THE FIRST ROUND
October the 31st was the date fixed for the capture of Beersheba, which
was to be the first phase of the operations. The plan of attack was as
follows:--
The 60th and 74th Divisions were to attack the outer defences on the
west and south-west, immediately after dawn, and, having captured them,
were to hold the high ground west of the town. The 53rd Division and
the Camel Corps Brigade were directed to protect the left flank of
these operations.
Meanwhile the Anzac and the Australian Mounted Divisions, starting
respectively from Asluj and Khalasa, were to march during the night,
south of Beersheba, right round the enemy flank, and attack the town
from the east, where the defences were known to be less formidable.
These two divisions thus had night marches of twenty-five and
thirty-five miles respectively before reaching their first objectives.
The 7th Mounted Brigade, marching direct from Esani, had the task of
masking the strongly entrenched hill of Ras Ghannam, which formed the
southern end of the enemy's outer defences, and of linking up the
Australian Mounted Division and the 20th Corps. To the cavalry thus
fell the task of seizing the town of Beersheba itself.
It will be seen that, during the attack on Beersheba, there would be
a gap of some seventeen miles between the 20th Corps on the right and
the 21st Corps in the coastal sector. Our railway ran right up into
this gap, the railhead at Karm being actually in front of our line, and
within eight miles of the main enemy positions about Hareira.
[Illustration: _Diagram illustrating the position of troops on the 31st
of Oct. 1917._]
To cover this gap, and to deal with any attempted counter-attack
against our railhead, the Yeomanry Division was to concentrate at, and
east of, Karm, with the 10th Division in support about Shellal. The
action of the Commander-in-Chief in thus trusting the guarding of this
wide gap to so small a force is of particular interest as indicating
his readiness to accept a considerable risk in order to achieve
victory. It also demonstrates his complete confidence in the success of
his efforts to deceive the enemy as to our real intentions.
The fortifications of Beersheba consisted of two lines of defensive
positions. The outer line, heavily entrenched and wired, ran in a
semicircle along the high ground north-west, west, and south-west of
the town, from the Gaza-Beersheba road to Ras Ghannam, at an average
distance of 7000 yards from the town. On the north-east, east, and
south-east the outer defences were not continuous, but consisted of a
series of strong posts, chief of which were Tel el Sakaty, Tel el Saba,
and two stone block-houses on the north bank of the Wadi Saba. The
inner line ran completely round the town itself, and on its outskirts,
crossing the Wadi Saba just south of the railway bridge. It was
believed, but not with any great degree of certainty, that the portion
of this line on the east of the town was not protected by wire.
Beersheba is situated on the east bank of the wadi, at the
north-western end of a flat, treeless plain, about four miles long
and three miles wide, completely surrounded by ranges of tumbled,
rocky hills. To the north-east these hills rise gradually to join the
main Judæan range, along the backbone of which runs the road to
Jerusalem, through El Dhahariyeh, Hebron, and Bethlehem.
[Illustration: Australian engineers developing the water supply at
Esani.]
[Illustration: Cavalry country! Near Beersheba.]
On the evening of the 26th of October all preliminary arrangements for
the attack were complete, and the 20th Corps was concentrating about
Shellal. The Australian Mounted Division was in the line from Shellal
to Gamli, and held a line of outposts covering the railway construction
at Karm, from El Buggar, through points 720 and 630, nearly to the
Wadi Sharia, a distance of about fourteen miles. This outpost line
was manned by the 8th Mounted Brigade, which had been lent for the
purpose by the Yeomanry Division, and which came under the orders of
the 53rd Division at midnight on the 26th. The Yeomanry Division was
concentrated in the neighbourhood of Hiseia and Shellal, the Anzac
Division was at Abasan el Kebir, and the Camel Brigade at Shellal.
