The Battle Of Beersheba Analysis
The Battle of Beersheba, part of the third Battle of Gaza, was a day-long battle fought on the 31st of October 1917. This battle was fought by the British, Australians and New Zealanders in an attempt to capture Beersheba. If the British were successful in capturing Beersheba, they would be enabled to push past the Ottoman line near Gaza and finally advance into Palestine. The two prior attacks on Gaza resulted in defeat for the Egypt Expedition Force (EEF), a British Empire military formation. Neidell (2017) states that preceding the attack, the British had a two-month campaign aimed at deceiving the Ottomans into thinking that they would attack Gaza again and that an attack on Beersheba would be impractical. This campaign achieved its goal
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There’s no water between this side of Beersheba and Esani. Use your bayonets as swords. I wish you the best of luck”. They had their Bayonets sharpened in preparation for this situation some days before. Gullett (1941) writes "This was a pure cavalry adventure, but the regiments bore neither sword nor lance, and, in order to give the charge as much moral effect as possible, the men rode with their bayonets in their hands." After a short wait behind the crest of a hill to gather the troops, the light horse brigades attacked in a full cavalry charge towards Beersheba, some of the riders were shot and the horse would continue, some of the horses were shot and could not advance further but the riders kept advancing. Some people got off their horse to take the trenches to their side but most stayed on and rode straight to their objective, Beersheba. Edward Dengate, one of the troopers, states "...some of the chaps jumped clear over the trenches in places, some fell into them, although about 150 men got through and raced for the town". The 4th Light Horse Brigade dismounted at the trenches and went on foot the rest of the way whilst many of the 12th were able to get straight through on horse and take the town. Entrance to Beersheba was through two narrow streets but those of the light horse who had made it there, kept going at full pace to finally capture
There’s no water between this side of Beersheba and Esani. Use your bayonets as swords. I wish you the best of luck”. They had their Bayonets sharpened in preparation for this situation some days before. Gullett (1941) writes "This was a pure cavalry adventure, but the regiments bore neither sword nor lance, and, in order to give the charge as much moral effect as possible, the men rode with their bayonets in their hands." After a short wait behind the crest of a hill to gather the troops, the light horse brigades attacked in a full cavalry charge towards Beersheba, some of the riders were shot and the horse would continue, some of the horses were shot and could not advance further but the riders kept advancing. Some people got off their horse to take the trenches to their side but most stayed on and rode straight to their objective, Beersheba. Edward Dengate, one of the troopers, states "...some of the chaps jumped clear over the trenches in places, some fell into them, although about 150 men got through and raced for the town". The 4th Light Horse Brigade dismounted at the trenches and went on foot the rest of the way whilst many of the 12th were able to get straight through on horse and take the town. Entrance to Beersheba was through two narrow streets but those of the light horse who had made it there, kept going at full pace to finally capture