THE VALLEY OF DESOLATION
The Commander-in-Chief had now to decide whether or not he should
hold the Jordan Valley during the summer. Local authorities declared
emphatically that it was impossible for Europeans to exist there during
the summer months, owing to the intense heat and the prevalence of
malaria of a most virulent type. They pointed to the fact that even the
native Arabs move out of it to the hills during the hot weather, and
that Jericho itself is deserted. The only inhabitants of the district
during the summer are the small and miserable tribe of the Abid Miriam,
a people of negroid origin, descendants of African slaves imported by
the Arabs in former times. These live about Ain el Duk, where they
carry on a rude form of irrigation by means of a few of the old, Roman
water channels that still exist.
The official military handbook of Palestine confirmed the local opinion
by the statement that 'Nothing is known of the climate of the lower
Jordan Valley in summer time, since no civilised human being has yet
been found to spend a summer there'!
On the other hand, there were several strong reasons for continuing to
hold the valley line if possible. Some of these have been indicated at
the beginning of Chapter XI., but there was now another, and stronger,
reason for holding it, which was to confirm the enemy in his belief
that we intended to strike east of the Jordan in our next big advance.
Moreover, since it was clear that it would be necessary to occupy the
valley and the river crossings, when the next advance was commenced,
it was considered less costly to continue to hold it during the summer
than to have to retake it later on.
After careful consideration, General Allenby resolved to hold the
valley line permanently, and, as several of the German staff documents
which we had captured assumed that we would strike in that part of our
line near which the cavalry was stationed, it was decided to put them
there.
The line was accordingly organised in two sectors. The left sector
extended from the foot of the Judæan mountains, along the north bank
of the Wadi el Auja, to its junction with the Jordan, and included the
bridge and bridgehead there. A rocky ridge, several hundred feet high,
ran north and south through this position, from Tel el Sultan, near
Jericho, and extended north of the Auja, along the hill of Abu Tellul,
ending in an abrupt bluff at Musallabeh. This ridge was held by us, so
that this portion of the line resembled a fist with the first finger
extended, the finger representing the ridge, and the Wadi el Auja the
line of the knuckles. Abu Tellul and Musallabeh overlooked a dreary
expanse, part swamp, part stony plain, covered with large patches of
dense scrub, and intersected by innumerable deep wadis. The Turks were
able to move unseen among the scrub and wadis all round the salient in
our line, a fact which caused us much annoyance all the time we were
in occupation of the valley. It was, however, necessary to hold Abu
Tellul and Musaliabeh, both to preserve the water supply of the Auja
for ourselves, and to deny it to the enemy.
The right sector extended from the mouth of the Auja, along the right
bank of the Jordan, to the Dead Sea, and included the bridges and
bridgehead at Ghoraniyeh.
The reorganisation of the cavalry was completed by the middle of May,
and the Desert Mounted Corps now consisted of the Anzac and Australian
Mounted Divisions and the 4th and 5th (Indian) cavalry divisions.[21]
The valley line was held by two cavalry divisions, one in each sector,
supported by a brigade of Indian infantry, and two battalions of the
British West Indies Regiment. This organisation permitted of two
divisions at a time being withdrawn to rest in camps established in
the cool hills near Bethlehem, so that each cavalry division had
alternatively a month on duty in the valley, and a month at rest in
the hills. For the gunners of the Corps, however, there was no relief,
owing to the shortage of artillery in the force, and they had to pass
the whole summer in the valley, till the end of July, an experience
which none of them is ever likely to forget.
In past ages the Dead Sea covered a much greater area than it does at
the present day. The lower Jordan valley is, therefore, the bottom
of the old sea, and is covered with a layer of white marl, several
feet deep, which is strongly impregnated with salt. In spring the
land supports a little thin grass, but the fierce sun of early summer
scorches it in a few days to brittle dust. Under the feet of men and
horses the marl of the valley floor soon broke up into a white powder,
as fine as flour, which lay everywhere, in places over a foot deep.
Every morning, after a breathless night, a strong hot wind arose
from the north, and swept the dust down the valley in dense, choking
clouds. About eleven o'clock in the morning the wind used to die down
as suddenly as it had arisen, and for about half an hour there was a
period of deathlike stillness, accompanied by the most intense heat
of the day. Then the wind recommenced violently, but blowing from the
_south_, and continued till about eight in the evening. Innumerable,
violent air currents swept about the valley, often carrying along 'dust
devils' of immense height. It was no uncommon thing for one of these
devils to tear up a tent, and lift it bodily high into the air.
There was a tiny patch of green cultivation at Ain el Duk, about five
miles behind our line, and another at Jericho, and a few dusty thorn
trees grew along the Wadi el Auja. The rest of the valley was a barren
and awful wilderness of dust, stones, and boulders, inhabited, before
we came, only by snakes and scorpions.
