The Charge at Sheria took place on 7 November 1917 during the Battle of Hareira and Sheria when the 11th and 12th Light Horse Regiments (4th Light Horse Brigade) charged a Yildirim Army Group rearguard in support of an attack by the 60th (London) Division during the Southern Palestine Offensive of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign in World War I.
Following the victory at the Battle of Beersheba on 31 October, Ottoman Army forces continued to hold most of their front line stretching from Gaza on the Mediterranean coast to the mound of and Tel el Khuweilfe, in the Judean Hills to the north of Beersheba.
A major offensive launched by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) on 6 November could not dislodge the Ottoman defenders at Gaza, Hareira and Tel el Khuweilfe. Although Sheria and Tel el Khuweilfe continued to be strongly defended, the heavy EEF bombardment by the XXI Corps against Gaza, resulted in the Ottoman garrison withdrawing from Gaza during the night. During 7 November the attack by the XX Corps, led by the 60th (London) Division and supported by the 10th (Irish) Division on the left and the 74th (Yeomanry) Division on the right, gained some ground in the morning but was held up by a strong position at Sheria, when the Australian Mounted Division was ordered to attack mounted. The 11th and 12th Light Horse Regiments charged into the face of heavy artillery, machine gun and rifle fire, was forced to stop and dismount as the fire was too fierce. One troop missed the signal and was annihilated, after they charged up and over the Ottoman trenches.
Background
During the stalemate from April to October 1917, the EEF front line extended for from the Mediterranean coast at Gaza to a point on the Wadi Ghazzeh near El Gamli, about south-west of Sharia and west of Beersheba on the southern edge of the plain of Philistia.Blenkinsop 1925 p. 200 The official rifle strength of the EEF on 28 October 1917, was 80,000 in the infantry divisions and Imperial Camel Brigade, and 15,000 cavalry. However, the "actual strength ... [was] about 60,000 and 12,000 respectively."Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 35 note The strength of the EEF infantry, as compared with the Ottoman defenders was a ratio of 2:1, while cavalry was 8:1 and guns were about 3:2.Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 35Half the brigades in Desert Mounted Corps were light horse and mounted rifles, armed only with rifle and bayonet. [Keogh 1955 pp. 125–6]
While the Ottoman defenders had developed Gaza into "a strong modern fortress", complete with a glacis on its southern and south–eastern side,Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 9 permanent strongly entrenched and wired positions were constructed to Shellal on the Wadi Ghazza with both Sheria and Beersheba, particularly strongly fortified.Preston 1921 p. 12Woodward 2006 pp. 87–8 The estimated strength of the Ottoman force holding the Gaza to Beersheba line was 40,000 rifles, this was actually 33,000 rifles, 1,400 sabres and 260 guns. The main Ottoman position extending from the Mediterranean shore west of Gaza to south east of Tel esh Sheria was held by the XX Corps commanded by Ali Faud Bey.
Prelude
After the capture of Beersheba, although the Ottoman defenders suffered many casualties, "stubborn fighting continued" against strong Ottoman rearguards, which delayed an EEF breakthrough for seven days.Wavell quoted in Erickson 2007 p. 124 Strong Ottoman garrisons and rearguards continued to hold the Tel Khuweilfe area, Sheria, and Gaza along with western part of their front line including Tank and Atawineh redoubts.Keogh 1955 p. 161 However, the once-formidable Gaza-Beersheba line was becoming vulnerable, and at dawn on 6 November three divisions of Chetwode's XX Corps attacked on a broad front about the center of the Ottoman defensive line.Woodward 2006 pp. 113–16 Along with the main attack towards Tel esh Sheria in the center of the line, Tel el Khuweilfe on the eastern end of the line was also attacked by the EEF on 6 November. This fighting caused the Yildirim Army Group Ottoman to reinforce the center and eastern extremity of their front line.Falls 1930 Vol. 2 pp. 112–3
During 6 November the EEF had advanced about capturing a "series of strong enemy works covering a front of some ."Bruce 2002 p. 140 Although the Wadi esh Sheria had not been crossed, only Tel esh Sheria and the main Hareira redoubts, remained in Ottoman hands overnight.Preston 1921 p. 43 Falkenhayn commanding Yildirim Army Group, realized that the Ottoman forces could not hold the EEF much longer, and he ordered the Seventh and Eighth Armies to withdraw about .Erickson 2001 p. 173 The heavy EEF bombardment of the Ottoman defences in the Gaza area, which had begun on 27 October, intensifying during the night of 5/6 November to a maximum on 6 November, resulted in the Gaza garrison evacuating the town during the night of 6/7 November.Preston 1921 p. 48Egyptian Expeditionary Force General Staff Headquarters War Diary 10:40, 6 November 1917 AWM4-1-6-19part2Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 64
Ottoman units of the 26th Division at Khirbet Sihan along with units from the Hereira redoubt garrison, were withdrawn to form a reserve of no more than about 1,000 men, after all the Seventh and Eighth Armies' reserved had been committed. Referred to as the Zuheilika Group, they concentrated at the central position of Khirbet Zuheilika, to the north of Hareira and Sheria, After the 60th (London) Division had captured Sheria Station at 17:50 on 6 November, the small in number but fresh Zuheilika Group, was committed during the evening to reinforce the 16th Ottoman Division defending the Wadi esh Sheria.Grainger 2006 pp. 135–6Falls 1930 Vol. 2 pp. 106, 108Egyptian Expeditionary Force General Staff Headquarters War Diary November 1917 AWM4-1-6-19part2
