In early January 1917, after forcing all Turkish forces out of the Sinai Peninsula, British-led forces under the command of Sir Archibald Murray were able to consider launching an assault into Palestine. This battle would be known as the First Battle of Gaza during World War 1.
The British War Office was pressuring Sir Archibald Murray to push towards Gaza. Murray knew that this would be a difficult task, as the Turks had strong defensive positions along a series of ridges between Gaza and Beersheba.
These ridges were the only practical way to enter Palestine, so the British would need to dislodge the Turkish forces from these positions before they could launch an invasion.
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The Fighting
The Turkish forces in Gaza were outnumbered two-to-one by the British forces led by General Sir Charles Dobell. However, the Turkish commander, German General Kress von Kressenstein, had been ordered by Djemal Pasha to hold the position at all costs.
Dobell assembled his main force several miles from Gaza, near the coast and behind the Wadi Ghazi. On the morning of March 26, 1917, his cavalry successfully cut off the rear of Gaza from the east and southeast under the cover of a dense sea fog.
They also deployed to prevent reinforcements from reaching the town.
The central infantry advance, conducted by the 53rd Infantry Division, was launched across difficult terrain from the ridge of Ali Muntar. The cavalry's encirclement greatly assisted the infantry advance.
Inexplicably, with victory apparently in sight, Sir Philip Chetwode withdrew his cavalry forces under orders from Dobell. Dobell mistakenly believed that the infantry advance was proving to be a failure.
Kressenstein also came to the conclusion that Gaza was a lost cause, and he canceled his own call for reserves.
The British resumed their attack the next day, but they were surprised to find that Kressenstein had hastily reinforced the town's permanent garrison of 4,000.
A combination of Turkish counterattacks and a lack of water supplies finally persuaded Dobell to call off the attack.
Aftermath
In the encounter, the British suffered 4,000 casualties, while the Turks suffered approximately 2,400 casualties.
However, Murray wrote to the War Office in London, claiming that Turkish losses were three times their actual figure. He also implied that the battle was a clear-cut British victory when, in reality, it was a draw.
London was convinced by Murray's despatch that operations on the Palestine Front could be successful. As a result, Murray was ordered to launch a fresh assault on Jerusalem as soon as possible. However, the Turks were ready and waiting for the British forces when they attacked again.