Ottoman prisoners on their way to Jericho from Es Salt
Date
21 March – 2 April 1918
Location
From the Jordan River to Es Salt and Amman
Result
Ottoman victory
Belligerents
British Empire
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Australia
British India
New Zealand
Arab insurgents
German Empire Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Edmund Allenby Philip Chetwode John Shea Edward Chaytor
Enver Pasha Liman von Sanders Jemal Pasha Asim
Units involved
Shea Group
60th (London) Division
Anzac Mounted Division
Imperial Camel Corps Brigade
Fourth Army 3rd and 46th Assault Companies 48th Infantry Division 145th and part 150th Regiments German 703rd Infantry Battalion[1]
Strength
6,000 troops with 15 guns
Casualties and losses
215 dead 1,010 wounded 123 missing[2]
1,000 prisoners of war[2] 1,700 dead and wounded (estimate)[3]
v
t
e
Sinai and Palestine Campaign
Sinai
Suez Canal
El Tor
Jifjafa
Katia
Romani
Bir el Abd
Magdhaba
Nekhl
Bir el Hassana
Southern Palestine
Rafa
1st Gaza
2nd Gaza
1st Southern Palestine
Hafir el Auja railway
Buggar Ridge
2nd Southern Palestine
Beersheba
Khuweilfe
3rd Gaza
Hareira & Sheria
Wadi el Hesi
Huj
Mughar Ridge
Junction Station
Ayun Kara
Jerusalem
Nebi Samwil
Jaffa
El Burj
Judean Hills
Tell 'Asur
Berukin & 1st Arara
Transjordan
Jericho
Jordan Valley
1st Transjordan
Hijla
1st Amman
2nd Transjordan
Abu Tellul
3rd Transjordan
Jisr ed Damieh
2nd Amman
Northern Palestine
Arsuf
Megiddo
Sharon
Tulkarm
Tabsor
2nd Arara
Nazareth
Afulah & Beisan
Jenin
Haifa
Samakh
Tiberias
Nablus
Syria
Damascus
Irbid
Jisr Benat Yakub
Kaukab
Kiswe
Khan Ayash
Northern Syria
Aleppo
Haritan
Arab Revolt
Mecca
Medina
Taif
Yanbu
Aqaba
Wadi Musa
v
t
e
Theaters of World War I
Europe
Western Front
Eastern Front
Romania
Italy
Balkans
Serbia
Middle East
Caucasus
Persia
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Mesopotamia
Sinai & Palestine
Hejaz & Levant
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Somaliland
Asia-Pacific
Tsingtao
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New Guinea
Central Asia
Naval theatres
U-boat
Atlantic
Mediterranean
The First Transjordan attack on Amman (known to the British as the First Attack on Amman)[4] and to their enemy as the First Battle of the Jordan[5] took place between 21 March and 2 April 1918, as a consequence of the successful Battle of Tell 'Asur which occurred after the Capture of Jericho in February and the Occupation of the Jordan Valley began, during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of World War I. During the First Transjordan attack large incursions into Ottoman territory occurred. Firstly the Passage of the Jordan River, was successfully captured between 21 and 23 March, followed by the first occupation of Es Salt in the hills of Moab between 24 and 25 March. The First Battle of Amman took place between 27 and 31 March when the Anzac Mounted Division and the Imperial Camel Corps Brigade (fighting dismounted as infantry) were reinforced by two battalions of 181st Brigade followed by a second two battalions from the 180th Brigade (60th London Division) and artillery. The Fourth Army headquarters located in Amman was strongly garrisoned and during the battle received reinforcements on the Hejaz railway, the strength of which eventually forced the attacking force to retire back to the Jordan Valley between 31 March and 2 April. The Jordan Valley would continue to be occupied by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) through the summer until the middle of September 1918 when the Battle of Megiddo began.
During the winter of 1917/1918, the considerable territorial gains by the EEF as a consequence of victories at the Battle of Mughar Ridge in November and the Battle of Jerusalem in December, from the Gaza–Beersheba line to the Jaffa–Jerusalem line, were consolidated. The front line was adjusted in February 1918 when the right flank of the Jaffa–Jerusalem line was secured by the capture of land to the east of Jerusalem and down into the Jordan Valley to Jericho and the Dead Sea. The Capture of Jericho was also a necessary precursor, along with the action of Tell 'Asur, and advances by Allenby's force across the Jordan River and into the hills of Moab towards Es Salt and Amman.
In March, after several unsuccessful attempts by a British Empire force of Australian, British and New Zealand swimmers, the first Transjordan attack began with the passage of the Jordan River. The swimmers eventually got lines across the fast-flowing river while under fire from Ottoman forces on the east bank, and pontoon bridges were quickly constructed so that infantry and New Zealand mounted troops could cross the river to attack Ottoman defenders on the east bank where a bridgehead was eventually established. Subsequently, John Shea's force of infantry and mounted troops crossed the river and advanced eastwards across the high country; the central column of infantry moving along the main road quickly captured the Ottoman position at Shunet Nimrin on rising ground from the Jordan Valley and the town of Es Salt high in the hills.
Meanwhile, the mounted columns continued marching to the north and south of the infantry column on to Amman 30 miles (48 km) east of Jericho on the high plateau. Their objective was to effectively cut the main supply line to the north and south of Amman by destroying long sections of the Hejaz Railway, including tunnels and a viaduct over which the railway travelled near the town. Amman was strongly defended by the Ottoman Army and the blown up sections of the railway were quickly replaced to allow reinforcements to continue to arrive and strengthen the defenders. British Empire infantry and artillery reinforcements were also sent forward from Es Salt, both of which took considerable time to cover the difficult and unfriendly terrain. Although the combined force of infantry and mounted troops made a determined attack on Amman, Shea was forced to retreat to the Jordan Valley from both Amman and Es Salt when it became clear the defenders were too strong, making it extremely difficult, if not impossible to achieve the operation's objective. The only territorial gains following the offensive were the establishment of bridgeheads on the eastern side of the river.
^Falls 1930 Vol. 2 Part II p. 655
^ abRobertson, p.170
^Preston 1920, p.153
^Battles Nomenclature Committee 1922 p. 33
^Erickson 2001 p. 195
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