Chetwode issued orders during the night for the 10th (Irish) Division to capture the Hareira redoubt, and for the 60th (London) Division to transfer from the XX Corps to the Desert Mounted Corps. Chauvel ordered the 60th (London) Division to capture Tel el Sheria and then advance to Huj.Dalbiac 1927 p. 132Massey 1919 pp. 42–3
A reconnaissance of the Ottoman positions at Sheria, was carried out by the 181st Brigade (60th Division), with a view to crossing the wadi at two places to capture the high ground stretching from Barrata to the railway.Dalbiac 1927 p. 129 The commander of a machine gun section of the 180th Machine Gun Company, describes coming under heavy fire at about 04:00.Woodward 2006 p. 117 "Walk across the open under shell, m.g. and rifle fire ... [the] battle of Machine Guns v. Machine Guns, depend[ing] entirely on the coolness of each individual gunner."Lieutenant S. J. G. Chipperfield's Diary 7 November and letter from Major E.H. Impey, commanding 180th Machine Gun Company in Woodward 2006 p. 117 Meanwhile, the 74th (Yeomanry) Division took up a position on the right of the 60th (London) Division. The 230th Brigade (74th Division) was ordered not to advance across the Wadi esh Sheria, nor extend their right to the Kh. Barrata, until touch with the 60th (London) Division could be established. As touch could not be established, they remained in position during the night.Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 100
Chauvel ordered the Anzac and Australian Mounted Divisions to begin their advance northwards to establish a line from Jemmameh to Huj the next day. All arms were to advance strongly and decisively to capture as many of the Ottoman forces as possible.Hughes 2004 p. 78 The Australian Mounted Division (less the 3rd Light Horse Brigade which was holding a line linking the XX Corps with the XXI Corps) left the Wadi Hanafish/Kh Imlieh at 02:30 and was concentrated south, south-west of Tel esh Sheria by 07:30, when the 5th Mounted Brigade rejoined the division and the 7th Mounted Brigade returned to Desert Mounted Corps reserve.Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 1144th Light Horse Brigade War Diary November 1917 AWM4-10-4-11
Location of the Sheria position
The 12th Light Horse Regiment was informed at about 7:30, that the Sheria position had been captured by the 60th London Division, and that the Ottoman garrison was retiring northwards.12th Light Horse War Diary November 1917 AWM4-10-17-10None of the sources listed in the Reference section include a map of the attack on the Sheria position, so it is difficult to know exactly where the Sheria railway station was located and where the fighting occurred, after the station was captured. "[T]he hill was stormed at 4.30 next morning and carried at the point of the bayonet."Massey 1919 p. 40 However, the Londoners' advance was stopped by a strongly entrenched Ottoman rearguard position to the north, with excellent vantage over their approach across bare sloping ground. The Londoners took up a defensive position about from this Ottoman rearguard position,Hill 1978 p. 132 while the Ottoman rearguard had withdrawn to a line about to the north on a long gentle bare slope leading up from the wadi on the extreme flank of the Ottoman defences. Here they reformed and dug in on a strong position with an "excellent zone of fire" sweeping the slope with shrapnel, machine guns and rifle fire.Massey 1919 p. 43 "The check to the Londoners on the slope beyond Sheria seriously hampered the success of the British plan … it meant a day's delay at least to Shea's [and Hodgson's] advance towards Huj."Gullett 1941 p. 431 The light horse regiments were then ordered to make a mounted attack on a redoubt defended by machine guns, rifles, and covered from behind by a big gun. They were to ride across open, bare and absolutely barren approach without any cover, to charge straight in on the redoubt at the gallop.4th Light Horse Field Ambulance regimental stretcher bearer wounded at Sheria quoted in Hamilton 1996 p. 78 A Situation Report at 14:40 located the battle to the north of Sheria hospital, 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Tel el Sheria,Egyptian Expeditionary Force GHQ War Diary Situation Report 7.11.17 AWM4-1-6-19 part 4 yet the position was attacked and captured by two battalions which crossed the Wadi esh Sheria at 17:00.
Plan of attack
Chauvel issued orders to the Australian Mounted Division at 08:05, to advance on the eastern side of the railway, to the Wadi esh Sheria. He aimed to bring the Australian Mounted Division into touch with the Anzac Mounted Division (less the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade and two squadrons of machine guns at Tel el Khuweilfe along with the Yeomanry Mounted Division), as soon as possible.Wavell 1968 p. 143 By 08:50, the Australian Mounted Division consisting of the 4th Light Horse and the 5th Mounted Brigade, was approaching Tel esh Sheria, while the Anzac Mounted Division was deployed to the west of Kh. Umm el Bakr.Falls 1930 Vol. 2 pp. 112, 114 However plans for Desert Mounted Corps' advance on 7 November were delayed by the "check to the Londoners on the slope beyond Sheria." Chauvel ordered the 4th Light Horse and 5th Mounted Brigades, to "clear the enemy from the front of the 60th Division." They were to advance through the Londoners, to make a mounted charge directly on the front of the Ottoman rearguard position, rather than a flank attack.Gullett 1941 p. 430–2