At dawn on the 27th, the centre of the thinly held cavalry outpost line
was suddenly attacked by an enemy force of all arms, between 3000 and
4000 strong. The post on point 630 was driven in, but the squadron of
the Middlesex Yeomanry that formed the garrison withdrew to a cruciform
trench just below the top of the hill, which had been cleverly sited by
the general staff of the Australian Mounted Division. In this trench,
though surrounded by the enemy and repeatedly attacked, the little
garrison held out all day with the greatest gallantry, till relieved by
a brigade of the 53rd Division at half-past four in the afternoon.
As soon as news of the enemy attack was received, General Hodgson,
realising that it was impossible for the infantry to reach the outpost
line in time to save the situation, despatched the 3rd A.L.H. Brigade
and the Notts Battery R.H.A. to the aid of the Yeomanry. Before they
arrived on the scene, however, the small garrison on point 720 had been
subjected to a concentrated shell fire, and overwhelmed by a combined
mounted and dismounted attack. This was the first and last time that
the Turkish cavalry screwed themselves up to the point of a charge.
One of the only three survivors of the garrison estimated that about
seventy saddles were emptied, but the Turks rode on like men, and
galloped right over the post.
The reserve regiment of the 8th Brigade held the line till the arrival
of the Australians, and frustrated the enemy's attempt to break through
the gap between points 630 and 720. The enemy withdrew at dusk, and our
troops reoccupied the position.
From the large force employed by the Turks in this operation, it
appears probable that they had intended to hold the 630-720 ridge
permanently, if they succeeded in capturing it. The ridge commanded a
full view of all the country lying between it and the Wadi Ghuzze, and,
at the same time, concealed this bit of country from direct observation
from the Turkish positions farther east.
The Anzac Mounted Division moved out from Abasan el Kebir on the
evening of the 27th, and reached Khalasa early next morning, where it
remained during the day.
The bombardment of Gaza commenced on this day, and continued with
gradually growing intensity till the morning of the 2nd of November,
when the outer defences of the town were captured by the 21st Corps.
On the 28th of October the 53rd Division relieved the Australian
Mounted Division on the El Buggar outpost line, the 8th Mounted Brigade
rejoined the Yeomanry Division, and the Australian Mounted Division
moved out at dusk and marched to Khalasa, arriving early on the morning
of the 29th. The Anzac Division marched the same night from Khalasa to
Asluj. The two divisions rested at these places during the 29th and
30th, in preparation for the strenuous work ahead of them. During these
two days the 60th Division marched from the Shellal area to Bir el
Esani, the advanced brigade pushing on to a point near Ma el Mallaka.
One brigade of the 74th Division moved forward to fill the gap between
the 53rd and 60th Divisions, and the 10th Division concentrated near
Shellal.
Soon after dark on the night of the 30th the troops left their
bivouacs, and commenced to move silently on the unconscious enemy. The
Anzac Mounted Division, in the lead, was to send one brigade, _via_ Bir
el Arara, against Bir el Hammam and Bir Salim Abu Irgeig, the first
objectives, the remainder of the division marching _via_ the Wadi el
Shreikiye, Gebel el Shegeib, and Iswaiwin to attack Tel el Sakaty and
Tel el Saba, and then close in on Beersheba.
The Australian Mounted Division, following the Anzac Division along the
Wadi el Shreikiye, was to halt at a point a little north of Iswaiwin,
and be prepared to act either northwards, in support of the Anzac
Division, or westwards towards Beersheba, as might be required. The 7th
Mounted Brigade was ordered to march from Esani, _via_ Itweil el Semin,
against Ras Ghannam.
The leading of the troops, never an easy matter at night, was rendered
more troublesome by the fact that the country beyond Asluj was quite
unknown to us, and was, besides, of a most difficult and intricate
nature. Maps, though accurate in the main, were lacking in detail,
and the employment of native guides was too risky an experiment to be
contemplated. However, favoured by a bright moon, which rose soon
after dark, the marches were accomplished without mishap, and the
Anzac Mounted Division secured its first objectives without serious
opposition about eight o'clock. The 2nd A.L.H. Brigade was now directed
on Tel el Sakaty, and the New Zealanders on Tel el Saba, the 1st A.L.H.