The average maximum daily temperature during July, as taken at the R.A.
Headquarters on the top of the Tel el Sultan-Abu Tellul Ridge, was
113·2° F. in the shade. The highest reading recorded during the month
was 122° and the lowest 107°. At the foot of the ridge the temperature
was about 3° higher, and at Ghoraniyeh it reached 130° on several
occasions. During August the temperature rose still higher, but no
daily record was then kept of the thermometer readings. The tremendous
evaporation of the Dead Sea keeps the atmosphere moist, and adds to
the discomfort caused by the great heat, while the increased air
pressure, due to the depth of the valley floor below sea level (1200
feet at Ghoraniyeh), induces a feeling of lassitude against which it is
difficult to fight.
The effect of the climate on the horses was most remarkable. After
about three weeks in the valley, they became so tired and dispirited,
though they had little or no work to do, that they could scarce drag
themselves the mile or so to water and back again.
An unceasing campaign was carried on by the medical staff of the Corps
against the malaria-bearing mosquitoes which infested the valley,
and this undoubtedly did much to lessen the incidence of malaria,
especially of the malignant type, among the troops. In spite of all
efforts, however, the sick rate was high, as it was bound to be under
such conditions. Deaths and evacuations of sick to hospital averaged
together about one per cent. of the total strength per day, which meant
that the whole force in the valley would have to be replaced every
three months. Actually, however, the alternate month in the hills
enjoyed by the cavalry enabled many men, who had been sent to hospital,
to recover in time to do another tour of duty in the valley. Curiously
enough the Indian troops suffered more severely than did the British.
In this climate, and under such conditions, His Majesty's troops,
white, brown, and black, held the line throughout the summer of 1918,
and it is safe to say that few other troops in the Great War endured
greater hardships and discomfort than did the Jordan Valley force.
There was but one action of importance during the summer. On the 14th
July two Turkish divisions, supported by three battalions of German
infantry, attacked our positions at Musallabeh and Abu Tellul from the
west. Under cover of darkness the German troops, having cut our wire,
penetrated between two of our posts, and actually reached our second
line on the top of Abu Tellul, which was not occupied, owing to lack of
troops.
The 1st A.L.H. Brigade was holding this sector of the line at the
time, supported by a miscellaneous collection of artillery--horse,
field, mountain and siege. The attack was preceded by a very heavy
enemy bombardment, which cut all our telephone wires. The batteries
were thus, early in the fight, out of touch with their observers,
and, as the latter had in some cases to move hurriedly from their
posts to avoid capture, it was some time before communications could
be re-established. In the meantime the batteries continued to fire on
their S.O.S. lines.
The commanding officer of the 2nd A.L.H. regiment, against which the
brunt of the attack fell, narrowly escaped capture, but succeeded with
his staff in reaching a post in the second line on Abu Tellul. In the
uncertain light just before dawn, he observed a large body of troops
coming up the hill towards him, and at first took these for some of
his own men retiring from the outer posts. When they reached the wire,
however, and began to cut it, he realised that they were the enemy,
and at once gave the order to open rapid fire on them. This had the
effect of driving the Germans, who were ignorant of the fact that there
were only twelve men in front of them, away to the right, where they
occupied a post near the end of Abu Tellul, known as the Bluff.
Meanwhile the artillery officer with this section of the defence, who
had had both his signallers wounded, succeeded in getting a runner
back to one of the Horse Artillery batteries, with news of the state
of affairs. An officer at once set out from his battery with two
signallers, and, riding as far as the foot of Abu Tellul, under very
heavy shell fire, dismounted, and set to work repairing the telephone
wires. Having got into communication with the battery, the officer
went forward on foot with his signallers, running out a fresh wire,
and reached the top of Abu Tellul just after daylight. Here he found
two officers and twelve men of the reserve regiment of the 1st A.L.H.
Brigade, who were on their way to counter-attack the Bluff, a strongly
entrenched position in which there were, at the time, some eighty
German infantry! The party moved forward cautiously, taking advantage
of the cover afforded by the numerous rocks, but had not gone far when
an enemy shell burst among them, killing and wounding six. One of the
officers thereupon went back for reinforcements, and the remaining
nine, including the gunners, continued their advance. After going a
short distance farther, they observed a number of the enemy near the
Bluff, some 200 yards distant. Fortunately the telephone line still
held, so the fire of the battery was directed on the enemy. The little
13-pounder H.E. shell burst with excellent effect among the rocks
of the position, and the Germans very soon had enough of them, and
surrendered. They were collected, to the number of forty, disarmed, and
put in charge of two of the Australians, while the 'counter-attack,'
now reduced to seven, moved forward again. Another body of the enemy
was soon discovered occupying the end part of Abu Tellul. The battery
opened fire on these, and after a few minutes, believing that they were
cut off, they too put up a white flag and laid down their arms. There
were six officers and eighty men here, and their chagrin was great
on discovering that they had surrendered to seven men. However, they
were told that the rest of their force had been repulsed, and that our
battery was quite ready to open fire again, if need arose. The two
parties were quickly hustled away to the rear, being liberally shelled
by their own gunners on the way.
