Battle of Mughar Ridge

Battle of Mughar Ridge was fought on 13 November 1917 during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of World War I as the British Empire's Egyptian Expeditionary Force attacked entrenched forces on a ridge near Jaffa to break the Ottoman defensive line and open the way to Jerusalem. The action combined mounted divisions, infantry corps, and artillery to outflank and dislodge units of the Ottoman Empire and their German advisers, culminating in a decisive breakthrough that accelerated the fall of Jerusalem weeks later. Command coordination among leaders such as General Edmund Allenby, Sir Harry Chauvel, and corps commanders proved pivotal against formations of the Yildirim Army Group.

Background

In the autumn of 1917 the Sinai and Palestine Campaign had shifted from the desert approaches to a push northward from Beersheba and Gaza following the success of the Third Battle of Gaza. After victories at Beersheba and the capture of Gaza and Wadi el Hesi, the Egyptian Expeditionary Force under General Edmund Allenby consolidated gains and sought to turn the Ottoman defensive line facing Jaffa and Latrun. The Ottoman forces, organized under the Yildirim Army Group and reinforced by German staff officers, established strong positions on the Mughar Ridge to protect the coastal plain and the road to Ludd (Lod) and Jerusalem.

Prelude and Strategic Plans

Allenby planned a double envelopment linking infantry breakthroughs by the XXI Corps and XX Corps with mobile exploitation by the Desert Mounted Corps to sever Ottoman lines of retreat toward Nablus and Ramla. Intelligence gathering by cavalry patrols and aerial reconnaissance, including Royal Flying Corps sorties, identified Ottoman concentrations and artillery emplacements on the ridge. The objective was to seize the high ground and cut the railway and road junctions used by the Ottoman Seventh Army and elements of the Eighth Army. Coordination between corps commanders, divisional leaders and mounted brigades aimed to combine the firepower of Royal Horse Artillery with the maneuver of Australian Light Horse and 4th Cavalry Division elements.

Opposing Forces

The attacking force comprised elements of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force: infantry of the XXI Corps and XX Corps, mounted troops of the Desert Mounted Corps including the Anzac Mounted Division and the Yeomanry Mounted Division, supported by Royal Artillery batteries and Royal Flying Corps reconnaissance squadrons. Commanders included General Edmund Allenby, Sir Harry Chauvel, and corps leaders such as Generals Philip Chetwode and Edward Bulfin. Defending forces included the Ottoman Seventh Army and detachments from the Eighth Army, reinforced by German advisors and staff officers of the Yildirim Army Group under commanders from Jamal Pasha’s command network. Ottoman units fielded entrenched infantry, machine-gun positions, and artillery batteries manned by veterans of previous campaigns such as Gallipoli and the Caucasus Campaign.

Battle Chronology

On 13 November 1917, after preparatory artillery bombardments and coordinated infantry advances, XXI Corps attacked to fix Ottoman forces on the ridge while Anzac Mounted Division and mounted brigades executed wide flanking movements to threaten Ottoman rear areas and lines of communication. The Royal Horse Artillery and siege batteries engaged entrenched positions, while advancing infantry encountered strong resistance around villages and ridgeline redoubts. Mounted brigades, including units of the Australian Light Horse and New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade, exploited gaps, rode through broken Ottoman lines and captured prisoners and guns. Counterattacks by Ottoman infantry and German-led detachments were repulsed by combined arms fire. By evening the ridge was in British hands, with remnants of the defending Ottoman Seventh Army withdrawing northward toward Jenin and Nablus routes of retreat severed or threatened by cavalry patrols.

Aftermath and Significance

The victory at Mughar Ridge opened the coastal plain and facilitated the Egyptian Expeditionary Force’s advance toward Jerusalem, which fell in December 1917. Ottoman forces suffered significant casualties and the loss of artillery and supply routes, weakening the Yildirim Army Group’s capacity to defend Palestine. The battle showcased the effective integration of infantry, mounted troops, artillery and air reconnaissance in World War I’s Middle Eastern theatre, boosting the reputations of commanders like General Edmund Allenby and Sir Harry Chauvel and impacting subsequent operations at Jenin and the Battle of Jerusalem (1917). The campaign further strained the Ottoman Empire’s resources and contributed to the broader collapse of Ottoman control in the Levant, influencing postwar arrangements leading toward the Mandate for Palestine era.

Category:Battles of World War I Category:Battles involving the Ottoman Empire Category:Battles involving the United Kingdom