Brigade following in reserve.
The Headquarters of the Australian Mounted Division reached the high
hill of Khashim Zanna about ten o'clock, and looked down upon the
plain of Beersheba and the picturesque little town, which had to be
in our hands by nightfall at all costs. Shells from the guns of the
60th Division were bursting all along the ridge beyond the town, and,
away to the right, the rattle of machine-gun fire told where the
Anzac Mounted Division was engaged at Tel el Sakaty. Patrols from the
Australian Mounted Division were pushed out to the west to reconnoitre
the approaches to Beersheba, south of the Wadi Saba.
Meanwhile the 7th Mounted Brigade dismounted, and, scrambling up the
rocky steeps of Ras Ghannam, was meeting with strong opposition from
the well-entrenched Turks on the top of the hill.
The enemy resistance soon began to increase considerably, and the
Anzac Division made but slow progress across the bare open plain. The
entrenched hill of Tel el Sakaty was captured by the 2nd A.L.H. Brigade
about one o'clock, after a stiff fight, and half an hour later this
brigade got across the Jerusalem road.
Shortly before this, a patrol of the Australian Mounted Division
had smartly rounded up and captured a Turkish officer with a small
escort. He turned out to be the personal aide-de-camp of Ismet Bey,
the commander of the Beersheba garrison. It appeared that Ismet had
been sitting in his battle headquarters, on a hill west of the town,
since early morning, watching with complete equanimity the attack of
our infantry, which he believed to consist of only one division. About
eleven o'clock, happening to turn his head, he received a distinct
shock on seeing the plain behind him covered with cavalry. He at once
sent his staff officer off _ventre à terre_ to find out if the cavalry
intended to attack, or were only making a demonstration. The officer
received full information on this point, but, as he was not in a
position to take it back to his chief, the latter became uneasy, and
shortly afterwards appears to have lost his head completely, for he
proceeded to fling all his reserves into the fight on the west, before
the battle was well begun.
By half-past one our infantry had captured all their objectives west of
the town, and commenced to consolidate on the positions won. From the
Cavalry Corps headquarters the enemy troops could be seen retiring in
an orderly manner into Beersheba.
The headquarters of the two cavalry divisions were at this time with
corps headquarters, on Khashim Zanna, which was the highest hill
for miles around. After a light but satisfactory lunch, the three
headquarters Staffs sat down in a long line on the very top of the
hill, with maps and field-glasses, to watch the 'manoeuvres' in the
plain below. Observing the irresistible target thus presented to the
enemy artillery, the gunnery staffs of the two divisions, moved by a
common impulse, faded silently into the comparative safety of the open
plain. Immediately afterwards a salvo of high-velocity shells landed
right on top of the hill, scattering maps, field-glasses, and staff
officers like chaff before the wind! Fortunately, no one was hurt, but
for the rest of the day the staff treated the enemy gunners, always
good, with the respect due to them.
Meanwhile the advance of the cavalry across the plain dragged slowly
on. The country was flat and open, and there were no trees or scrub to
afford cover even to dismounted men. The whole plain was swept by the
fire of numerous machine guns and field guns concealed in the town of
Beersheba, along the banks of the Wadi Saba, in the two block-houses
on the north bank of the wadi, and on the strongly entrenched hill of
Tel el Saba. From the last-named position any advance across the plain
was enfiladed, and it was clear that this hill would have to be taken
before any further progress could be made.
The New Zealand Brigade had worked along the dry bed of the Wadi Saba
for some distance, and then, leaving the horses under cover, advanced
to attack the position on foot. The hill is steep and rugged, and
overlooks the bed of the wadi for some 400 yards to the east, where it
makes a sharp bend. The New Zealanders got as far as this bend, but
could make no farther progress, as every part of the confined river bed
in front of them was swept by rifle and machine-gun fire. One regiment
got out of the wadi on the north side, and made a detour to try and
take the hill in rear, but could make little headway over the exposed
ground, in face of the heavy enemy fire. About the same time the 3rd
A.L.H. Brigade and two batteries from the Australian Mounted Division
were pushed in to assist the attack from the south.
