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Battle of Sharon

The Battle of Sharon was a pivotal engagement in the Sinai and Palestine campaign of World War I, fought from 19 to 25 September 1918 as the northern coastal sector of the larger Battle of Megiddo, where Allied forces under Lieutenant-General Sir Edmund Allenby launched a surprise offensive to shatter Ottoman defenses along the Plain of Sharon in present-day Israel.^[1]^[2] The battle commenced at 4:30 a.m. on 19 September with a massive artillery bombardment involving over 300 guns, delivering up to 1,000 shells per minute for the initial 15 minutes, which devastated Ottoman positions and communications.^[2] Allied infantry from the British Empire's XXI Corps, including British, Indian, and French units, advanced behind creeping barrages to overrun entrenched Ottoman lines near Tulkarm and Tabsor, capturing key rail junctions and effectively disintegrating the Ottoman Seventh and Eighth Armies' forward defenses by the end of the first day.^[1]^[2] The Desert Mounted Corps, comprising Australian Light Horse, British yeomanry, and Indian cavalry, then exploited the breaches, advancing rapidly to seize strategic points such as Afula, Beisan, Jenin, Nazareth, Haifa, and Samakh over the following days, while Arab irregular forces disrupted Ottoman supply lines in the rear.^[1]^[2] Opposing the approximately 57,000 Allied troops in the Sharon sector were around 30,000 Ottoman and German soldiers under General Otto Liman von Sanders, entrenched in a fortified line stretching from the Mediterranean coast to the Judean Hills, but hampered by poor intelligence, low morale, and supply shortages exacerbated by prior Allied deception tactics.^[2] The offensive incorporated innovative combined arms tactics, including aerial support from Royal Air Force and Australian Flying Corps squadrons that bombed Ottoman headquarters and strafed retreating columns, preventing effective counterattacks.^[2] The Battle of Sharon resulted in a decisive Allied victory, with Ottoman forces suffering over 25,000 casualties and 75,000 prisoners across the Megiddo operations, while Allied losses were comparatively light at around 5,600 killed, wounded, or missing.^[1]^[2] This breakthrough triggered the rapid collapse of Ottoman resistance in Palestine, enabling the capture of Damascus on 1 October and contributing directly to the Armistice of Mudros on 30 October 1918, which ended Ottoman participation in the war.^[1]^[2]

Background

Geographical and Tactical Setting

The Sharon Plain, a key theater of the Battle of Sharon, constitutes a densely settled, triangular section of the Mediterranean coastal plain in what is now Israel, extending approximately 55 miles (89 km) north-south from near Mount Carmel to the Yarqon River at Tel Aviv–Yafo. Bounded on the west by the Mediterranean Sea and on the east by the Carmel range and Samaria hill country, the plain features flat terrain with low relief, interspersed with sand dunes along the coast and numerous small streams and wadis that could form seasonal swamps. This coastal lowland's open landscape historically served as a primary invasion route from the south, facilitating large-scale military movements, as evidenced by its role in General Edmund Allenby's advances during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of 1917–1918.^[3] Critical terrain features shaped the battle's dynamics, including the Tabsor line, an Ottoman defensive position along the coastal sector south of Tulkarm that marked the frontline for British infantry assaults; the Nahr el Falik River, a seasonal watercourse crossed during advances to clear the coastal plain for mounted troops; and the adjacent Megiddo Plain to the northeast, a broad valley serving as an assembly point and natural barrier that channeled Ottoman retreats toward key road and rail junctions at Afula and Jenin. These elements—defensive lines, river crossings, and expansive plains—created chokepoints and open avenues that influenced force positioning and exploitation phases.^[2]^[4] In September 1918, the region's late-summer conditions prevailed, characterized by dry heat and pervasive dust that reduced visibility for both ground and air operations while complicating logistics through equipment clogging and supply line delays. Such environmental factors, typical of the Palestinian coastal zone during this period, exacerbated challenges for troop endurance but did not halt the offensive's momentum.^[5] The terrain profoundly favored the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's (EEF) combined arms doctrine, with the flat, obstacle-poor expanses of the Sharon Plain enabling infantry breaches of fortified lines—supported by intensive artillery—followed by rapid mounted pursuits by the Desert Mounted Corps, which covered up to 21 miles in a single day to encircle Ottoman units. This synergy of dismounted assaults in constricted sectors and cavalry exploitation in open lowlands allowed the EEF to achieve operational surprise and dismantle enemy cohesion across the coastal front.^[2]^[4]^[6]

