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L. c. texianus ( Waterhouse ) – southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado to Zacatecas
| 98a0b629af07661792185b4c28ee8fd1 | 17,408 |
L. c. wallawalla ( Merriam ) – eastern Washington to northeastern California and northwestern Nevada
| 0b5485eec8ef712d0f7c2d42c00ebd7e | 17,409 |
L. c. xanti ( Thomas )
| e7796191c533b7ca5c27311775992847 | 17,410 |
= = Plant communities = =
| b9f5fafe0c231f291e18712700140dea | 17,412 |
The black @-@ tailed jackrabbit occupies plant communities with a mixture of shrubs , grasses , and forbs . Shrubland @-@ herb mosaics are preferred over pure stands of shrubs or herbs . Black @-@ tailed jackrabbit populations are common in sagebrush ( Artemisia spp . ) , creosotebush ( Larrea tridentata ) , and other desert shrublands ; palouse , shortgrass , and mixed @-@ grass prairies ; desert grassland ; open @-@ canopy chaparral ; oak ( Quercus spp . ) , and pinyon @-@ juniper ( Pinus @-@ Juniperus spp . ) woodlands ; and early seral ( succeeding each other ) , low- to mid @-@ elevation coniferous forests . It is also common in and near croplands , especially alfalfa ( Medicago sativa ) fields .
| 5baa929f837e315bfbc2879358cd7513 | 17,414 |
= = Major life events = =
| fbe215f902782918b93450fdf484cf30 | 17,416 |
Male black @-@ tailed jackrabbits reach sexual maturity around 7 months of age . Females usually breed in the spring of their second year , although females born in spring or early summer may breed in their first year . Ovulation is induced by copulation . The breeding season is variable depending upon latitude and environmental factors . In the northern part of their range in Idaho , black @-@ tailed jackrabbits breed from February through May . In Utah , they breed from January through July , with over 75 % of females pregnant by April . The Kansas breeding season extends from January to August . Breeding in warm climates continues nearly year @-@ round . Two peak breeding seasons corresponding to rainfall patterns and growth of young vegetation occur in California , Arizona , and New Mexico . In Arizona , for example , breeding peaks during winter ( January – March ) rains and again during June monsoons .
| 7f9ad6b991922ca9a490afc2b6f74e90 | 17,418 |
The gestation period ranges from 41 to 47 days . More litters are born in warm climates : the number of litters born each year ranges from two per year in Idaho to seven in Arizona . Litter sizes are largest in the northern portions of black @-@ tailed jackrabbit 's range and decrease toward the south . Average litter size has been reported at 4 @.@ 9 in Idaho , 3 @.@ 8 in Utah , and 2 @.@ 2 in Arizona .
| f35319b20e8cb0d7d3a14096ba3a2174 | 17,419 |
Female black @-@ tailed jackrabbits do not prepare an elaborate nest . They give birth in shallow excavations called forms that are no more than a few centimeters deep . Females may line forms with hair prior to giving birth , but some drop litters in existing depressions on the ground with no further preparation . Young are born fully furred with eyes open , and are mobile within minutes of birth . Females do not protect or even stay with the young except during nursing . Ages of weaning and dispersal are unclear since the young are well camouflaged and rarely observed in the field . Captive black @-@ tailed jackrabbits are fully weaned by 8 weeks . The young stay together for at least a week after leaving the form .
| e587a678afa6648bf3e600fc0bf2b683 | 17,420 |
= = Preferred habitat = =
| 4dcd7efc97c352a25015cd39a301a2f1 | 17,422 |
The black @-@ tailed jackrabbit can occupy a wide range of habitats as long as diversity in plant species exists . It requires mixed grasses , forbs , and shrubs for food , and shrubs or small trees for cover . It prefers moderately open areas without dense understory growth and is seldom found in closed @-@ canopy habitats . For example , in California , black @-@ tailed jackrabbits are plentiful in open chamise ( Ademostoma fasciculatum ) and Ceanothus spp. chaparral interspersed with grasses , but does not occupy closed @-@ canopy chaparral . Similarly , the black @-@ tailed jackrabbit occupies clearcuts and early seral coniferous forest , but not closed @-@ canopy coniferous forest .
| 0345d477e95fd103bd18e536d04da292 | 17,424 |
Black @-@ tailed jackrabbits do not migrate or hibernate during winter ; the same habitat is used year @-@ round . Diurnal movement of 2 to 10 miles ( 3 – 16 km ) occurs from shrub cover in day to open foraging areas at night . Home range area varies with habitat and habitat quality . Home ranges of 0 @.@ 4 to 1 @.@ 2 mi2 ( 1 – 3 km2 ) have been reported in big sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata ) and black greasewood ( Sarcobatus vermiculatus ) communities of northern Utah .
| 9cb2c42b14330edf9143e3a2fac8700b | 17,425 |
Black @-@ tailed jackrabbits require shrubs or small conifers for hiding , nesting , and thermal cover , and grassy areas for night feeding . A shrub @-@ grassland mosaic or widely spaced shrubs interspersed with herbs provides hiding cover while providing feeding opportunities . Small shrubs do not provide adequate cover . In the Snake River Birds of Prey Study Area in southwestern Idaho , black @-@ tailed jackrabbits were more frequent on sites dominated by big sagebrush or black greasewood than on sites dominated by the smaller shrubs winterfat ( Krascheninnikovia lanata ) or shadscale ( Atriplex confertifolia ) . Black @-@ tailed jackrabbits do not habitually use a burrow , although they have occasionally been observed using abandoned burrows for escape and thermal cover .
| 1329da43adc9edfc0c0b50b744478619 | 17,426 |
= = Food habits = =
| aedf13abd5ff2c310d644543a2cf9450 | 17,428 |
The black @-@ tailed jackrabbit diet is composed of shrubs , small trees , grasses , and forbs . Throughout the course of a year , black @-@ tailed jackrabbits feed on most if not all of the important plant species in a community . Growth stage and moisture content of plants may influence selection more than species . Shrubs generally comprise the bulk of fall and winter diets , while grasses and forbs are used in spring and early summer . This pattern varies with climate : herbaceous plants are grazed during greenup periods while the plants are in prereproductive to early reproductive stages , and shrubs are used more in dry seasons . Shrubs are browsed throughout the year , however . Most of a jackrabbit 's body water is replaced by foraging water @-@ rich vegetation . Jackrabbits require a plant 's water weight to be at least five times its dry weight to meet daily water intake requirements . Therefore , black @-@ tailed jackrabbits switch to phreatophyte ( deep @-@ rooted ) shrubs when herbaceous vegetation is recovering from their foraging .
| 2b8864713e3a4c9a7c6ef703054ed966 | 17,430 |
Plant species used by black @-@ tailed jackrabbits are well documented for desert regions . Forage use in other regions is less well known . However , black @-@ tailed jackrabbits browse Douglas fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii ) , ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa ) , lodgepole pine ( P. contorta ) , and western hemlock ( Tsuga heterophylla ) seedlings , and oak ( Quercus spp . ) seedlings and sprouts .