The day was now far gone, and the advance seemed to be at a standstill.
General Chaytor then put in his reserve brigade (the 1st), to
co-operate in the attack on Tel el Saba from the south. General Cox,
commanding the brigade, directed the 2nd A.L.H. Regiment on the two
block-houses, and the 3rd on Tel el Saba. From the shelter of a small
wadi, some three miles south of the hill, the two regimental commanders
scrutinised the open plain in front of them in an effort to find some
covered way of approach. None could be found, so the two commanders
determined to make a dash for it mounted, and get as near as possible
before dismounting to continue the attack on foot.
Deploying from the wadi, the two regiments swung out into line of
troop columns at wide interval, and galloped forward over the open
plain in full view of the enemy. Several Turkish batteries at once
opened fire on them, but they were advancing so fast that the enemy
gunners seemed to be unable to get the range, and but little damage
was caused by their fire. It was not, indeed, till the regiments came
under machine-gun fire that casualties began to occur, and, even then,
our loss was slight, probably owing to the comparatively steep angle of
descent of machine-gun bullets at long ranges, and to the difficulty
of finding and keeping the range. At 1500 yards from the position,
they rode into a convenient depression, and here they dismounted and
continued the advance on foot.
There was no cover of any sort, and their approach from this point was
necessarily slow, in face of the heavy fire which they encountered.
Now that they were on foot, and moving slowly, they began to suffer
severely, whereas they had advanced mounted for over two miles with
scarcely any casualties. An intense fire fight developed, as the two
brigades closed gradually in on the enemy. Our little thirteen-pounder
Horse Artillery guns, though pushed up boldly to close range, could
make little impression on the well-built enemy trenches and machine-gun
emplacements on Tel el Saba, and none at all on the thick stone walls
of the block-houses. They did good service, however, in keeping down
the hostile fire.
About two o'clock, the 2nd A.L.H. Regiment reached and stormed the
block-houses, and, from the captured positions, poured a heavy fire
into the flank of Tel el Saba. This caused some slackening of the
enemy's fire, of which the New Zealanders took prompt advantage. With
a sudden, tremendous rush, they charged down the bed of the wadi, up
the steep sides of the hill, and into the position, almost before the
Turks were aware of the attack. A few minutes' sharp bayonet fighting
completed the capture of the hill, with about 120 prisoners and a large
number of machine guns. This success removed the last obstacle to our
advance on Beersheba, but the town itself still held out, and there
was a wide space of open ground still to be crossed before it could be
assaulted.
Orders were issued at once for the whole of the two divisions, less the
5th Mounted Brigade, to advance mounted, and endeavour to get close
enough to the town to make a dismounted attack before darkness fell.
This order reached the 4th A.L.H. Brigade, which had not yet been in
action, at half-past four. It was then waiting at the south-eastern
edge of the plain, fully three miles from Beersheba, and, as sunset was
due at five o'clock, there was no time to be lost.
Making up his mind instantly, General Grant, commanding the brigade,
collected the two regiments he had with him, the third being engaged
in reconnaissance work, and moved rapidly forward to the shelter of
some dead ground about 3000 yards from the enemy trenches south-east
of the town. Having sent a message to the two nearest batteries of the
division, 'A' Battery H.A.C. and the Notts Battery R.H.A., to be ready
to support his attack, he ordered a charge. The two batteries at once
limbered up, and, moving rapidly forward, galloped into action in the
open, at a range of about 2500 yards, and opened a heavy fire on the
Turkish trenches and field guns in front, and on a nest of machine guns
to the left front.
As soon as the batteries were in action, General Grant's two regiments
swept out into the open, in column of squadrons in line, and galloped
straight at the Turkish trenches.
