The Story of the Great War, Volume 8: Victory with the Allies; Armistice; Peace Congress; Canada's War Organizations and vast War Industries; Canadian Battles Overseas
History
The Story of the Great War, Volume 8: Victory with the Allies; Armistice; Peace Congress; Canada's War Organizations and vast War Industries; Canadian Battles Overseas
World War, 1914-1918
By 8 p. m. on September 20, 1918, the enemy resistance had collapsed
everywhere, save on the Turkish left in the Jordan Valley. The British
left wing, having swung round to the east, had reached the line
Bidieh-Baka-Messudieh Junction, astride the rail and roads converging
on Shechem from the west. The right wing, advancing through difficult
country against considerable resistance, had reached the line Khan
Jibeit-Es Sawieh, facing north astride the Jerusalem-Shechem road. On
the north, cavalry, traversing the Field of Armageddon, had occupied
Nazareth, Afuleh, and Beisan, and were collecting the disorganized
masses of enemy troops and transport as they arrived from the south.
All avenues of escape open to the enemy, except the fords across the
Jordan between Beisan and Jisr-ed-Damieh, a distance of twenty-seven
miles, were thus closed. East of the Jordan, the Arab forces of the
king of the Hedjaz had effected numerous demolitions on the railways
radiating from Deraa, several important bridges, including one in the
Yarmuk Valley, having been destroyed.
By 9 p. m. on September 21, 1918, the infantry of the British left
wing, pivoting on their left about Bir Asur, five miles east by north
from Tul Keram, had reached the line Beit Dejan-Semaria-Bir Asur,
shepherding the enemy on and west of the Jerusalem-Shechem road into
the arms of the cavalry operating southward from Jenin and Beisan.
Other enemy columns vainly attempted to escape into the Jordan Valley,
in the direction of Jisr-ed Damieh, southeast of Shechem, which was
still held by enemy troops. These columns suffered severely from
British aircraft, which constantly harassed them with bombs and
machine-gun fire from low altitudes.
In the vicinity of Lake Galilee British cavalry detachments held
Nazareth and the rail and road passages over the Jordan at Jisr el
Mujamia.
Having seized the passages off the Jordan at Jisr-ed Damieh,
twenty-three miles north of the Dead Sea, on the morning of September
22, 1918, the last avenue of escape open to the enemy west of the
river was closed. The Seventh and Eighth Turkish Armies virtually
ceased to exist. Their entire transport was in British hands.
By September 22, 1918, 25,000 prisoners and 260 guns had been counted,
but many prisoners and much material remained to be enumerated.
East of the Jordan the enemy was reported on September 24, 1918,
withdrawing toward Amman, on the Hedjaz Railway, twenty-four miles
east of the Jordan, pursued by Australian, New Zealand, East Indian,
and Jewish troops, which had reached Es Salt, eleven miles east of the
Jordan, capturing guns and prisoners. In the north cavalry had
occupied Jaifa and Acre, after slight opposition.
The Arab forces of King Hussein had occupied Maan, about seventy miles
south of the Dead Sea and were harassing the bodies of the enemy
retreating northward toward Amman along the Hedjaz Railway.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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