| b83743ee928e47b3a58cca309b7a2d3c | 17,431 |
= = = Great Basin = = =
| 7dde596e578c84c7962ce80f803a6fb4 | 17,433 |
In Great Basin , big sagebrush is a primary forage species and is used throughout the year ; in southern Idaho it forms 16 – 21 % of the black @-@ tailed jackrabbit summer diet . Rabbitbrush ( Chrysothamnus spp . ) , spiny hopsage ( gray spinosa ) , and black greasewood are also browsed . Four @-@ wing saltbush ( Atriplex canescens ) is heavily used in western Nevada . In Butte County , Idaho , winterfat comprises 41 % of black @-@ tailed jackrabbits ' annual diet . Grasses comprise 14 % of the diet , with most grass consumption in March and April . Russian thistle ( Salsoda kali ) is an important forb diet item . Needle @-@ and @-@ thread grass ( Stipa comata ) and Indian ricegrass ( Oryzopsis hymenoides ) are preferred grasses . Other preferred native grasses include Sandberg bluegrass ( Poa secunda ) and bluebunch wheatgrass ( Pseudoroegneria spicata ) . Where available , crested wheatgrass ( Agropyron desertorum and Agropyron cristatum ) and barley ( Hordeum vulgare ) are highly preferred . Cheatgrass ( Bromus tectorum ) use is variable : it comprises 45 % of the April diet on two southern Idaho sites , but black @-@ tailed jackrabbit on an eastern Washington site do not use it .
| ac9be5f8c0a2a98160558135aaa3b2ca | 17,435 |
= = = Warm desert = = =
| 8854c7af0c5ee9107d16c0263e4d8bf5 | 17,437 |
In warm desert , mesquite ( Prosopis spp . ) and creosotebush ( Larrea tridentata ) are principal browse species . Broom snakeweed ( Gutierrezia sarothrae ) and Yucca spp. are also used . In honey mesquite ( Prosopis glandulosa var. glandulosa ) communities in New Mexico , the overall black @-@ tailed jackrabbit diet was 47 % shrubs , 22 % grasses , and 31 % forbs . Black grama ( Bouteloua spp . ) , dropseed ( Sporobolus spp . ) , fluffgrass ( Erioneuron pulchellum ) , and threeawns ( Aristida spp . ) are the most commonly grazed grasses . Leather croton ( Croton pottsii ) , silverleaf nightshade ( Solanum elaeagnifolium ) , desert marigold ( Baileya multiradiata ) , wooly paperflower ( Psilostrophe tagetina ) , and globemallow ( Sphaeralcea spp . ) are important forbs , although many forb species are grazed . Opuntia spp . , saguaro ( Carnegiea gigantea ) , and other cacti are used throughout the year , but are especially important in dry seasons as a source of moisture .
| 6dc59c138f0ec3b46b408d4bc8e69736 | 17,439 |
= = Predators = =
| 9f077c2ae64c15ce01882a72a2bdb03d | 17,441 |
The black @-@ tailed jackrabbit is an important prey species for many raptors and carnivorous mammals . The black @-@ tailed jackrabbit and Townsend 's ground squirrel ( Spermophilus townsendii ) are the two most important prey species on the Snake River Birds of Prey Study Area . Hawks preying on black @-@ tailed jackrabbits include the ferruginous hawk ( Buteo regalis ) , white @-@ tailed hawk ( Buteo albicaudatus ) , Swainson 's hawk ( B. swainsoni ) , and red @-@ tailed hawk ( B. jamaicensis ) . The black @-@ tailed jackrabbit is the primary prey of Swainson 's , red @-@ tailed , and ferruginous hawks on Idaho and Utah sites . Other raptors consuming black @-@ tailed jackrabbits include the great horned owl ( Bubo virginianus ) , burrowing owl ( Athene cunicularia ) , golden eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos ) , and bald eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) . A significant correlation exists between golden eagle and black @-@ tailed jackrabbit reproduction patterns . In Colorado and southeastern Wyoming , black @-@ tailed jackrabbits constitute 9 % of nesting bald eagles ' diet . Jackrabbits and cottontails ( Sylvilagus spp . ) combined form 9 % of the diet of bald eagles wintering on national forests in Arizona and New Mexico .
| 934364e63891a2e61dc0440ba78edf63 | 17,443 |
Mammalian predators include coyote ( Canis latrans ) , bobcat ( Lynx rufus ) , lynx ( Lynx canadensis ) , domestic dog ( Canis lupus familiaris ) , domestic cat ( Felis catus ) , red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) , common gray fox ( Urocyon cinereoargenteus ) , American badger ( Taxidea taxus ) , wolf ( Canis lupus ) , and mountain lion ( Felis concolor ) . In many areas , black @-@ tailed jackrabbit is the primary item in coyote diets . It is locally and regionally important to other mammalian predators . One study found that jackrabbits made up 45 % of the bobcat diet in Utah and Nevada . Another Utah – Nevada study found that jackrabbits were the fourth @-@ most commonly consumed prey of mountain lions .
| 649fdad87f5c7014cfb0d37479cab227 | 17,444 |
Rattlesnakes ( Crotalus spp . ) and garter snakes ( Thamnophis sirtalis ) prey on black @-@ tailed jackrabbit young . Raccoons ( Procyon lotor ) and striped skunks ( Mephitis mephitis ) may also capture young .
| 99a4107b7490de73fa575c4ebcb520fb | 17,445 |
= = Parasites and disease = =
| da670523290cf2a19cd35f4b83d82c52 | 17,447 |
The black @-@ tailed jackrabbit plays host to many ectoparasites including fleas , ticks , lice , and mites , and many endoparasites including trematodes , cestodes , nematodes , and botfly ( Cuterebra ) larvae . Diseases affecting the black @-@ tailed jackrabbit in the West are tularemia , equine encephalitis , brucellosis , Q fever , and Rocky Mountain spotted fever . Ticks are vectors for tularemia , and infected ticks have been found on jackrabbits in the West . Jackrabbits infected with tularemia die very quickly .
| 6d702bb668ef322bd261708195fdc6eb | 17,449 |
The high prevalence of disease and parasites in wild jackrabbits affects human predation . Many hunters will not collect the jackrabbits they shoot , and those who do are well advised to wear gloves while handling carcasses and to cook the meat thoroughly to avoid contracting tularemia . Most hunting of jackrabbits is done for pest control or sport .
| 7c647679aecb6f02eca888b7b618d8bd | 17,450 |
= Battle of Romani =
| 7892b2c32100087a6010cf6c0e5ce975 | 17,453 |
The Battle of Romani was the last ground attack of the Central Powers on the Suez Canal at the beginning of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign during the First World War . The battle was fought between 3 and 5 August 1916 near the Egyptian town of Romani and the site of ancient Pelusium on the Sinai Peninsula , 23 miles ( 37 km ) east of the Suez Canal . This victory by the 52nd ( Lowland ) Division and the Anzac Mounted Division of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force ( EEF ) over a joint Ottoman and German force , which had marched across the Sinai , marked the end of the Defence of the Suez Canal campaign , also known as the Offensive zur Eroberung des Suezkanals and the İkinci Kanal Harekâtı , which had begun on 26 January 1915 .
| dc734bf5550a1a74b57072b5698e00db | 17,455 |
This British Empire victory , the first against the Ottoman Empire in the war , ensured the safety of the Suez Canal from ground attacks , and ended the Central Powers ' ambitions of disrupting traffic through the canal by gaining control of the strategically important northern approaches to the Suez Canal . The pursuit by the Anzac Mounted Division which ended at Bir el Abd on 12 August began the Sinai and Palestine Campaign . Thereafter , the Anzac Mounted Division supported by the Imperial Camel Brigade were on the offensive , pursuing the German and Ottoman army many miles across the Sinai Peninsula , reversing in a most emphatic manner the defeat suffered at Katia three months earlier .