Seen from the rising ground on which our guns were in action, it was
a most inspiriting sight. It was growing dark, and the enemy trenches
were outlined in fire by the flashes of their rifles. Beyond, and a
little above them, blazed the bigger, deeper flashes of their field
guns, and our own shells burst like a row of red stars over the Turkish
positions. In front the long lines of cavalry swept forward at racing
speed, half obscured in clouds of reddish dust. Amid the deafening
noise all around, they seemed to move silently, like some splendid,
swift machine. Over the Turks they went, leaping the two lines of deep
trenches, and, dismounting on the farther side, flung themselves into
the trenches with the bayonet.[8] The whole position was in our hands
in ten minutes, and was consolidated immediately.
It was now quite dark, so General Grant collected his squadrons
together, attended to casualties, and rounded up his prisoners. Then,
leaving a guard with the prisoners, and remounting the remainder of
his men, he sent them at a gallop into the town itself. Through the
streets they raced in the darkness, riding down all opposition, and so
hustling the Turks that they never had a chance to rally. Before six
o'clock the town, with 1200 prisoners and 14 guns, was in our hands.
Ismet Bey escaped in a motor-car ten minutes before the final charge.
In the interval between the capture of the trenches and the charge
into the town, the enemy had begun to blow up the wells and ammunition
depots. Huge, mushroom-shaped columns of violet flame and smoke shot
up here and there, accompanied by sullen, heavy explosions. Shortly
afterwards, the main store and some of the railway station buildings
were set on fire, and the flames from these burning buildings lighted
up the whole town, and, as it happened, materially assisted our troops
in them task of handling the prisoners. These proved surly and rather
truculent, and two incidents which occurred during the early part of
the night warned us that it would be well to get them away as soon as
possible. As a body of prisoners was being marched out of the town to a
piece of open ground on the east side, where they were being collected
and counted, some of them suddenly halted and fired several Verey
lights into the air, evidently with the intention of signalling to
their comrades in the north. Shortly afterwards another party of them
made a sudden and determined rush for one of the captured guns, and
several had to be shot down before the rush was stopped. The attitude
of these prisoners was in marked contrast to that of most of the Turks
whom we captured, who generally accepted their fate stoically, if
not with satisfaction. They seemed to resent the charge extremely,
and there is no doubt that they were expecting to be able to retire
quietly along the Gaza-Beersheba road during the night, when the sudden
dash of the Australians surprised them.
Including those taken by our infantry, about 2000 prisoners were
captured at Beersheba, and over 500 Turkish corpses were buried on the
battle-field. The casualties in the two regiments of the 4th Brigade,
32 killed and 32 wounded, may be considered remarkably light, in view
of the strength of the enemy.
General Grant's action forms a notable landmark in the history of
cavalry, in that it initiated that spirit of dash which thereafter
dominated the whole campaign. When he received the orders for the
attack, he had to consider that the enemy was known to be in strength,
well posted in trenches, and adequately supplied with guns and machine
guns. In order to reach the town itself, it would be necessary to cross
the Wadi Saba, of unknown depth, and, possibly, with precipitous banks.
The character of the intervening country was known only in so far as it
had been revealed by field-glasses. It was not even certain that there
was no wire in front of the enemy's position. On the other hand, the
town had to be in our hands before nightfall, or the whole plan failed.
He weighed the chances, and made up his mind instantly to risk all in
a charge, and the success he achieved surprised even the most ardent
votaries of the white arm.
The remainder of the Australian Mounted Division moved into Beersheba
during the night, leaving the 3rd Brigade to assist the Anzac Division
in holding an outpost line north and north-east of the town, from Bir
el Hammam to the Gaza-Beersheba road. The 7th Mounted Brigade, which
had had a day of desultory fighting, joined the division in the town
early next morning.
With the capture of Beersheba, the first phase of the operations
had ended satisfactorily, and, as the earlier reports from the town
as to the water supply were favourable, it was decided to commence
phase two, the attack on Gaza, on the night of the 1st of November.
