First Suez Offensive

First Suez Offensive Part of Middle Eastern theatre of World War I Ottoman camel corps at Beersheba, 1915. Date January 28 – February 3, 1915 Location Suez Canal, Egypt Result British victory Belligerents British Empire Ottoman Empire German Empire Commanders and leaders John Maxwell Djemal Pasha Friedrich von Kressenstein Strength 30,000 20,000 Casualties and losses 22 dead 1,500 dead

The First Suez Offensive (28 January – February, 1915) took place between the Ottoman Empire and the British Empire in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War. It ended with the failure of the Ottoman forces to capture the Suez Canal.

Prelude

Following Egypt's entry into the war in support of the British, consideration had to be given to two possible threats; the anti-British sentiment felt by many Arab citizens of Egypt and the possibility of attack from the Ottoman Army. The former was aggravated when the Ottoman empire declared war against the United Kingdom and the West, with the intention of stirring up Arab anger in Egypt and causing a revolt. The British countered this by removing the anti-British head of state Abbas Il Helmi and replacing him with Sultan Hussein Kamel.

There was a real military threat evolving, with the Ottoman Fourth Army preparing a force of 20,000 men under the command of the Ottoman Minister of the Marine Djemal Pasha to take or destroy the Suez Canal, which was vital to the British war effort. Djemal Pasha was one of the Three Pashas who effectively controlled the Ottoman government. The attack on the Suez was suggested by Enver Pasha, the main leader.

Suez and Sinai region 1917

To protect their strategic interests, by January 1915 the British had assembled some 70,000 troops in Egypt. Major-General Sir John Maxwell, a veteran of Egypt and Sudan, was commander-in-chief and led mostly British Indian Army divisions, together with the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division, local formations and the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. 30,000 of the troops stationed in Egypt manned defences along the Suez Canal. The Ottomans had only three available routes to reach the Suez Canal through the road-less and waterless Sinai Peninsula. A coastal advance that would have water supplies and usable tracks, but would be within range of Royal Navy warships. A central route from Beersheba to Ismailia or a southern track between El Kossaima and the Suez Canal.^{[citation needed]} The central route was chosen as it would provide the Ottoman soldiers with proper tracks to follow once they crossed the canal.^{[citation needed]}

Battle

Two Ottoman divisions plus one more in reserve, with camel and horse units, were ready to depart in mid-January. The advance across the Sinai took ten days, tracked by British aircraft, even though German aircraft stationed in Palestine in turn aided the Ottomans and later flew some bombing missions in support of the main attack. The British observers sighted the large column of troops on January 28 and British and French naval vessels positioned on the Suez canal opened fire on the advancing Ottomans. Patrolling troops from each side clashed sporadically on 2 February but major action was prevented by a sandstorm.

The early hours of the following morning saw the main Ottoman attack with inflatable pontoons and rafts and then made their way to the eastern bank of the canal and into the water, to be met by British machine gun fire which cut the advancing ranks of boats to ribbons and tore through the massing Ottoman troops on the water's edge. Panic soon ensued and many Ottoman troops surrendered, dashing any hopes of the attack succeeding.

At 06:00 a second attack was launched, this time by diversions north of the crossing point. The attack was checked by the defending British troops and the gunnery of the British and French ships in the canal. By 3 a.m. the Ottomans' attack had petered out and failed and a full withdrawal was effected. The thirsty Ottoman troops retreated to Beersheba, free from molestation by British forces.

Aftermath

The attack on the Suez Canal was a failure, costing 1,500 Ottoman lives and showing that there was apparently little interest in Egypt for an Arab revolt against the British. A larger force with more sufficient supplies would be required for any further Ottoman attacks on Egypt. The British, although successful, came to the realization that it was too risky to rely on the canal itself as a defence line.

The German General Friedrich Freiherr Kress von Kressenstein Chief-of Staff to Djemal Pasha led a small Ottoman force over the rest of the year, conducting raids against the canal's defenders. Their intention to keep British attention on the Ottoman army and try to increase the standing forces in Egypt, decreasing there ability to intervene in other theatres, was a success as the Bitish did keep far more forces here than they expected at the start of the war.

External links

• Australian Light Horse Studies Centre Suez 1915.