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From late April 1916 , after a German @-@ led Ottoman force attacked British yeomanry at Katia , British Empire forces in the region at first doubled from one brigade to two and then grew as rapidly as the developing infrastructure could support them . The construction of the railway and a water pipeline soon enabled an infantry division to join the light horse and mounted rifle brigades at Romani . During the heat of summer , regular mounted patrols and reconnaissance were carried out from their base at Romani , while the infantry constructed an extensive series of defensive redoubts . On 19 July , the advance of a large German , Austrian and Ottoman force across the northern Sinai was reported . From 20 July until the battle began , the Australian 1st and 2nd Light Horse Brigades took turns pushing out to clash with the advancing hostile column .
| 3ddb69ccafef91a348f15ba32b1c121a | 17,457 |
During the night of 3 / 4 August 1916 , the advancing force including the German Pasha I formation and the Ottoman 3rd Infantry Division launched an attack from Katia on Romani . Forward troops quickly became engaged with the screen established by the 1st Light Horse Brigade ( Anzac Mounted Division ) . During fierce fighting before dawn on 4 August , the Australian light horsemen were forced to slowly retire . At daylight , their line was reinforced by the 2nd Light Horse Brigade , and about mid morning , the 5th Mounted Brigade and the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade joined the battle . Together these four brigades of the Anzac Mounted Division , managed to contain and direct the determined attackers into deep sand . Here the attackers came within range of the strongly entrenched 52nd ( Lowland ) Division defending Romani and the railway . Coordinated resistance by all these EEF formations , the deep sand , the heat and thirst prevailed , and the German , Austrian and Ottoman advance was checked . Although the attacking force fought strongly to maintain its positions the next morning , by nightfall they had been pushed back to their starting point at Katia . The retiring force was pursued by the Anzac Mounted Division between 6 and 9 August , during which the Ottomans and Germans forces fought a number of strong rearguard actions against the advancing Australian light horse , British yeomanry and New Zealand mounted rifle brigades . The pursuit ended on 12 August , when the German and Ottoman force abandoned their base at Bir el Abd and retreated back to El Arish .
| 23b4c4655b4e305c3c2d30d0e6cd8451 | 17,458 |
= = Background = =
| d514b18e9690308b2ac67a227be74a70 | 17,460 |
At the beginning of the First World War , the Egyptian police controlling the Sinai Peninsula had withdrawn , leaving the area largely unprotected . In February 1915 , a German and Ottoman force unsuccessfully attacked the Suez Canal . Minor Ottoman and Bedouin forces operating across the Sinai continued to threaten the canal from March through the Gallipoli Campaign until June , when they practically ceased until the autumn . Meanwhile , the German and Ottoman Empires supported an uprising by the Senussi ( a political @-@ religious group ) on the western frontier of Egypt which began in November 1915 .
| a4750f729af3d8636440d2ffb418e8cc | 17,462 |
By February 1916 , however , there was no apparent sign of any unusual military activity in the Sinai itself , when the British began construction on the first 25 @-@ mile ( 40 km ) stretch of 4 @-@ foot @-@ 8 @-@ inch ( 1 @.@ 42 m ) standard gauge railway and water pipeline from Kantara to Romani and Katia . Reconnaissance aircraft of the Royal Flying Corps and seaplanes of the Royal Naval Air Service found only small , scattered Ottoman forces in the Sinai region and no sign of any major concentration of troops in southern Palestine .
| 4b54940d6783dc3e0f89f9069b27c3cd | 17,463 |
By the end of March or early in April 1916 , the British presence in the Sinai was growing ; 16 miles ( 26 km ) of track , including sidings , had been laid . Between 21 March and 11 April , the water sources at Wady Um Muksheib , Moya Harab and Jifjafa along the central Sinai route from southern Palestine were destroyed . In 1915 , they had been used by the central group of about 6 @,@ 000 or 7 @,@ 000 Ottoman soldiers who moved across the Sinai Desert to attack the Suez Canal at Ismailia . Without these wells and cisterns , the central route could no longer be used by large forces .
| 624cc9206d1413e640b0e1a9e1c1d8d6 | 17,464 |
German General Friedrich Freiherr Kress von Kressenstein 's raiding force retaliated to this growing British presence , by attacking the widely dispersed 5th Mounted Brigade on 23 April , Easter Sunday and also St George 's Day , when Yeomanry were surprised and overwhelmed at Katia and Oghratina east of Romani . The mounted Yeomanry brigade had been sent to guard the water pipeline and railway as they were being extended beyond the protection of the Suez Canal defences into the desert towards Romani .
| eee030bbbe7bed481132722881501db7 | 17,465 |
In response to this attack , the British Empire presence in the region doubled . The next day , the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade and the 2nd Light Horse Brigade which had served dismounted during the Gallipoli Campaign , of the Australian Major General Harry Chauvel 's Anzac Mounted Division reoccupied the Katia area unopposed .
| 96075ec7d88e3a21cfdf2566a1d57c12 | 17,466 |
= = Prelude = =
| 9ade3725ce67a15eed3630a786f5f5e7 | 17,468 |
On 24 April , the day after the Katia and Oghratina , Chauvel , commander of the Anzac Mounted Division , was placed in command of all the advanced troops : the 2nd Light Horse Brigade and the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigades at Romani and an infantry division ; the 52nd ( Lowland ) at Dueidar . The infantry moved forward to Romani between 11 May and 4 June 1916 .
| 23fb24a3794050d7925c3c0eed9c3a44 | 17,470 |
The building of the railway and pipeline had not been greatly affected by the fighting on 23 April and by 29 April , four trains a day were running regularly to the railhead , manned by No. 276 Railway Company , and the main line to Romani was opened on 19 May . A second standard gauge railway line from Romani to Mahamdiyah on the Mediterranean coast was completed by 9 June . But conditions on the ground were extreme ; after the middle of May and in particular from mid June to the end of July , the heat in the Sinai Desert ranged from extreme to fierce when temperatures could be expected to be in the region of 123 ° F ( 51 ° C ) in the shade . The terrible heat was not as bad as the Khamsin dust storms which blow once every 50 days for between a few hours and several days ; the air is turned into a haze of floating sand particles flung about by a strong , hot southerly wind .
