I trust that Your Highness' forces will be able to co–operate, but you should not relax your pressure in the Deraa district, as it is of vital importance to cut off the Turkish forces which are retreating North from Maan, Amman and Es Salt.

— Allenby letter to Prince Feisal 25 September 1918

Prelude

Ottoman garrison

Holding the Deraa to Damascus area was the Hauran Detachment of one regiment and Circassian irregulars under the command of the II Corps (Fourth Army) at Amman.

The portion of the Fourth Army which managed to withdraw northwards from Amman before its capture and survived to reach Damascus after covering "many waterless miles," were pursued by the Arab forces.

Between 6,000 and 7,000 remnants of the Ottoman Fourth, Seventh and Eighth Armies managed to escape via Deraa or Tiberias towards Damascus before these places were captured by Desert Mounted Corps. At Jisr Benat Yakub (bridge of the Daughters of Jacob) on the upper Jordan north of the Sea of Gallilee the mounted advance was held up by a strong rearguard.

Air support

On 25 September a new bombing target appeared; a column moving from Amman was seen at Mafrak which was attacked between 6:00 and 08:00 by ten Australian aircraft. These attacks continued throughout the day dropping four tons of bombs and firing almost 20,000 machine gun rounds.

Despite this destruction at Mafrak, some thousands of men on foot or horse, having abandoned the wheeled-transport, managed to escape and retreat towards Deraa and Damascus. In all some 6,000 or 7,000 fugitives, mostly from the Fourth Turkish Army, escaped by way of Deraa or the Lake Tiberias road towards Damascus.

The Australian Light Horse were held up for some hours by a broken bridge, and by some opposition beyond it, at Jisr Benat Yakub (Bridge of the Daughters of Jacob) on the upper Jordan, north of Lake Tiberias. Ahead of the cavalry Australian aircraft reconnoitred Damascus for the first time on 27 September, when the railway station was seen to be filled with hundreds of rolling-stock. On the roads southward from both Deraa and the Jordan were parties of troops and transport in full flight. In the afternoon of 28 September four Bristol Fighters raided Damascus aerodrome.

During the morning of 29 September most of the retreating force was seen by aerial reconnaissance about 20 miles (32 km) south of Damascus. They were in several groups with about 150 horse transports and 300 camels, while in the outskirts of Damascus some hundred more infantry and pack camels were seen. On 30 September, these groups were bombed by five Australian aircraft south of Kiswe on the Wady Zabirani leaving about 4,000 infantry and cavalry scattered on the north bank of the wadi near Jebel Aswad. During the afternoon a redoubt defended by machine guns on the road to Damascus which was holding up Desert Mounted Corps was attacked and put out of action, at the same time attacking some refugees moving along the road west from Damascus to Beirut. Next morning 1 October Damascus was captured.

During the following days No. 1 Squadron moved from Ramleh to Haifa and in mid October flew over Homs and Hama. At this time, operating from "advanced landing-grounds" reconnaissance flights covered 500–600 miles (800–970 km) over Rayak, Homs, Beirut, Tripole, Hama, Aleppo, Killis and Alexandretta, meeting little opposition from the German aerodromes at Rayak and Muslimie Junction on the Baghdad railway. As a result of aerial bombardments of these aerodromes, at Rayak 32 German aircraft were found abandoned or burnt. Add Cutlack Map 9 Sea of Galilee to Alexandretta

The pursuit by Desert Mounted Corps and armoured cars was supported by aerial reconnaissance and bombing raids. On 9 October five Bristol Fighters bombed and machine gunned trains at Homs station and Hamma station on 16 October.

Three hours after chasing down two DFWs back to their aerodrome at Muslimie Junction, two Bristol Fighters found the aerodrome deserted and burnt and at noon five Australian aircraft bombed Aleppo Station and town. On 26 October armoured cars and the Hejaz Arabs occupied Aleppo and British cavalry were north west of the town advancing towards Alexandretta. An armistice was signed on 31 October ending the war with the Ottoman Empire. No. 1 Squadron moved back to Ramleh in December 1918 and Kantara in February 1919.

Major Addison, officers, and men: It gives me considerable pleasure to have this opportunity of addressing you prior to your return to Australia. We have just reached the end of the greatest war known to history. The operations in this theatre of the war have been an important factor in bringing about the victorious result. The victory gained in Palestine and Syria has been one of the greatest in the war, and undoubtedly hastened the collapse that followed in other theatres. This squadron played an important part in making this achievement possible. You gained for us absolute supremacy of the air,thereby enabling my cavalry, artillery, and infantry to carry out their work on the ground practically unmolested by hostile aircraft. This undoubtedly was a factor of paramount importance in the success of our arms here. I desire therefore personally to congratulate you on your splendid work. I congratulate you, not only the flying officers, but also your mechanics, for although the officers did the work in the air, it was good work on the part of your mechanics that kept a high percentage of your machines serviceable. I wish you all bon voyage, and trust that the peace now attained will mean for you all future happiness and prosperity. Thank you, and good-bye.