Strategic Context in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign

The Sinai and Palestine Campaign evolved significantly from the stalemated battles around Gaza in 1917 to the decisive offensive at Megiddo in 1918, under the command of General Edmund Allenby, who replaced General Archibald Murray following the unsuccessful First and Second Battles of Gaza in March and April 1917.^[1] Allenby's leadership shifted the momentum with the Third Battle of Gaza and the capture of Beersheba in late October 1917, which broke the Ottoman defensive line along the Gaza-Beersheba front and enabled the advance toward Jerusalem, captured by mid-December 1917.^[7] By 1918, the campaign had transformed into a broader pursuit, culminating in the Battle of Megiddo from 19 to 25 September, which shattered Ottoman resistance and facilitated rapid advances into Syria.^[1] The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF), under Allenby, pursued strategic objectives aimed at the systematic destruction of Ottoman armies in the region to secure British imperial interests and contribute to the Allied war effort by weakening the Central Powers on a secondary front.^[8] Primary goals included breaking through Ottoman defenses to open routes northward to Damascus and Aleppo, thereby collapsing the Ottoman presence in the Levant and preventing any threats to the Suez Canal, a vital artery for British communications to India and beyond.^[7] This offensive strategy sought to divert Ottoman resources from other theaters, such as Mesopotamia, and accelerate the empire's overall collapse, indirectly supporting operations on the Western Front by tying down enemy forces.^[1] Opposing the EEF was the Ottoman Yildirim Army Group, formed in June 1917 under Enver Pasha's directive to bolster defenses in Palestine after initial setbacks, initially commanded by German General Erich von Falkenhayn from September 1917 and comprising the Seventh and Eighth Armies.^[9] Following defeats at Beersheba and Jerusalem, the Yildirim regrouped to hold a defensive line north of Jaffa, Jerusalem, and Jericho, conducting rearguard actions to delay the EEF's advance while protecting key inland positions and countering guerrilla threats.^[9] However, internal command disputes, logistical challenges, and Allied superiority in manpower and air power severely hampered its effectiveness by 1918.^[9] Politically, the campaign aligned with British ambitions to establish post-war control over the Middle East, including mandates for Palestine and Mesopotamia under the League of Nations framework, as outlined in wartime agreements like the Sykes-Picot Accord and the Balfour Declaration of 1917, which supported a Jewish national home while promising Arab independence.^[8] Coordination with the Arab Revolt, initiated in 1916 under Sharif Hussein, was integral, as British-backed Arab forces under leaders like Faisal disrupted Ottoman supply lines along the Hejaz Railway, complementing EEF operations and fostering the illusion of a unified Arab alliance against the Ottomans.^[8] These efforts not only advanced military aims but also positioned Britain to shape the postwar regional order, securing strategic buffers around the Suez Canal.^[8]

Opposing Forces

Egyptian Expeditionary Force Composition

The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was commanded by General Sir Edmund Allenby during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign, with its primary striking elements organized into the XXI Corps for infantry assaults and the Desert Mounted Corps for mobile exploitation. For the Battle of Sharon, the XXI Corps, under Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Bulfin, consisted of the 52nd (Lowland), 54th (East Anglian), and 75th Divisions, supported by a French detachment and the 5th Australian Light Horse Brigade, providing the bulk of the infantry strength for the coastal sector operations, totaling approximately 35,000 infantry supported by 383 guns. The Desert Mounted Corps, led by Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Chauvel, included the 4th Cavalry Division (commanded by Major-General Sir George de S. Barrow), the 5th Cavalry Division (under Major-General H. J. M. MacAndrew), and the Australian Mounted Division (led by Major-General H. W. Hodgson), which incorporated elements of the Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division for rapid maneuver. The broader EEF for the Battle of Megiddo fielded approximately 57,000 infantry and 12,000 cavalry.^[10] Logistical preparations were essential to sustaining the EEF's momentum, particularly addressing water supply challenges in the arid regions adjacent to the fertile Sharon plain, where pipelines from Kantara extended over 147 miles and delivered up to 390,000 gallons per day at key points like Beersheba. Rail extensions played a pivotal role, with the Palestine Military Railway advanced from Kantara through Beersheba to Ramleh and Jaffa, laying over 1,000 kilometers of track to ensure timely delivery of ammunition, rations, and reinforcements, supported by the Egyptian Labour Corps and camel convoys numbering thousands of animals. These efforts mitigated supply vulnerabilities, allowing the force to maintain operational tempo across extended lines. The aerial component, part of the Royal Air Force's Palestine Brigade, comprised squadrons Nos. 1, 14, 21, and 113, among others, totaling over 100 aircraft including Bristol Fighters, S.E.5 scouts, and Handley-Page bombers for reconnaissance, bombing Ottoman positions, and coordinating artillery fire. These units, operating from bases near Sarona and Junction Station, achieved air superiority, destroying enemy aircraft and disrupting communications to facilitate ground advances.^[2]^[11]