| 5b23968fcbf6c002b39aceb143cb324c | 17,471 |
No major ground operations were carried out during these midsummer months , the Ottoman garrisons in the Sinai being scattered and out of reach of the British forces . But constant patrolling and reconnaissance were carried out from Romani to Ogratina , to Bir el Abd and on 16 May to Bir Bayud , 19 miles ( 31 km ) south @-@ east of Romani , on 31 May to Bir Salmana 22 miles ( 35 km ) east north @-@ east of Romani by the New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade , when they covered 100 kilometres ( 62 mi ) in 36 hours . These patrols concentrated on an area of great strategic importance to large military formations wishing to move across the Sinai along the northern route . Here water was freely available in a large area of oases which extends from Dueidar , 15 miles ( 24 km ) from Kantara on the Suez Canal , along the Darb es Sultani ( the old caravan route ) , to Salmana 52 miles ( 84 km ) away .
| 41587203f4b5d0bc5f7e60c1d36fb3e2 | 17,472 |
Between 10 and 14 June , the last water source on the central route across the Sinai Peninsula was destroyed by the Mukhsheib column . This column , consisting of engineers and units of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade , the Bikaner Camel Corps , and the Egyptian Camel Transport Corps drained 5 @,@ 000 @,@ 000 US gallons ( 19 @,@ 000 @,@ 000 l ; 4 @,@ 200 @,@ 000 imp gal ) of water from pools and cisterns in the Wadi Mukhsheib and sealed the cisterns . This action effectively narrowed the area in which Ottoman offensives might be expected to the coastal or northern route across the Sinai Peninsula .
| 17bb5010c573a0fdacc0bced8924f7e0 | 17,473 |
Ottoman aircraft attacked the Suez Canal twice during May , dropping bombs on Port Said . British aircraft bombed the town and aerodrome at El Arish on 18 May and 18 June , and bombed all the Ottoman camps on a front of 45 miles ( 72 km ) parallel to the canal on 22 May . By the middle of June , the No. 1 Australian Squadron , Australian Flying Corps , had begun active service , with " B " Flight at Suez performing reconnaissance . On 9 July , " A " Flight was stationed at Sherika in Upper Egypt , with " C " Flight based at Kantara .
| af64c15fab45cb89cf61060f83ccfccf | 17,474 |
= = = German and Ottoman force = = =
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At the beginning of July , it was estimated there were at least 28 @,@ 000 Ottoman troops in the Gaza – Beersheba area of southern Palestine , and that just before the battle began at Romani , there were 3 @,@ 000 troops at Oghratina , not far from Katia , another 6 @,@ 000 at the forward base of Bir el Abd , east of Oghratina , 2 @,@ 000 to 3 @,@ 000 at Bir Bayud to the south @-@ east , and another 2 @,@ 000 at Bir el Mazar , some 42 miles ( 68 km ) to the east , not far from El Arish .
| 374d444455a100dd50d936b12a602370 | 17,478 |
Kress von Kressenstein 's Fourth Army was made up of the 3rd ( Anatolian ) Infantry Division 's three regiments , the 31st , 32nd and 39th Infantry Regiments , totalling 16 @,@ 000 men , of whom 11 @,@ 000 to 11 @,@ 873 were combatants , Arab ancillary forces ; and one regiment of the Camel Corps . Estimates of their arms range from 3 @,@ 293 to 12 @,@ 000 rifles , 38 to 56 machine guns , and two to five anti @-@ aircraft gun sections ; they also fielded four heavy artillery and mountain gun batteries ( 30 artillery pieces ) and the Pasha I formation . Nearly 5 @,@ 000 camels and 1 @,@ 750 horses accompanied the advance .
| abb215155533eadb2714839c48e84b09 | 17,479 |
The Pasha I formation with a ration strength of about 16 @,@ 000 , consisted of personnel and materiel for a machine gun battalion of eight companies with four guns each with Ottoman drivers , five anti @-@ aircraft groups , the 60th Battalion Heavy Artillery consisting of one battery of two 100mm guns , one battery of four 150 mm howitzers and two batteries of 210 mm howitzers ( two guns in each battery ) . The officers , NCOs and " leading numbers " of this artillery battalion were German ; the remainder were Ottoman Army personnel . In addition Pasha I also included two trench mortar companies , the 300th Flight Detachment , Wireless detachment , three railway companies and two field hospitals . Austria provided two mountain howitzer batteries of six guns each . With the exception of the two 210 mm howitzers , the trench mortars and the railway personnel the remainder of Pasha I took part in the advance to Romani .
| 1b7da42e398091a031ac7ef3581e8b82 | 17,480 |
The 300th Flight Detachment provided a squadron for aerial reconnaissance , and increased the numbers of aircraft available to support the advance across Sinai . These Pasha I aircraft were faster and more effective than the " hopelessly outclassed " British aircraft and were able to maintain air superiority over the battleground .
| 402e9e06b3446ccb24f1bd4a6c76ee03 | 17,481 |
It is also possible that the 81st Regiment of the 27th Division advanced to Bir el Abd and took part in the defence of that place .
| 29297c3e791ac4e4fd8d2198d6138141 | 17,482 |
The objectives of the German , Austrian and Ottoman advance were to capture Romani and to then establish a strongly entrenched position opposite Kantara , from which place their heavy artillery would be within range of the Suez Canal . The attacking force assembled in the southern Ottoman Empire at Shellal , north @-@ west of Beersheba , and departed for the Sinai on 9 July 1916 ; they reached Bir el Abd and Ogratina ten days later .
| 7ae10deb6ae908d8972ba086d61f16aa | 17,483 |
= = = British forces = = =
| 574600383a834b8678bef2b4906ae706 | 17,485 |
General Sir Archibald Murray , the commander of the British Empire forces in Egypt , formed the Egyptian Expeditionary Force ( EEF ) in March 1916 by merging the Force in Egypt , which had protected Egypt since the beginning of the war , with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force which had fought at Gallipoli . The role of this new force was to both defend the British Protectorate of Egypt and provide reinforcements for the Western Front . Murray had his headquarters in Cairo to better deal with his multiple responsibilities , although he was at Ismailia during the battle for Romani .
| 7b7443fc63a292a6048ab8a625d87a4b | 17,487 |
With the occupation of Romani , the area became part the Northern or No. 3 Sector of the Suez Canal defences , which originally stretched along the canal from Ferdan to Port Said . Two further sectors grouped the defence forces along the central and southern sections of the Canal ; No. 2 , the Central Sector , stretched south from Ferdan to headquarters at Ismailia and on to Kabrit , where the No. 1 or Southern Sector extended from Kabrit to Suez .
| 8e6573c5005259e050ae9ab6755b74eb | 17,488 |
Murray considered it very unlikely that an attack would occur anywhere other than in the northern sector and therefore was prepared to reduce the troops in Nos 1 and 2 Sectors to a minimum . He decided not to reinforce his four infantry brigades , but to increase the available fire @-@ power at Romani by moving up the 160th and 161st Machine Gun Companies of the 53rd ( Welsh ) and the 54th ( East Anglian ) Divisions . He also ordered the concentration of a small mobile column made up of the 11th Light Horse , the City of London Yeomanry ( less one squadron each ) with the 4th , 6th and 9th Companies of the Imperial Camel Brigade in No. 2 Sector . He calculated that the whole of the defensive force , including the camel transport necessary to enable infantry in the 42nd ( East Lancashire ) Division to advance into the desert , would be fully equipped and the camels assembled by 3 August . Approximately 10 @,@ 000 Egyptian Camel Transport Corps camels concentrated at Romani prior to the battle . British monitors in the Mediterranean Sea off Mahamdiyah got into position to shell the assembling Ottoman force , while an armoured train at Kantara was ready to assist the defence of the right flank , and all available aircraft were on standby at Ismailia , Kantara , Port Said and Romani .