The attack was launched at 11 P.M., and stubborn fighting continued
all night. By half-past six on the morning of the 2nd, the whole of
the front line and support trenches, from 'Umbrella' Hill, about the
middle of the system, to Sheikh Hassan on the sea coast, were in our
hands. Sheikh Hassan was some distance behind the enemy's front line,
and its capture therefore threatened his right flank. The positions
won were consolidated, and no further advance was attempted, as it was
considered that the object of the attack, which was to deceive the
enemy and to retain his reserves in the coastal sector, had been fully
secured.
Preparations were at once commenced for phase three, the main attack
on the enemy's exposed left flank about Sharia and Hareira. For this
purpose the 53rd Division made a long march on the 1st, and occupied
a line from Toweil Abu Jerwal to Khurbet el Muweileh, with the Camel
Brigade on its right. The Anzac Mounted Division, prolonging this line
from Abu Jerwal to the Hebron road about Bir el Makruneh, met with more
opposition than had been expected, the reason for which was to become
apparent in the course of the next few days. The division captured
about 200 prisoners and a number of machine guns during the day.
Reports sent back from this area indicated such a lack of water that it
was clear that no more than one cavalry division could be maintained
there. Accordingly the Australian Mounted Division was ordered to
remain in Beersheba, in general reserve, and was directed to endeavour
to improve the water supply there. There were a few surface pools in
the Wadi Saba, the result of a thunderstorm that had broken a few days
previously, but these were already rapidly drying up. Of the seven good
wells in the town, five had been blown up by the Turks on the night
of the 31st, and the remaining two had been prepared for demolition,
but the charges had not been fired. Our sappers were left in splendid
isolation, as they gingerly probed the _débris_ round these wells, and
eventually located the charges and safely removed them.
The enemy had evidently intended, in the event of his having to
abandon Beersheba, to leave nothing but ruins behind him, for the
whole place was a nest of explosive charges, 'booby traps' and trip
wires. By a fortunate chance the German engineer who was responsible
for the destruction of the town was away on leave in Jerusalem at the
time of its capture. Consequently most of these trip wires were not
yet attached to their detonators. A few, however, had been connected
up before the town was taken. The writer came across one such, while
making a rapid artillery reconnaissance round the town at daybreak
on the 1st of November. Luckily it was noticed before the party rode
over it, and, on being cut and followed to its source, was found to be
connected to a detonator concealed in twenty cases of gelignite in the
railway station,--enough to have laid the whole town in ruins.
Large numbers of hand grenades had been concealed in stores of grain
and food in different parts of the town, and there were one or two
accidents at first among parties of too eager explorers. Sir Philip
Chetwode, commander of the 20th Corps, moved his headquarters into
Beersheba a day or two later, and occupied the house of the enemy
commander. On examining the building before he moved in, our sappers
found it packed from cellar to garret with cases of explosives, all
connected to trip wires.
This house was one of the fine stone buildings, of which there were a
number, surrounding a large public garden, and which had been built
by the Germans during the war. The whole of this modern portion of
the town appeared to have been built for propaganda purposes, or like
the cities of lath and plaster which are run up in a few days for
cinematograph productions. From time to time articles on the war in the
East appeared in the German papers, generally synchronising with some
reverse on the Western Front. In these articles, which were lavishly
illustrated, Beersheba figured under headings such as 'the Queen
City of the Prairies.' Apparently, in order to supply the necessary
pictures, the Germans had laid out a large public garden, and built
around it a series of imposing public buildings, including a Governor's
house, Government offices, hospital, barracks, mosque, and even an
hotel. The surrounding country abounds in a species of hard white
limestone admirably suited for building, and all the houses were built
of this and roofed with red tiles. They were ranged round the square,
like four rows of stiff white soldiers with red helmets, and were
so sited that any number of photographs could be taken from various
positions, each showing a different view, and each hiding the real
town behind the brand new German architecture. But once behind these
houses, a shocking contrast met the eye. Here was the real Beersheba,
a miserable collection of filthy mud hovels, huddled shrinkingly
together as though trying to hide their shabbiness from their gorgeous
neighbours. The _place_ in the centre was conspicuously labelled 'Bier
Garten,' and was laid out with a number of little paths in an exact,
geometrical pattern. The flower-beds supported a few dusty shrubs and a
quantity of those hideous 'everlastings' so dear to the Teuton heart.