Ottoman Yildirim Army Group Deployment

The Ottoman Yildirim Army Group, commanded by German General Otto Liman von Sanders, was responsible for the defense of the Palestine front in September 1918, encompassing the Sharon sector as part of the broader Sinai and Palestine Campaign.^[12] The group comprised the 7th and 8th Armies, positioned along a 75-kilometer front from Kalkilje to the Jordan River, with the 7th Army's left wing near the Jordan and the 8th Army defending the coastal sector.^[12] These forces totaled approximately 34,000 men across the western sector, including infantry divisions averaging 1,300 rifles each, though effective combat strength was reduced due to prior attrition in mobile warfare, supported by around 130 guns.^[4] Key defensive positions centered on the Tabsor-Jiljulieh line, where the 8th Army held Tabsor and Jiljulieh, supported by extensive trench networks, barbed wire entanglements, and artillery placements designed for static defense.^[12] The 53rd Division anchored the front in this sector, positioned near Tabsor and Arara, with its headquarters vulnerable to envelopment due to the thin deployment of just 3,902 rifles covering 28 kilometers for the 8th Army alone.^[13]^[12] Integration of the German Asia Corps, including Infantry Battalions 701-703 and a pioneer company, provided specialized support to bolster Ottoman units, reflecting a shift to entrenched positions after heavy losses in earlier offensives like the Second Transjordan attack.^[12]^[4] Logistical strains severely hampered operations, with supply lines overextended from Anatolia via the incomplete Anatolian railway, plagued by coal shortages, Taurus tunnel delays, and inadequate locomotive capacity that limited transport to essential munitions and food.^[12] Morale among the troops, particularly Arab conscripts, was low, exacerbated by chronic hunger and the psychological toll of successive defeats that had depleted both manpower and confidence, with high rates of desertions in the preceding months.^[12] This defensive posture, while leveraging terrain like the Carmel ridge as a fallback, underscored the Yildirim Group's vulnerabilities against the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's marked numerical superiority.^[4]

Prelude

EEF Planning and Deception

General Sir Edmund Allenby, commander of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF), devised a comprehensive operational plan for the 1918 offensive in Palestine aimed at achieving a decisive breakthrough against the Ottoman lines. The strategy centered on a surprise assault along the Mediterranean coastal plain near Sharon, leveraging the terrain for rapid cavalry exploitation. Specifically, the Desert Mounted Corps (DMC) would conduct a covert night march from the Jordan Valley to the coast, repositioning three cavalry divisions under cover of darkness to avoid detection, while the XXI Corps would launch a frontal infantry assault starting at 0430 on 19 September 1918, supported by a massive artillery barrage. This plan sought to shatter the Ottoman Eighth Army's defenses at their western end, allowing the DMC to advance inland and sever enemy supply lines at key junctions like Afula and Nazareth.^[6]^[14] Preparations for the offensive began in August 1918, involving the secretive redeployment of over 35,000 troops to the coastal sector, where they achieved a significant local superiority of six-to-one in manpower and four-to-one in artillery. To facilitate this buildup, the EEF extended rail lines and pipelines northward, enhancing logistics while masking the true direction of the main effort through controlled construction visible only in secondary areas. Coordination with Arab irregular forces under Emir Feisal and T.E. Lawrence was integral, as they were tasked with diversionary raids on the Hejaz railway north of Deraa to disrupt Ottoman communications and draw reserves eastward, complementing the EEF's primary thrust.^[6]^[15]^[14] Deception operations were pivotal to Allenby's success, designed to reinforce Ottoman expectations of a renewed offensive in the Jordan Valley based on prior EEF actions there. Feints involved daytime movements of troops, mules, and vehicles eastward to generate dust clouds simulating a large buildup, followed by nocturnal returns to coastal positions; additionally, dummy camps were established near Jericho with 15,000 straw-filled horse effigies, empty tents, and extra campfires to mimic a substantial force presence. Radio traffic was manipulated to suggest preparations for a trans-Jordan assault, while a fake headquarters was set up in a Jerusalem hotel to further mislead intelligence. Air superiority ensured by the Royal Air Force prevented Ottoman reconnaissance flights, preserving the secrecy of these measures until the assault. These efforts collectively convinced Ottoman commander Otto Liman von Sanders to concentrate reserves in the east, leaving the coastal sector thinly defended.^[6]^[15]^[14]