| 60fc388a73fc40b85ad89d938682c9be | 17,489 |
Major General H. A. Lawrence commanded No. 3 Section Canal Defences , and as part of those defences , the Romani position was commanded by Lawrence , who had his headquarters at Kantara . Stationed at Kantara were infantry in the 42nd Division , an infantry brigade of the 53rd ( Welsh ) Division with 36 guns and the 3rd Light Horse Brigade , detached from the Anzac Mounted Division . Lawrence moved two infantry battalions of the 42nd Division from No. 2 Section Canal defences to Kantara , and sent infantry in the 158th ( North Wales ) Brigade of the 53rd ( Welsh ) Division to Romani on 20 July .
| 5d954a46e0833f8a4e1636627a21b125 | 17,490 |
The deployments on 3 August on and near the battlefield were as follows :
| b69905e26ef6aac150d50a5e893c542d | 17,491 |
at Hill 70 , 12 miles ( 19 km ) from Romani , the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade ( less the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment , but with the 2nd Light Horse Brigade 's 5th Light Horse Regiment , temporarily attached ) , commanded by Edward Chaytor , and the 5th Mounted Brigade , under the direct command of Lawrence , were joined on the railway by infantry in the 126th ( East Lancashire ) Brigade ( 42nd Division ) . Together with the 5th Light Horse Regiment , attached to the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade at Dueidar , to the east of Hill 70 , this force was to stop or delay von Kressenstein 's attack should he attempt to bypass Romani and advance directly towards the Suez Canal ,
| d1febddc1752ec81ba988dcc955b2a34 | 17,492 |
at Hill 40 , infantry from the 125th ( Lancashire Fusiliers ) Brigade and the 127th ( Manchester ) Brigade ( 42nd Division ) were also on the railway line at Gilban Station ,
| 47b76bded4e7c7d55c64ae30d0588b88 | 17,493 |
the Mobile Column was based in the Sinai at the end of the El Ferdan railway , while the 3rd Light Horse Brigade was at Ballybunion , also in the Sinai at the end of the Ballah railway .
| 3e58dd2188a1cd4d7506aeeb03b73ef5 | 17,494 |
The force at Romani , responsible for its defence when the battle began , consisted of infantry from the British 52nd ( Lowland ) Division , commanded by Major General W. E. B. Smith , and the Anzac Mounted Division commanded by Chauvel ( less the 3rd Light Horse Brigade ) . The 1st and 2nd Light Horse Brigades , ( less the 5th Light Horse Regiment , but with the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade 's Wellington Mounted Rifle Regiment attached ) were commanded by Lieutenant Colonels J. B. H Meredith and J. R. Royston respectively .
| 3ea457ea0b3d0a5386e6edba80cf5f9e | 17,495 |
= = = Development of defensive positions = = =
| 525a282e6567bf7cdb3adb8dae3578a4 | 17,497 |
Infantry from the 52nd ( Lowland ) Division joined the two mounted brigades at Romani between 11 May and 4 June , when the development of the railway made it possible to transport and supply such a large number of soldiers . The infantry occupied a defensive position known as Wellington Ridge , facing a tangle of sand dunes . The area favoured defence ; sand dunes , stretching about 6 miles ( 9 @.@ 7 km ) inland , covered an area of 30 square miles ( 78 km2 ) , including , to the south of Romani , the northern route from El Arish . On the southern and south eastern edges , a series of dunes of shifting sand with narrow sloping lanes led to a tableland of deep soft sand .
| 58a1ba456a8f9d852e7ea77cbffd3140 | 17,499 |
The 52nd ( Lowland ) Division developed a strong defensive position at Romani which had its left flank on the Mediterranean Sea , here a series of redoubts were built running southwards from Mahamdiyah along the line of high sand hills about 7 miles ( 11 km ) to a dune known as Katib Gannit 100 feet ( 30 m ) high . This line of sand hills , which were high enough to see Katia oasis from , marked the eastern edge of an area of very soft and shifting sand beyond which were lower dunes and harder sand where movement by both infantry and mounted forces was considerably easier . Between the shore at the western end of the Bardawil Lagoon and Katib Gannit ( the principal tactical point on the eastern slopes of the Romani heights ) , the infantry constructed a line of 12 redoubts about 750 yards ( 690 m ) apart , with a second series of redoubts covering the Romani railway station and the right of the defensive position which curved like a hook westward , then northward . A total of 18 redoubts were constructed , which when fully garrisoned held from 40 to 170 rifles each , with Lewis guns and an average of two Vickers machine guns allotted to each position ; they were well wired on the right side of each of the positions , although there was no wire between the redoubts . This defensive line was supported by artillery .
| 3d77b6d1887e2a2ed247e47d49f9ab35 | 17,500 |
The threat of an Ottoman attack towards the Suez Canal had been considered by Lawrence in consultation with his divisional commanders , and a second defensive area was developed to address their concerns . Their plans took into account the possibility of an Ottoman army at Katia moving to attack Romani or following the old caravan route to assault Hill 70 and Dueidar on their way to the Suez Canal . Any attempt to bypass Romani on the right flank would be open to attack from the garrison , which could send out infantry and mounted troops on the hard ground in the plain to the south @-@ west . The New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade was stationed at Hill 70 at the end of June and the 5th Light Horse Regiment at Dueidar to prevent such an Ottoman force from reaching the Suez Canal .
| fed44d90b4b7d44236809c590e0e4560 | 17,501 |
= = = Light Horse patrols before the battle = = =
| fab5f2c893932db65abeed2cb75c0ef3 | 17,503 |
Active patrolling by mounted troops continued throughout the period leading up to the battle , but by early July , there were no indications of any imminent resumption of hostilities . The nearest Ottoman garrison of 2 @,@ 000 men was at Bir el Mazar 42 miles ( 68 km ) east of Romani , and on 9 July , a patrol found Bir Salmana unoccupied . However , greatly increased aerial activity over the Romani area began about 17 July , when faster and better @-@ climbing German aircraft quickly established superiority over British aircraft . But they could not stop British aircraft from continuing to reconnoitre the country to the east , and on 19 July , a British aircraft , with Brigadier General E. W. C. Chaytor ( commander of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade ) acting as observer , discovered an Ottoman force of about 2 @,@ 500 at Bir Bayud . A slightly smaller force was detected at Gameil and another similar sized force was found at Bir el Abd with about 6 @,@ 000 camels seen at the camps or moving between Bir el Abd and Bir Salmana . The next morning , 3 @,@ 000 men were found to be entrenched at Mageibra , with an advance depot for supplies and stores at Bir el Abd . A small force was spotted as far forward as the oasis of Oghratina , which by the next day , 21 July , had grown to 2 @,@ 000 men .
