'Summary of the Hejaz Revolt' [‎78r] (7/30)

ild be mode of the
irnrney to the Lov : ' -
^pril, 1917, he wuk
al Force, and, losing
leh, where he arrived
westerly possession,
became a source of
Rash id's exorbitant
►n to afford, it being
forces. In spite of
was Instructed that
eated in all respects
b camp east of the
the Arab movement
' efforts to deal with
October, 1917, and
lin and Syria before
the Germans were
lices E. and F). The
lscus and there were
endix A).
, 1917, had interfered
Feisal s Arabs based
east of the Dead Sea.
station (6 stations
On the 3rd, Feisal s
-west of Maan), and,
tribesmen., occupied
« south of Maan near
ce occupied Jurul ed
;ion for 3 days during
rere killed, while 200
een Juruf ed Derwish
jing killed and many
at ^Aneiza (2 stations
e* north ot Shobek),
>n the 15th January,
> force, in conjunction
he line south of Maan
20 Turks. On the
heir force, numbering
[ in the Seil el 1 lesa. **
ture of the British garrison
Ibn Subhan had already
ted he was friendly to tl'c
vance he was prepared t >
'.re reinforced by a colurnn
urhood. On the 25th June
icked Ibn Towala. of the
ian Cavalry. Ibn Kashid
,3 at Seil el Hesa. where
killed 500 of the eoem}
about 50 Turks escaped m
^ed of 2 powerful Austrian
s) and H00 rifles. About
11. In the southern area Sherif Ali raided Hafira (2 stations north of Medina) on
■ 13th January, killing / 1 urks and destroying 1 kilometre of railway and a bridge,
and on the 18th his forces attacked a large Turkish convoy about 8 miles east of
Medina, capturing prisoners and much booty, including 17,000/. in specie. On the 20tli
^ her it Abdullah, in an attack on the line near Hedieh (9 stations north of Medina),
destroyed some 1,500 rails, 19 culverts and 6 kilometres of telegraph line, the Turks
having about (>0 casualties ; and on the 23rd he took 17 prisoners in an attack on a
Turkish post between Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Ethil and Dar el Haj (just south of Tebuk).
12. During the month of February the Arabs brought down an enemy aeroplane
east of Aneiza station in the northern area, while to the south Sherif Abdulla attacked
the railway south of Hedieh, killing 20 Turks, capturing 30, and claiming to have
destroyed 3,000 rails and 7 culverts. In another attack between Bir Jedid and Toweira
(10 stations north ot Medina) he destroyed 7 miles of railway and 12 culverts, while
south of Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Ethil an engine and 2 trucks were derailed, 3 men being killed and 20
captured. Sherif Ali, in an operation south-west of Medina, killed 15 Turks, captured
12,.some animals and manv rities.
Thus, during the first two months of the year 1918, Sherif Feisal's forces had
occupied Shobek, in the Hishs fuel area, and Tafilah, some 20 miles to the north, and
had successfully resisted a strong attempt by the Turks to recapture the latter place,
inflicting severe casualties on them. In the Southern Hejaz, Sherifs Ali and Abdulla
had carried out operations with considerable success.
About this month King Hussein wrote two friendly but very depressed letters to
Sir R. Wingate, in which he hinted at suicide. He was evidently much upset by the
Allies pro-Zionist (see Appendix G) declarations regarding Syria, and feared political
bankruptcy in the event of his inability to vindicate his revolt before the Moslem
world. A reassuring message was communicated to him by His Majesty's Government.
(See bottom of paragraph 13.)
13. By the beginning;, of March a marked change became noticeable in the handling
of the situation east (>f the Jordan bv the enemy. This was probably due to German
direction and realisation of the intimacy between the Arab operations and British opera
tions in Palestine. Further reorganization had taken place and German troops had been
sent to the scene of action, while N iedermayer,* the German tribal agent, appeared at
Am ma*,. This resulted in the concentration at Juruf ed Derwish and Kutrani of a
striking force of sufficient strength to push back Feisal's Arabs, while the nucleus of a
reserve was maintained at Amman, presumably to ensure the holding ot the .lericho road
#hile the Arabs were being dealt with. On the 2nd March the Turks from Jurut ed
Derwish and Kutrani advanced in two converging columns in an endeavour to reoccupy
Tafilah On the 7th Sherif Zeid evacuated the town and fell back towards Shobek.
During the Turkish concentration their camps were heavily bombod by British aircraft.
Bv the 8th the Arabs were occupying a line running roughly east and west through
Shobek, Tafilah being occupied by the Turks on the 12th.
In March King Hussein was again showing sign of anxiety. The enemy
known to be now spending large sums of money and increasing their propaganda*
jt the tribesmen. This, coupled with the difficult situation of Sherif Abdulla, who
considerable difficulties over his payments to his own forces, increased the Ivings
anxiety.
14 However, General A llenby 's advance towards Amman, ^ hi i w is m j l "
the 21st March, caused the withdrawal of this Turkish mobile column towards Amman
and Es Salt, and on the 18th March the Arabs reoccupied Tafilah and pushed on
towards the Sell el Hesa, there b.-ing every indication that the Turks, having for th^
time being attained their object of interposing a sufficient force between the British and
the Arabs, did not intend to leave .any troops south of a line from the bed el Hosa to
Kutrani. though a detachment was left by them at this latter place to defend t .ie iai \\a\
line to Amman. As a result of the redistribution of their forces^ the Maan gainson
numbered at this time about 2,800 rifles.
15. Meanwhile, though subjected to frequent attacks, the railway south of Maan
to Medina had not been permanently damaged, although tralhc had been very «^" 1(nis >
interfered with. On an average there was one through train from Damascus to Uet ma
* See Ap^>endix F.
there can be little doubt that
its end in Paris.
f See Appendix II.
I See Appendix 0.
It must be remembered that this w.n oo the eve of the -eat German offensive ami
hat the Turks fostered, with some success, the idea that the Arab revolt would liu
■