While this little comedy was being enacted at the end of the Abu Tellul
Ridge, daylight had come, and the enemy's only chance of capturing the
position had passed. Our outer posts, though surrounded, had all held
out, and turned the fire of their machine guns with good effect on the
enemy on the southern end of Abu Tellul. Some of these worked south to
the part of the ridge overlooking the Wadi el Auja, and suddenly found
themselves looking down on a battery of mountain howitzers that were
firing in the opposite direction, at some Turks who were attempting
to cross the wadi. The howitzers were immediately turned end for end
in their pits, and fired up the hill straight into the faces of the
astonished Germans, who retired discomfited, to hide among the rocks
and trenches farther north till gathered in by our troops later on.
By now the 5th A.L.H. regiment and the New Zealand Mounted Brigade,
which had been sent up in support, had arrived on the scene. Pushing
along both sides of the Abu Tellul Ridge, they quickly drove out the
rest of the enemy, and restored the position.
The two Turkish divisions, which were to have attacked on each side
of the German troops, had waited for daylight to make their assault,
with the result that they were easily driven off. The southern force,
indeed, only attacked once, and that but half-heartedly, but the
division on the enemy's left made three attempts on Musallabeh, only
to be driven back each time with heavy loss by a murderous machine-gun
fire. The Turks left about 200 dead on the positions.
By ten o'clock in the morning the whole position was completely
restored, and our prisoners (380 Germans and about 200 Turks) were on
their way back to headquarters.
At this juncture there occurred an incident so typical of the Hun that
it is worth recording. As they were marching back, a number of the
German officers and men commenced to show evident signs of distress,
and presently began to drop insensible by the wayside. As they had
only light field service caps on their heads, it was thought that
they had been overcome by the sun. Ambulance carts were sent for, and
the sufferers were conveyed to a field hospital near by, attended on
the way with the most solicitous care by their Australian escort. On
arrival at the hospital, however, it was discovered that they were
merely speechlessly drunk, whereupon the incensed Australians soused
them unceremoniously with water, and sent them on their way to the
prisoners' compounds without more ado. It transpired afterwards that
several small parties of Germans had been detailed to cut our telephone
wires as soon as they had penetrated our lines. While engaged on this
work they had stumbled on a tent, pitched in a little gully, in which
were stored several cases of beer and one or two of whisky, which had
been brought up at very great trouble for the men of the 2nd A.L.H.
regiment. Unable to resist this liquor, the Germans, officers and
men, abandoning their task of wire cutting, fell upon the cases, and,
knocking off the heads of the bottles, poured the contents down their
throats. When they had drunk all they could hold, they smashed the rest
of the bottles, and staggered away, to be captured disgracefully by our
troops. Had any of them been on the scene when the thirsty Australians
repaired to the tent after being relieved from the trenches, they would
undoubtedly have shared the fate of the bottles!
During the attack on Musallabeh and Abu Tellul the enemy was observed
to be massing for an attack east of the river Jordan, opposite El
Henu ford, about half-way between Makhadet Hajlah and the Dead Sea.
The Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade immediately moved out from
Ghoraniyeh to attack. Taking advantage of the cover afforded by the
broken ground and scrub on the east bank, the cavalry arrived within
charging distance before they were observed. They charged at once, and
routed the Turks, killing ninety with the spear, and taking about 100
prisoners and several machine guns.
During the remainder of the period spent in the Jordan Valley, action
on both sides was confined to artillery activity, in which the enemy,
owing to the freedom of movement he enjoyed, had the advantage of us,
and to patrol work, in which our troops, more especially the Indian
Cavalry, had it all their own way. The only sources of water, other
than the Jordan, were the Wadi el Auja, which was used by the troops
and horses in the left sector, and the Wadi Nueiameh, which arose at
Ain el Duk, and flowed into the Jordan at El Ghoraniyeh. The latter
wadi was used by the Headquarters of the Valley Defences and by the
field ambulances and supply and ordnance troops. The east side of the
Tel el Sultan-Abu Tellul Ridge, which was only about 7000 yards from
the Jordan, was occupied by horse lines, ammunition column camps, and
field hospitals. Early in July the enemy, who had received considerable
artillery reinforcements, pushed a number of field guns and heavy
howitzers southwards, east of the Jordan, and commenced a systematic
shelling of these troops. Camps and horse lines had to be moved, and
scattered about in sections, in most inconvenient situations, along the
bottoms of small wadis running down from the ridge into the plain. Some
protection was obtained by these measures, but there was not sufficient
room in the wadis for all the units, and those which had to remain in
the open suffered under a constant, galling shell fire, and had to
shift their camps every few days.