| 46bfef855848b49b08cf5ca3ec0cde36 | 17,505 |
On 20 July , the 2nd Light Horse Brigade with two guns mounted on ped @-@ rails of the Ayrshire Battery demonstrated against Oghratina , capturing several prisoners , and beginning a series of patrols which , together with the 1st Light Horse Brigade , they continued until the eve of battle . Every day until 3 August , these two brigades alternated riding out from their base at Romani towards Katia at about 02 : 00 and bivouacking until dawn , at which time they advanced on a wide front until German or Ottoman fire was provoked . If the enemy position was weak , the light horse pushed forward , and if a counterattack began , the brigade retired slowly , thereafter to return to camp at Romani at nightfall . The following day , the other brigade carried out similar manoeuvres in the direction of Katia and the advancing Ottoman columns , picking up the officers patrols which had been left out during the night to monitor enemy movements . During this period , one of many clashes occurred on 28 July at Hod Um Ugba , 5 miles ( 8 @.@ 0 km ) from the British line . Two squadrons of the Wellington Mounted Rifle Regiment , commanded by Lieutenant Colonel W. Meldrum , made a bayonet assault , supported by several machine guns and two 18 @-@ pounder guns . They drove the Ottomans from the Hod , leaving 16 dead and taking eight prisoners from the Ottoman 31st Infantry Regiment .
| 03a64cfba21b11429a6eae3a2bf7c1d5 | 17,506 |
The tactic of continuous forward patrolling was so successful that the advancing force 's every move was known to the defenders , but the light horsemen were substantially outnumbered and could not stop the advance . By daylight on 3 August , the German , Austrian and Ottoman force had occupied Katia and were within striking distance of Romani , Dueidar , Hill 70 and the Suez Canal . Their line ran north @-@ east and south @-@ west from the Bardawil Lagoon to east of Katia , with their left flank thrown well forward .
| 07ffd189bae62b2722f174bb0ca36b8b | 17,507 |
= = = Plans = = =
| cb716697fc4aba7971bc68cd7ff4db9b | 17,509 |
The German and Ottoman objective was not to cross the canal , but to capture Romani and establish a strongly entrenched heavy artillery position opposite Kantara , from which to bombard shipping on the canal . Kress von Kressenstein 's plan for the attack on Romani was to bombard the line of defensive redoubts with heavy artillery and employ only weak infantry detachments against them , while his main force launched attacks against the right and rear of the Romani position .
| cd8391aad494e4bd78030057503addfe | 17,511 |
The defenders expected the German and Ottoman attack to be one of containment against their prepared line of defence , and an all @-@ out attack on the right south of Katib Gannit . They also appreciated that such an attack would expose the German and Ottoman left flank . Murray 's plan was to firstly delay the attackers and make it very difficult for them to gain ground south of Katib Gannit , and secondly , only when the German and Ottoman force was totally committed , to then disorganise their flank attack with an attack by Section Troops at Hill 70 and Dueidar , with the 3rd Light Horse Brigade and the Mobile Column operating more widely against the flank and rear .
| 98dee154d0f27aab0ea23afecb051957 | 17,512 |
Chauvel had selected a position for the defence of Romani , which stretched for 4 miles ( 6 @.@ 4 km ) between Katib Gannit and Hod el Enna , with a second fall @-@ back position covering a series of parallel gullies running south @-@ east and north @-@ west giving access to the area of soft sand to the rear of the Romani defences . No visible works were constructed , but together with Chauvel , the commanders of the two light horse brigades , whose task it would be to hold the attackers on this ground until the flank attack could begin , studied the area closely .
| 46e78d3adb3caceb997d64b6c4644666 | 17,513 |
= = Battle on 4 August = =
| c8e6a287e2f4e5cba53649dc19ecbd06 | 17,515 |
Just before midnight on 3 / 4 August , three columns of the German Pasha I and the 4th Ottoman Army , consisting of about 8 @,@ 000 men , began their attack on an outpost line held by the 1st Light Horse Brigade three and a half hours after the return of the 2nd Light Horse Brigade from their regular daytime patrol . In addition to the usual officers patrols left out overnight to monitor the enemy 's positions , Chauvel decided to leave out for the night the whole of the 1st Light Horse Brigade to hold an outpost line of about 3 miles ( 4 @.@ 8 km ) , covering all entrances to the sandhill plateau which formed the Romani position and which were not protected by infantry posts . A shot or two fired out in the desert to the south @-@ east of their position put the long piquet line of the 1st and 2nd Light Horse Regiment ( 1st Light Horse Brigade ) on alert about midnight , when the 3rd Light Horse Regiment ( 1st Light Horse Brigade ) was called up to the front line . The Austrian , German and Ottoman advance paused after finding the gullies held by the light horsemen , but at about 01 : 00 , a sudden heavy burst of fire along the whole front began the attack of the considerably superior Ottoman and German forces , and by 02 : 00 they had in many places advanced to within 50 yards ( 46 m ) of the Australian line .
| ca15d3142d170cc949b64e694888dbd3 | 17,517 |
The Ottoman centre and left columns were skilfully led round the open flank of the infantry 's entrenchments and on towards the camp and railway . After the moon had set at around 02 : 30 , the Germans and Ottomans made a bayonet charge on Mount Meredith . Although vastly outnumbered , the light horsemen fought an effective delaying action at close quarters , but were forced to relinquish ground slowly and to ultimately evacuate the position by 03 : 00 . Without the benefit of moon light , the light horsemen had fired at the flashes of the enemy 's rifles until they were close enough to use bayonets . The 1st Light Horse Brigade was eventually forced back ; withdrawing slowly , troop covering troop with steady accurate fire , staving off a general attack with the bayonet to their fall @-@ back position ; a large east / west sand dune called Wellington Ridge at the southern edge of the Romani encampment . During the retirement to Wellington Ridge , the covering squadrons on the left near Katib Gannit were also attacked , as was the squadron on the right , which was taken in the flank and suffered considerable loss , but managed to hold its ground until the position in its rear was occupied . By 03 : 30 , all light horsemen south of Mount Meredith had been forced back to their led horses and had succeeded in disengaging and falling back to their second position . Soon after , an Ottoman machine gun was shooting down on the light horse from Mount Meredith .
| 73d797d21709428b68957f0275bb952d | 17,518 |
Chauvel had relied on the steadiness of the 1st Light Horse Brigade , which he had commanded during the Gallipoli campaign , to hold the line against greatly superior numbers for four hours until dawn , when the general situation could be assessed . Daylight revealed the weakness of the light horse defenders in their second position on Wellington Ridge and that their right was outflanked by strong German and Ottoman forces . At 04 : 30 , the 2nd Light Horse Brigade , commanded by Colonel J. R. Royston , was ordered up by Chauvel from Etmaler and went into action in front of Mount Royston to support and prolong the 1st Light Horse Brigade 's right flank by moving up the 6th and 7th Light Horse Regiments into the front line . German , Austrian or Ottoman artillery now opened fire on the infantry defences and camps in the rear ; shrapnel inflicted some losses , but the high explosive shells were smothered by the soft sand . The attackers succeeded in forcing the light horse off Wellington Ridge , which placed them within 700 metres ( 2 @,@ 300 ft ) of the Romani camp . However , they were unable to press further , as they now became exposed to machine gun and rifle fire from the entrenched infantry of the 52nd ( Lowland ) Division , and shelling from the horse artillery supporting the light horsemen 's determined defence .