All the buildings were laid out exactly facing the four points of the
compass, except the mosque, which, in deference to Moslem prejudices,
had been built with its _mihrab_ turned towards Mecca, and consequently
was lamentably askew. The Huns had taken their revenge, however, by
garnishing the windows with German stained glass of an ugliness so
startling that the Australians vowed their horses shied at it!
The railway, built by the German engineer, Meissner Pasha, of Baghdad
Railway fame, was an admirable piece of work, metalled throughout, and
carried over the numerous wadis on fine, arched bridges of dressed
stone. The bridge over the Wadi Saba was upwards of 400 yards long. One
wonders who paid for all the work.
While we were in occupation of Beersheba, some one in the Intelligence
Branch of the staff conceived the brilliant idea of trying to impress
the local Arabs, some of whom were hostile to us, with the majesty and
power of the British Empire. Accordingly, after a good deal of trouble,
a few of the neighbouring sheikhs were induced to come into the town,
and were escorted round by an officer who spoke Arabic. They were
shown first a regiment of cavalry, which left them cold, as the horses
appeared clumsy to them in comparison with their own little Arabs. Then
lines of marching infantry were pointed out to them, and field guns,
and more cavalry, and motor lorries. All to no purpose. An occasional
grunt and a half concealed yawn were all the response the perspiring
officer received. When a sixty-pounder gun, drawn by a 'caterpillar'
motor tractor, hove in sight, they showed some signs of uneasiness,
and eyed this new form of devil carriage with profound distrust. But
when they found that it could only move at a walking pace, they became
reassured and lost all interest in it. The hard-working staff officer
was in despair, when, towards evening, the first ration convoy of
camels arrived. We had at that time about 30,000 camels in the force,
and they were in magnificent condition--big, strong beasts, covered
with muscle, and free from the blemishes which so disfigure the desert
Arabs' animals.
Here was something the sheikhs could understand. They watched the
camels winding into the town, line after line, hundred after hundred,
and their eyes grew round with wonder. The first eager talk died away
to an astonished silence. When all the convoy, about 1000 strong, was
in, and _barracked_ in an open space, the natives turned to the officer
with a volley of questions. Seeing the impression made, he told them,
in an off-hand manner, that the British had more than twenty times
that number with their army. The sheikhs' looks politely conveyed the
message that they considered him a liar. Determined to strike while the
iron was hot, he bundled them all into a couple of motor cars, after
some signs of panic on their part, and ran them across to Shellal,
where in truth they saw more camels than they had ever dreamed of.
They spent all the afternoon visiting the camps of the Camel Transport
Corps, and watching the departure of laden convoys and the return of
empty ones. In the evening they mounted their horses again, and
rode off into the darkness to rejoin their own people. But before they
left, the chief among them, acting as spokesman for all, told our staff
officer that they were now quite convinced that the _Ingilizi_ were
certainly the greatest tribe in the world, and that they would advise
their young men to keep on friendly terms with us and help us in every
way. They were as good as their word, and we had no more trouble from
hostile Arabs.
[Illustration: Beersheba. From an enemy photograph taken before the
completion of the new German buildings.]
[Illustration: Arrival of the first enemy train in Beersheba. Meissner
Pasha in white helmet and gaiters. The inscription on the coach means
"Stamboul to Cairo." (From an enemy photograph)]
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 8: They had charged with bayonets drawn and extended in front
of them like swords.]