The whole of the Wadis el Auja and Nueiameh was under the enemy's
observation either from Red Hill and other high ground east of the
Jordan, or from the foothills west and north-west of Abu Tellul. The
Turks took full advantage of this to shell our watering parties almost
every day. The drinking-places were frequently changed, and every
effort was made to distract the enemy's attention, during the hours
when horses were being watered, by shelling his positions vigorously.
But the dense clouds of dust raised by even the smallest parties of
horses on the move, generally gave the game away, and we had constant
trouble and numerous casualties among men and horses.
About the same time as the Turks became aware of the possibilities
of artillery on the east bank of the Jordan, they got a six-inch
long-range gun in position in the hills north-west of our line in the
valley, and shelled Ghoraniyeh, Jericho, and other back areas at a
range of some 20,000 yards. The gun was nicknamed 'Jericho Jane' by our
gunners, and the name found its way eventually into the Corps' Daily
Intelligence Report. But when the enemy brought up two more such guns
into about the same position, and the three were referred to in the
daily report from one of the R.A. Headquarters as 'Jericho Jane and her
two wicked sisters,' the powers that were decreed that such slang was
inappropriate in official reports!
For the first week 'Jericho Jane' confined her unwelcome attentions to
Jericho, into which she put about thirty shells, and to various camps
and horse lines in the neighbourhood. But, when her wicked sisters
arrived, they at once commenced to pay court to the 13th Cavalry
Brigade, which was in reserve at the time, and was camped about Ain el
Duk on the west side of the ridge. This position had hitherto been
deemed the only safe spot in the whole horrible valley, and it was
a sad blow to the 13th Brigade, who had a comfortable camp close to
water, to find their sanctuary invaded by these outrageous viragoes.
The first shot hit the top of the Mount of Temptation, just above the
rock-hewn hermitage of a community of Greek monks. The line of fire
then moved slowly down the mountain side, the thunderous crashes of
the bursting shells sending the good monks to the shelter of their
rock cells quicker than ever the prayer bell had done. Meantime the
cavalry were breaking camp in record time. Before the first shell burst
in the camp, the whole brigade was mounted and moving southwards into
the Wilderness, homeless as the Children of Israel. The 'safe' camp,
the envy of all the valley, with its outlook over a beautiful patch of
vivid green at Ain el Duk, was abandoned to the snake and the scorpion,
and the indignant troops had to find such shelter as was available here
and there in the bottoms of arid, dusty wadis.
The three sisters were eventually spotted by aeroplanes, and silenced
by some of our heavy artillery in the mountain sector. In the valley
itself, it was almost impossible to locate the enemy guns. Owing to the
very broken nature of the country, the damp atmosphere and the constant
dust, our aeroplanes were unable to spot them, even when firing, and
they caused us constant annoyance, while remaining almost immune from
our fire. Flying over the valley was at all times most hazardous work,
owing to the innumerable vortices and pockets in the air, and there
were many bad accidents.
The Australian Mounted Division left the valley finally on the 1st
August, followed shortly afterwards by the 5th Cavalry Division.
The two divisions were relieved by the 4th and the Anzac Divisions.
Marching by easy stages during the night, and remaining hidden by day
among vineyards and olive groves, they crossed the mountains to the
coastal plain, and went into camp in the neighbourhood of Selmeh and
Ludd.
The blessed coolness of the nights, and the clear and comparatively
bracing air of the plain, soon began to have a good effect on the jaded
troops and horses, worn out by their long periods in the dismal Valley
of Desolation. Training recommenced at once, and continued till the
middle of September, when the two divisions marched into positions
of hiding, preparatory to the Great Drive. The 4th Cavalry Division,
having left the valley on the 11th September, joined them on the 17th.
The Anzac Division remained sweltering by the Jordan till after the
commencement of the September operations, suffering greatly from
sickness, but 'carrying on' with the cheerfulness and courage typical
of the Australians.
Just before leaving the valley, the writer heard an Australian trooper
sum up the all-pervading horror of the place in a characteristic
sentence. After gazing for some time at the hideous expanse of white
dust and blistering rocks at his feet, he remarked slowly: 'Well, I
reckon God made the Jordan Valley, and when He seen what He done, He
threw stones at it!'
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 21: See Appendix I. _a._ for detail of cavalry.]