| d9e0f775d653a2cb3fb07e488188b6af | 17,519 |
Having been held south of Romani , the German and Ottoman force attempted a further outflanking manoeuvre to the west , concentrating 2 @,@ 000 troops around Mount Royston another sand dune , south @-@ west of Romani . At 05 : 15 , the Ottoman 31st Infantry Regiment pushed forward ; then the 32nd and the 39th Infantry Regiments swung around the left and into the British rear . This outflanking movement was steadily progressing along the slopes of Mount Royston and turning the right of the 2nd Light Horse Brigade , whose third regiment , the Wellington Mounted Rifles , was now also committed to the front line .
| 6ce903b2f46e371a3828e088c7305b48 | 17,520 |
The two brigades of light horse continued to gradually withdraw , pivoting on the extreme right of the infantry position , which covered the left flank and rear of Romani . They were pushed back between Wellington Ridge and Mount Royston , about 2 @.@ 25 miles ( 3 @.@ 62 km ) west of the former ; the attackers continually forcing back their right flank . Between 05 : 00 and 06 : 00 , they were compelled to also retire slowly from this ridge , although the 6th and 7th Light Horse Regiment ( 2nd Light Horse Brigade ) still held the western edge . At 06 : 15 , Meredith was ordered to withdraw the 1st Light Horse Brigade behind the line occupied by the 7th Light Horse Regiment north of Etmaler camp . At 07 : 00 , the 6th and 7th Light Horse Regiments retired , squadron by squadron , from the remainder of Wellington Ridge . By about 08 : 00 , German , Austrian and Ottoman fire from the ridge top was directed into the camp only a few hundred yards away , but the Ayrshire and Leicester Batteries quickly stopped this artillery attack .
| e995018afb8dfa03ba0ce2e36a426d3c | 17,521 |
It became apparent that the German and Ottoman right column , ( 31st Infantry Regiment ) was attempting a frontal attack on redoubts held by infantry in the 52nd ( Lowland ) Division . The defenders were able to hold on , but were subjected to severe artillery shelling during the day . Frontal attacks began with heavy German or Austrian fire by their artillery which attempted to breach the infantry defensive line . About 08 : 00 , attacks were being made on Numbers 4 and 5 redoubts which began with heavy artillery fire , but the attacks broke completely when the 31st Ottoman Infantry Regiment were within 150 yards ( 140 m ) of No. 4 redoubt ; subsequent attempts were less successful . At about 10 : 00 , Chauvel contacted Brigadier General E. S. Girdwood , commanding 156th Infantry Brigade , requesting his brigade temporarily relieve the light horse brigades until they had watered their horses in preparation for a mounted counterattack . Girdwood refused because his brigade was being held in reserve to support an intended attack eastward by infantry in the 52nd ( Lowland ) Division .
| 5527fd6d2d936e17d4a7340ea4b90ad8 | 17,522 |
The light horse had gradually withdrawn back until , at about 11 : 00 , the main German and Ottoman attack was stopped by well directed fire from the Royal Horse Artillery batteries of the Anzac Mounted Division and by light horse rifle and machine gun fire , to which the 52nd ( Lowland ) Division contributed considerable firepower . The attackers appeared to have exhausted themselves , but they held their ground while Austrian and Ottoman artillery of various calibres , including 5 @.@ 9 " and 10 @.@ 5 cm guns , fired on the defenders and their camps , and German and Ottoman aircraft severely bombed the defenders . The three columns of the German , Austrian and Ottoman attacking force were brought to a standstill by the coordinated , concerted and determined defence of the 1st and 2nd Light Horse Brigades and the 52nd ( Lowland ) Division .
| 1a81382b743395c705464bccf88710cd | 17,523 |
The Ottoman advance was at a standstill everywhere . After a long night 's march , the German and Ottoman troops faced a difficult day under the desert sun without being able to replenish their water and exposed to artillery fire from Romani . At this time , the attacking forces held a line running from the Bardawil ( on the Mediterranean coast ) southward along the front of the 52nd Infantry Division 's entrenchments and then westward through and including the very large sand dunes of Mount Meredith and Mount Royston . But from their position on Mount Royston , the German , Austrian and Ottoman force dominated the camp area of Romani and threatened the railway line .
| 4c9daabb3287cf7912fa25174346618e | 17,524 |
= = = Reinforcements = = =
| 6d55f454bfb414e894f573eec999678b | 17,526 |
Chaytor , commander of the New Zealander Mounted Rifles Brigade , had been advised of the Austrian , German and Ottoman advance against Romani at 02 : 00 . By 05 : 35 , Lawrence at his headquarters of the Northern No. 3 Canal Defences Sector at Kantara , had been informed of the developing attack . He recognised that the main blow was falling on Romani and ordered the 5th Mounted Yeomanry Brigade at Hill 70 to move towards Mount Royston . They were led by a Composite Regiment , which moved off at once , the remainder of the brigade preparing to follow . At 07 : 25 , Lawrence ordered the New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade consisting of brigade headquarters and the Canterbury Mounted Rifle Regiment ( less the Auckland Mounted Rifles and the attached 5th Light Horse Regiments , 2nd Light Horse Brigade ) , to move towards Mount Royston via Dueidar and there , pick up the Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment . The Yeomanry and New Zealand brigades had both been stationed at Hill 70 , 12 miles ( 19 km ) from Romani , when their orders to move were received . The New Zealanders were to " operate vigorously so as to cut off the enemy , who appears to have got round the right of the Anzac Mounted Division . "
| 53bd1fe8023035da549b146f12f5a26f | 17,528 |
Meanwhile , the 3rd Light Horse Brigade at Ballybunion was directed to move forward to Hill 70 and send one regiment to Dueidar , while the Mobile Column was ordered by GHQ to march towards Mageibra .
| cb9d6d80d353c206355933b30ab27f2e | 17,529 |
= = = Mount Royston counterattack = = =
| 30d528f82033385e9f3a828149fdd505 | 17,531 |
The German , Austrian and Ottoman attack on Mount Royston was checked to the north by the 3rd and 6th Light Horse Regiments ( 1st and 2nd Light Horse Brigades ) , and under constant bombardment from the horse artillery and the infantry 's heavy artillery of the 52nd ( Lowland ) Division . At 10 : 00 , the front held by the two light horse brigades faced south from a point 700 yards ( 640 m ) northwest of No. 22 Redoubt north of Wellington Ridge to the sand hills north of Mount Royston . As the line had fallen back , the 2nd and 3rd Light Horse Regiments ( 1st Light Horse Brigade ) had come in between the 6th and 7th Light Horse Regiments ( 2nd Light Horse Brigade ) ; from right to left , the line was now held by the 6th , 3rd , 2nd and 7th Light Horse and the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiments , while 1 mile ( 1 @.@ 6 km ) north north @-@ west of Mount Royston , " D " Squadron of the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars ( a regiment in the 5th Mounted Brigade ) held its ground .
