Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 29]
Brigade until that Brigade had gained its abovementioned objective, and then to seize the entrance to the hills on the Es Salt-Jesr Ed Damieh track, and then to move on Es Salt as rapidly as possible. The 5th Mounted Brigade was to move on Es Salt via the track No. 13 which left the valley near Umm Esh Shert. The 3rd A.L.H. Brigade left its bivouac near Es Sultan at 2130 on the night of 29th April for the point of concentration on the east side of the Jordan about 3 miles north of Ghoraniyeh bridge. As part of the route to be taken by the Brigade was reported as being unfit for wheels, no wheels of any sort accompanied this formation. Extra pack horses were made available for ammunition and signalling equipment. Each man carried 230 rounds of ammunition, for each Hotchkiss rifle there was 3,100 rounds, and for each Vickers maxim there was 5,000 rounds. In lieu of the Notts battery which was detached to the 4th A.L.H. Brigade, the Hong Kong and Singapore battery, six 12 pounders carried on camels was attached to this Brigade. Their camel ammunition column accompanied them - about 360 camels with battery in column. In lieu of the ordinary ambulance wheeled transport, 29 camel cacholets accompanied the Brigade. The Brigade duly arrived at the point of concentration at about 0145 on 30th April, where it halted for 1½ hours. Whilst there, word was received from the G.O.C., 4th Brigade that he would move at 0315. This he did. His Brigade moved in line of troop column at extended intervals and distances, northwards up the valley at the trot. As the 3rd Brigade had no opposition to expect unless the 4th Brigade was held up it moved in column of sections, with distances between columns. I considered this the safest formation, as all fire to be expected would come from the flank, and it would be particularly hard for the enemy to estimate the range in the bad light. This Brigade followed the 4th Brigade at the trot. Certain parts of the track had to be followed at the walk, owing to the broken state of the ground but where practicable the pace was at the trot. About 1½ miles south of Red Hill the enemy opened on the Brigade with artillary, and shortly afterwards they also opened with machine guns, whose range, however, was extreme, and their fire did no harm. The fire of the artillery and machine guns continued until the Brigade arrived at the point where the Damieh-Es Salt track cuts the northern track from Ghoraniyeh. It was estimated that the enemy employed 8 guns firing both H.E. and shrapnel. This Brigade had no casualties on its march up the valley. The Brigade arrived at the Jesr Ed Damieh-Es Salt track at 0630, where it was formed up. The 9th Light Horse Regiment was detailed as advanced guard, with instructions to picquet the heights as the Brigade moved up the track towards Es Salt. This track proved to be an indifferent mountain track, impassable to wheeled traffic of any sort, but passable, with difficult in most places, to horses, packs and camels in single file. For the whole way the track was dominated by hills on either side, and a few determined riflemen or machine guns could hold up a column until action was taken to outflank the holding-up force. The Brigade took the right hand track which branches off to the right at 127.B.12 central. No enemy was observed until the advance guard arrived at the steep ascent about B.19. Here, a scout noticed a saddled horse near the track, creeping up towards the horse he came on a post of 3 men and observed a troop of 15 cavalry some 300 yards further on. The 3-man post was evidently the advanced post of the cavalry troop. 2 of our scouts got to within 25 yards before they were observed. Finally one of the Turks was killed and the other two captured. Our scouts then fired on the Cavalry troop. 6 of these Turks then abandoned their horses and escaped on foot, the remainder escaped on their horses. 2 miles form Es Salt the enemy were found in occupation of a sangared position astride the road. We were now on the edge of the Jebel Jelaad. We had climbed over 4,000 feet in the 10 miles from Jesr Ed Damieh. The valley is over 1,000 feet below sea level, this range and plateau is over 3,000 feet above it. His position consisted of a high ridge about 1,000 yards long. On his right and slightly to his front there was a detached ridge about 1200 yards away, this ridge was held by him. On his left flank there was another detached hill 1400 yards distant, this was also occupied by him. The enemy held these positions with rifles and machine guns. Troops opened with rifles against these three positions, supported by machine guns, without apparent effect. I decided to make a frontal attack on his position, first clearing up his two