First Battle of Amman

rdf:langString First Battle of Amman

rdf:langString First Battle of Amman

rdf:langString Capture Es Salt and destroy Ottoman line of communication along the Hedjaz railway near Amman

rdf:langString German 703rd Infantry Battalion

rdf:langString section and Asia Corps machine gun company

rdf:langString with a cavalry troop, artillery

rdf:langString right

rdf:langString View across Amman to the Citadel

rdf:langString * * * Hejaz Arab Force

rdf:langString Enver Pasha

rdf:langString Yasin al-Hashimi

rdf:langString Liman von Sanders

rdf:langString Asim Pasha

rdf:langString E. Allenby

rdf:langString E. W. C. Chaytor

rdf:langString J. Shea

rdf:langString Jemal Pasha

rdf:langString P. Chetwode

rdf:langString First Battle of Amman

rdf:langString the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I

rdf:langString Men fell on every side and the bullets spat and hissed and make a terrible cracking sound as they hit the stones, just as I was completing the third stage of our advance and was rushing over a demolished stone wall I tripped and losing my balance for a second the fall was ensured by my haversack containing two hundred rounds of ammunition swinging to the front and jamming between my legs; down I went breathless and lay there too exhausted to do anything. [With his comrades gone he decided to wait for the third wave, but only three men made it to him. Exposed, he dug desperately with his fingers] in the soft ground already covered with young barley three or four inches in height ... Feeling truly thankful for my preservation thus far I pushed my head as deeply into the hole as I could and with arms folded along the front of this miniature dugout as an additional protection for my head and neck I lay perfectly still. [After being out in the open for about four hours, darkness finally allowed him to move forward.]

rdf:langString Ottoman victory

rdf:langString Strategic offensive

rdf:langString Infantryman Benbow quoted in Woodward.

rdf:langString The First Battle of Amman was fought from 27 to 31 March 1918 during the First Transjordan attack on Amman of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War. The 60th (London) Division and the Anzac Mounted Division attacked the Ottoman garrison at Amman deep in enemy occupied territory, 48 kilometres (30 mi) from their front line, after capturing Es Salt and Shunet Nimrin. The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was successfully counterattacked by Ottoman Empire forces forcing them to retreat back to the bridgeheads captured on the Jordan River. Following the victories at the Third Battle of Gaza and the Battle of Beersheba, the EEF had pursued the retreating Ottoman armies, fighting successful battles at Mughar Ridge in November and capturing Jerusalem in December. During the winter of 1917/1918 these considerable territorial gains were consolidated and the front line established. In February 1918 the front line was pushed eastwards by the EEF when the right flank of the Jaffa to Jerusalem line was extended by the capture of land from the east of Jerusalem stretching down into the Jordan Valley to capture Jericho. In early March the front line from the Mediterranean to Abu Tellul in the Judean Hills, was pushed north during the action of Tell 'Asur. These two adjustments to the front line were necessary precursors, to advances by Allenby's EEF across the Jordan River and into the hills of Moab to Es Salt and Amman. The Passage of the Jordan was effected by a British Empire force of Australian and British swimmers, crossing the fast-flowing river while under fire. Pontoon bridges were quickly constructed and the infantry and mounted troops crossed the river to establish bridgeheads on the eastern bank, before advancing up to and across the high country; the infantry moving along the main road with the mounted columns riding on both flanks. They were to cut the railway line to the north and south of Amman by destroying long sections of the Hejaz Railway, including bridges and a viaduct. Amman was strongly defended by the Fourth Army garrison which was further strengthened by the arrival of reinforcements. British Empire infantry and artillery reinforcements from Es Salt strengthened the 181st Brigade and the Anzac Mounted Division's attacking force travelling across difficult and unfriendly terrain. Although the combined force of infantry and mounted troops made determined attacks on Amman over several days, the strength of defence and threats to lines of communication forced a retreat back to the Jordan Valley. The only territorial gains following the offensive were the establishment of bridgeheads on the eastern side of the river at Ghoraniyeh and Makhadet Hajlah.