World War, 1914-1918 -- Australia; World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Palestine
In the early morning the New Zealanders moved swiftly to the assault of
Tel es Saba, a formidable mound, bristling with machine guns and rifles.
At the same time, the 1st Light Horse Brigade went in to the south on
the New Zealanders’ left, while the 2nd Light Horse Brigade dashed away
on a long gallop under heavy shell-fire, and took up a position to the
north, to cut off the retreat of the Beersheba garrison along the road
leading over the Central Range, through Hebron and Bethlehem, to
Jerusalem. After very heavy fighting on foot, over broken ground, the
New Zealanders, supported by the 1st Light Horse Brigade, scaled and
captured Tel es Saba. The day was well advanced. Beersheba had not
fallen, and it was patent that, if we relied upon a dismounted attack,
the town would certainly resist until nightfall; which would have given
the enemy an opportunity to adjust his forces and perhaps upset our
whole offensive. Four miles away to the south-east, the Australian
Mounted Division was in reserve, and, shortly before sunset,
Brigadier-General Grant received orders to attack the town with the 4th
Light Horse Brigade. Between him and Beersheba lay a definite system of
strongly-held Turkish trenches. As it was recognized that time did not
permit of a dismounted advance, the decision was made to go in mounted,
at a gallop. This hazardous enterprise of galloping infantry into an
entrenched position was entrusted to the 4th Regiment, from Victoria,
and the 12th Regiment, from New South Wales.
A FAMOUS CHARGE
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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