— General Allenby, speech given to No. 1 Squadron on 19 February 1919

Capture of Dera'a 27 September (by Hedjaz Arab forces)

Before Haifa fell our troops were moving swiftly east of Jordan. A Division of Indian and Yeomanry cavalry crossed the Jordan about Beisan and rode eastward.

As remnants of the Ottoman Fourth Army retreated northward via Deraa, "other Arab factions joined Feisal's force, with horrific consequences" for the retreating force.

On the fringe of the desert the Army of the Sherif of Mecca, harassed the Ottoman army by day and night, repeatedly cutting railway and telegraph communications with Damascus. While Chaytor's Force advanced to Es Salt and Amman, the Hedjaz Arabs appeared on the flank of the enemy north of Deraa, and cut the railway where the Hedjaz line junctions with the line which supplied the Turks west of the Jordan.

On 27 September Australian aircraft reconnoitred Damascus for the first time. They found the railway station filled with hundreds of carriages and engines and retreating columns and transport on the roads from Deraa and north of Jisr Benat Yakub. In the afternoon of 28 September Damascus aerodrome was bombed and burnt and the following morning Damascus was being evacuated.

Two British airmen of No. 144 Squadron, captured by the Turks on September 17th, marched with their captors in the retreat from Es Salt. They were found later near Deraa with a wounded light horseman, whom they had carried or pushed in a cart from Mafrak to Deraa. They described the ghastly terror of the retreat under constant bomb–attacks from Es Salt to Mafrak; they had no food rations issued to them after leaving Amman, where the Turks, they said, abandoned all stores and all further desire to fight. They left Deraa in a Turkish train; at a destroyed part of the line the train ahead of them ran off the rails, and their own train collided with it. Only one of the airmen had strength enough to escape. He walked back to Deraa to get help, and there found the British cavalry.

Aftermath

"A fortnight after General Allenby flung his artillery bombardment at the enemy lines, the great Turkish and German force in Western and Eastern Palestine had been destroyed, and our prisoners numbered 75,000. Of the 4th, 7th and 8th Turkish Armies south of Damascus only a few thousand foot–sore, hunted men escaped. Practically every gun, the great bulk of the machine guns, nearly all the small–arms, and transport, every aerodrome and its mechanical equipment and nearly every aeroplane, an intricate and widespread telephone and telegraph system, large dumps of munitions and every kind of supplies – all had, in fourteen swift and dramatic days been stripped from an enemy who for four years had resisted our efforts to smash him. It was a military overthrow so sudden and so absolute that it is perhaps without parallel in the history of war. And it is still more remarkable because it was achieved at a cost so trifling."

Notes

Citations

1. Hughes 2004 p. 186
2. Woodward p. 203
3. Wilson to Allenby, received 24 September and Allenby to Wilson, 25 September 1918 in Woodward pp. 203–4
4. Hughes 2004 p. 188
5. Hughes 2004 p. 188
6. Preston pp. 247–8
7. Bou pp. 195–6
8. Wavell p. 224
9. Bruce p. 241
10. Preston pp. 247–8
11. Bruce p. 241
12. Handbook 9/4/18 p. 61
13. Falls 1930 Vol. 2 pp. 511, 545
14. "Keogh251"
15. Wavell 1968 p. 223
16. Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 545
17. Falls 1930 Vol. 2 pp. 545–6
18. Hall pp. 115–6
19. Powles 1922 p. 242
20. Preston pp. 249
21. Powles 1922 pp. 242–3
22. Bruce 2002 p. 241
23. Dinning 1920 pp. 84–5
24. Powles pp. 242–3
25. Blenkinsop 1925 p. 242
26. Hughes 2004 p. 187
27. Falls p. 548
28. Wavell p. 221
29. Cutlack pp. 167–8
30. Cutlack p. 166
31. Cutlack pp. 166–7
32. Cutlack p. 167
33. Cutlack p. 168
34. Cutlack pp. 168–9
35. Cutlack p. 169
36. Cutlack pp. 169, 171
37. Cutlack p. 171
38. Gullett 1919 p.39
39. Woodward p. 201
40. Gullett 1919 p.39
41. Cutlack p. 167
42. Cutlack 1941 p. 167
43. Gullett 1919 pp. 22–5

References

• Great Britain, Army, Egyptian Expeditionary Force (1918). Handbook on Northern Palestine and Southern Syria (1st provisional 9 April ed.). Cairo: Government Press. OCLC 23101324.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

• Hall, Rex (1975). The Desert Hath Pearls. Melbourne: Hawthorn Press. OCLC 677016516.

• Woodward, David R. (2006). Hell in the Holy Land World War I in the Middle East. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0-8131-2383-7.

External links

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