Battle of Megiddo (1918)
See also: Battle of Megiddo
The battles of Megiddo was held 19 with the September 21st 1918 and constitutes the final victory in the conquest of the Palestine by the British Général Edmund Al during the First World War. Pushing through the Valley of Jezreel since the west, its forces collapse the Turkish troops present in the valley and on the edges of the the Jordan. It is also in this valley that, according to the Apocalypse will be held the battle of the Armageddon.
Contrary to many offensives of the First War, the human costs of the operations operated by Al were relatively weak, preceding by the speed of action the Blitzkrieg of the Second world war. When it was named Vicomte, Al took the name of this battle, becoming first Viscount Al of Megiddo.
Situation
The Turks have three armies: XIIIe, VIIe and IVe, ordered by the German general Liman von Sanders. Its 44 000 Soldat S hold a long frontline running since the back country, slightly in the north of Jaffa, on the coast the Mediterranean, to the valley of the the Jordan. They are however demoralized by the disease and the desertions, and with court of supply, mainly because the Arab forces , under the orders of the British liaison officer T.E Lawrence, cut the line of Railroad of the Hedjaz by which the supplies forward. Al has as for him 69 000 men.
Offensive
Al launches an attack of diversion against the Turkish forces in the valley of the Jordan, but it envisages, actually, to strike the coast. Concentrations of soldiers and deposits of supply were thus camouflaged in this sector and of the camps were built. Al thinks of sending its forces on the coast (some 35 000 men and 350 parts of Artillery) against the defenders Turkish (8 000 men and 130 pieces of artillery), then to make them oblique towards the east, thus cutting the north of the line of retirement of Turkish armed VIIe and XIIIe.The British offensive starts with 4:30. The Artillerie of Al opens fire on a face of approximately 100 km. The stopping is followed of an attack along the Mediterranean coast, which quickly bores the too deployed Turkish line. This breach is exploited by the assembled troops of the Désert, which advance in north in direction of Megiddo then oblique in the east on the Jordan. Avion S British which bombard the railways and the general headquarters Turkish destroy their lines of communication thus. The arrived troops of the desert carry out a projection of 110 km in three days before consolidating their positions.
VIIIe armed Turkish with Djerad Pasha is practically destroyed in the enveloping attack, and VIIe armed with Mustafa Kemal tries to beat a retreat in the east. The two armies are badgered by British planes. The retirement turns in rout and 25 000 soldiers Turkish are made prisoners. IVe armed Turkish, posted in the valley of the Jordan, starts a fold towards north in direction of Damas, but the victory of general Al is undeniable, and no Turkish force worthy of this name can stop its projection towards Damas.
Exploitation
Benefitting from their recent and brilliant victory, the British enter Damas the September 30th and make there close to 20 000 prisoners. Beirut falls the following day and Alep, to 300 km in north, the October 26th. The British troops are led by the 3rd light troops rises Australia, preceded by Arab troops of Guérilla. These last, in answer to the Turkish atrocities made against rebellious Arab villages, will make little or not prisoners: 27 and September 28th, close to 15 000 Turks (and some Germans and Austrian) are massacred until the last.
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