| 4eb73cabbd9f04e747b9db4d0bf86fea | 17,533 |
The plan called for the 1st and 2nd Light Horse Brigades , the 5th Mounted and the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigades to swing round the attackers ' left flank and envelop them . The first reinforcements to arrive were the Composite Regiment of the 5th Mounted Brigade ; they came up on the flank of their mounted regiment ; the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars ' " D " Squadron 1 @,@ 500 yards ( 1 @,@ 400 m ) west of Mount Royston , which was being attacked by a strong body of Ottoman soldiers . The regiment attacked the Ottomans in enfilade and forced them back .
| 3fb2e0271bbbf405856ed249133ac664 | 17,534 |
When the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade 's headquarters and the Canterbury Mounted Rifle Regiments were within 1 mile ( 1 @.@ 6 km ) of Dueidar on the old caravan road , they were ordered to move directly to Canterbury Hill , the last defensible position in front of the railway , east of Pelusium Station , as the strong German and Ottoman attack was threatening to take the railway and Romani . The Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment arrived with its brigade between 11 : 00 and 11 : 30 to find the Composite Yeomanry Regiment ( 5th Mounted Yeomanry Brigade ) in contact with the German and Ottoman forces on the south @-@ west side of Mount Royston .
| 949372a0b9a8ca6b350eaef9d4c1a1ea | 17,535 |
The 1st and 2nd Light Horse Brigades first made contact with the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade by heliograph , after which Royston , commanding the 2nd Light Horse Brigade , galloped across to explain the situation . Chaytor then moved the Auckland and Canterbury Mounted Rifles Regiments , supported by the Somerset Battery , onto high ground between the right of the light horse and the Yeomanry , which was shortly afterwards joined by the remainder of the 5th Mounted Brigade under the command of Brigadier General Wiggin . At the most critical period of the day 's fighting , when the German and Ottoman force of 2 @,@ 000 dominated the Romani area from Mount Royston , the five mounted brigades ( still less the 5th Light Horse Regiment ) began their counterattack at 14 : 00 from the west towards Mount Royston .
| d1f0b385b59151d6b26efe0a4968c688 | 17,536 |
The New Zealand riflemen soon gained a footing on Mount Royston , aided by accurate and rapid shooting from the Somerset Royal Horse Artillery Battery . By 16 : 00 , the attack had proceeded to a point where Chaytor arranged with the 5th Mounted Brigade for a squadron of Royal Gloucestershire Hussars and two troops of the Worcestershire Yeomanry to gallop against the southern spur of Mount Royston . They easily took the spur , the defenders not waiting for the onslaught of the mounted charge . From the crest of the spur , the Gloucestershire squadron shot down the horse teams of an Austrian , German or Ottoman battery of pack guns concentrated in the hollow behind the spur , and the attacking force began to surrender . The New Zealand Mounted Rifle and 5th Mounted Brigades were supported by leading infantry battalions of the 127th ( Manchester ) Brigade ( which had just arrived ) when Ottoman and German soldiers began to surrender en masse . At about 18 : 00 , 500 prisoners , two machine guns and the pack battery were captured , and the outer flank of the attacking force was completely routed .
| 2663041e2730f6edef0064dc4e6a3cda | 17,537 |
Meanwhile , the inner flank of the German and Ottoman force on Wellington Ridge made a last effort to advance across the ridge , but was driven back by artillery fire . Fresh frontal attacks launched against the main British infantry system of redoubts broke down completely . At 17 : 05 , Major General Smith ordered infantry in the 156th ( Scottish Rifles ) Brigade to attack the enemy force on Wellington Ridge on the left of the light horse and in coordination with the counterattack on Mount Royston . An artillery bombardment of Wellington Ridge began at 18 : 45 . Just before 19 : 00 , infantry in the 7th and 8th Cameronians ( Scottish Rifles ) moved south from behind No. 23 Redoubt ; the 8th Scottish Rifles advancing to within 100 yards ( 91 m ) of the crest of Wellington Ridge , before being stopped by heavy rifle fire .
| 763d78b248cbd2522ce87f42837f73d9 | 17,538 |
When darkness put an end to the fighting , the 1st and 2nd Light Horse Brigades established an outpost line and spent the night on the battlefield , while the New Zealand Mounted Rifles and 5th Mounted Brigades withdrew for water and rations at Pelusium Station , where the newly arrived infantry brigades of the 42nd Division were assembling . The 3rd Light Horse Brigade halted at Hill 70 , while the Mobile Force had reached the Hod el Bada , 14 miles ( 23 km ) south of Romani station . At 19 : 30 , when the New Zealand Mounted Rifle and 5th Mounted Brigades moved from the positions they had won to water and rest at Pelusium , the area was consolidated by infantry in the 127th ( Manchester ) Brigade , 42nd Division . Brigadier General Girdwood ordered infantry in the 7th and 8th Scottish Rifles Battalions to hold their ground on Wellington Ridge until daylight , but to keep close contact with the enemy during the night in the hope of capturing large numbers of tired and disorganised soldiers in the morning . Approximately 1 @,@ 200 unwounded prisoners were captured during the day and sent to the Pelusium railway station .
| 392f06413ad92a07f20664a36b1b619e | 17,539 |
= = Battle on 5 August = =
| 26f6e48d5e6744736e5ff7efa1559878 | 17,541 |
Within 24 hours , British commanders were able to concentrate a force of 50 @,@ 000 men in the Romani area , a three to one advantage . This force included the two infantry divisions – the 52nd and the newly arrived 42nd – four mounted brigades , two of which had been on active duty since 20 July , and two heavily engaged on the front line the day before , and may have included the 3rd Light Horse Brigade , although it was still at Hill 70 , and the Mobile Column at Hod el Bada . At this time , command of the 5th Mounted Brigade passed from the Anzac Mounted Division to the infantry division ; the 42nd Division , it being suggested that orders required the Anzac Mounted Division to remain in position , and that the 3rd Light Horse Brigade alone was to make a flank attack .
| ad312d20a66ed54f3cd90e4ab60560ed | 17,543 |
However , Lawrence 's orders for a general advance on 5 August beginning at 04 : 00 included an advance by the Anzac Mounted Division . His orders read :
| e9f209e17519627d23723796cf76be5b | 17,544 |
Anzac Mounted Division to press forward with its right on the Hod el Enna and its left in close touch with the infantry from the 156th ( Scottish Rifles ) Brigade , 52nd ( Lowland ) Division , advancing on the line Katib Gannit to Mount Meredith .
| 6868cba2fb766f1c0c485ea30ce31fbb | 17,545 |
3rd Light Horse Brigade to move towards Bir el Nuss and attack Hod el Enna from the south keeping in close touch with the Anzac Mounted Division .
| 22f21dd56664e9476837c16a98b9c9e5 | 17,546 |
5th Mounted Brigade , under orders of 42nd Infantry Division to assist the 3rd Light Horse Brigade 's link with the Anzac Mounted Division 's right .
| 805695a7216e776821b4251c5fc90abf | 17,547 |
42nd Division to move on the line Canterbury Hill – Mount Royston – Hod el Enna and drive back any opposition to the advance of the mounted troops in close support of Anzac Mounted Division 's right flank .
| 41afa7bb344186ceabe8713199eb0200 | 17,548 |
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