'Summary of the Hejaz Revolt' [‎76r] (3/30)

-v m*
SUMMAEY OF THE HEJAZ REVOLT.
Period from outbreak to end of 1917.
INDEX.
1 Narrative of events from Juru», 191to Decfmher. 191G.
2 Narrative of events from January, 11)17, to November, 1917,
.Narrative of events of December, 1917, and summary of the situation at the end of 1917.
4 Narrative of events during; January ; nd February, 19IS.
o Narrative of events dorijpg .March krid April, 1914$.
G Narrative of events during- .4pril and May, 1918.
7 Narrative of events during June, iHl.s.
.3 Narrative of events (Jiiring July, 19 J.s.
9 Narrative of events during August, 1918, and summary of the situation up til) the end of
August, 191*.
11, 12 Appendix A.—Kinur Hussein.
12, 14 Appendix li.—Ibn Saud.
14 Appendix C.—Ibn Rnshid.
44, 1.') Appendix I).—The J^mal Pashas.
1<"), KJ Aj^pemh'x E.—Maurice's report.
16, 17 Appendix F —Enemy po itical activity.
18
Appendix G.—Zionist movement.
18, 19 Appendix H. —Turkish inierpositioo between main British and Arab forces.
I 9,'Jn Appendix K.— Koweii blorkad '.
19,20 Appendix
21 Appendix I j .—Attitude of the Northern Arabian tribes towards the Hejaz revolt.
7 22,2^ Appendix M.—Fakhri I'asha at Medina.
28, 21 Appendices N aud 0.—Enemy casualties and Turkish troops.
MaM.
1. Although the SheriP did not issue his Proclamation to the world until some
days later, the Arab Revolt in the Hej.tz mav be said to have begun on the 5th June, 1916,
when a cordon of Arabs under the command of two of the Sherif s sons, Feisal and Ali,
was drawn up round Medina.
The Hejaz railway line was at once attacked at several points, but the Arabs,
inexpert in demolition work, were unable to e$e<-t serious damage before being driven off
by parties of Turks with machine guns. Traffic was, therefore, not seriously interrupted
and the Turkish line of communication to Damascus remained intact. Nor could the
Arabs, who were short of arms and supplies and who had but few guns, do more than
invest Medina from a distance. They, however, attacked Jeddah on the 9th June,
and the garrison, cut otf from Mecca by the loss of the blockhouses on the road, and
exposed to naval guns and aeroplanes, yielded to the demands of the civil population and
surrendered about a week later. About three weeks later the weak garrison remaining in
Mecca, after the summer move of thw Governor-General to Taif,al8o surrendered. This latter
place held out until the 23rd September after having been blockaded about three and a half
months by Sherif Abdulla, the Sherif of Mecca s second son, with a mixed force of Bedouins
and Meccan townsfolk. Though regularly bombarded it had never really been assaulted.
Smaller places such as Lith and Yambo had surrendered as soon as they were
-
seriously attacked, and by the end of September, 1916 , the greater part of the Hejaz
was clear of troops, though the railway still remained intact.
2. Meanwhile Turkish reinforcements had been rapidly sent from the north, and
the situation at Medina was radically changed, t The Turkish forces, which had been
strengthened, re-armed, re-victualled and re-assured by successful sorties during these
past four months, were able in September to march out and, driving the Arabs before
them, to make Medina secure by establishing a cordon of fortified posts at a distance of
about 30 miles from the town along the roads leading to Mecca. They
time (the end of October) threatened to occupy Rabegh and Yambo, but, with a ration
strength of about 14,000, they appear not to have felt capable of holding such distant
posts together with their long lines of communication ; and considerable Arab forces
having moved up from the south and south-west they withdrew again towards the end
of 1916 to behind the line of fortified outposts and to the town itself.
(6144 19)
* See Appendix a.
j Sec Appendix 0