Ottoman Intelligence and Preparations

General Otto Liman von Sanders, commander of the Ottoman Yildirim Army Group, anticipated a major British offensive east of the Jordan River, influenced by previous Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) operations and T. E. Lawrence's disruptive raids on the Hejaz Railway, which drew Ottoman attention to that sector.^[16] This expectation led him to concentrate the bulk of his forces there, overlooking indicators of EEF buildup in the Sharon Plain despite some ground reports suggesting activity along the coastal front.^[4] In preparation for a potential assault, Ottoman engineers reinforced the Tabsor line during the summer of 1918, constructing multiple trenches and redoubts extending 1–3 miles inland from the coast near the village of Tabsor, as part of broader defensive works along the Judean Hills front.^[17] However, these efforts remained incomplete owing to severe resource shortages, including a British naval blockade that limited supplies and a deficit in transport animals, leaving fortifications undermanned and under-equipped.^[17] Ottoman intelligence suffered from significant gaps, with limited aerial reconnaissance capabilities hampered by Royal Air Force dominance, forcing reliance on often unreliable ground patrols and patrols that failed to detect EEF troop concentrations accurately.^[4] Estimates of overall EEF strength were reasonably accurate at around 69,000 men, but assessments underestimated the forces massed specifically against the Sharon sector, partly due to effective EEF deception tactics.^[16]^[4] Compounding these challenges were internal command frictions within the Yildirim Army Group, where disputes between Ottoman and German officers over authority, tactics, and resource allocation undermined cohesive planning and execution.^[18] Liman von Sanders, as a German advisor elevated to overall command, frequently clashed with Turkish subordinates on competency and strategic priorities, exacerbating delays in defensive adjustments.^[18]

Battle

Preliminary Actions and Bombardment

During the night of 18–19 September 1918, the Desert Mounted Corps, comprising the 4th and 5th Cavalry Divisions along with the Australian Mounted Division, advanced undetected to assembly positions behind the front lines in the coastal plain near Sarona and Jaffa, concealed in orange and olive groves around Jaffa and Ludd to avoid Ottoman observation.^[19] This stealthy repositioning positioned the mounted forces within striking distance for exploitation following the anticipated infantry breakthroughs, contributing to the overall objective of encircling Ottoman forces in the region.^[2] At 04:30 on 19 September, the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) initiated a fierce dawn bombardment with 383 guns targeting Ottoman defenses along the coastal plain, particularly the Tabsor line, for a duration of 15 minutes.^[19] Supported by fire from two British torpedo boat destroyers offshore along the coastal road, the barrage unleashed an intense volume of shells that devastated Ottoman trenches, wire entanglements, and artillery positions, achieving a rate of up to 1,000 shells per minute in the XXI Corps sector.^[2] This preparatory fire was synchronized with aerial operations, including bombing raids on Ottoman communication centers, further disrupting enemy coordination.^[19] As the bombardment concluded, units of the XXI Corps dispatched preliminary infantry patrols to probe for gaps in the Ottoman lines and assess the impact of the artillery.^[19] These patrols, involving elements of the 53rd (Welsh) Division and the 3rd (Lahore) Division, encountered minor skirmishes, such as resistance at Sivri Tepe and during probes toward the Tabsor system, where Ottoman outposts were quickly overrun or bypassed.^[19] For instance, the 53rd Division's nightfall attack on El Mugheir on 18 September served as an initial diversionary probe, drawing limited Ottoman attention away from the main coastal thrust.^[19] The sudden and concentrated nature of the EEF's opening moves sowed initial confusion among Ottoman forces, whose intelligence had failed to detect the mounted corps' repositioning or the full scale of the artillery buildup.^[19] Ottoman dispositions remained static and unprepared for a coastal assault, with no effective reserves mobilized; captured prisoners later reported repeated false alarms about attacks elsewhere, exacerbating disorientation as communications faltered under the bombardment and air strikes.^[19] This surprise element allowed the XXI Corps patrols to identify exploitable weaknesses with minimal opposition, setting the stage for the subsequent infantry assaults.^[2]

XXI Corps Infantry Assaults

The XXI Corps' infantry assault commenced at 04:30 on 19 September 1918, preceded by a brief but intense artillery bombardment of 15 to 20 minutes that targeted Ottoman positions along the coastal plain. The 60th and 75th Divisions, including the French Détachement Français de Palestine et de Syrie, spearheaded the attack on the Tabsor defenses, employing coordinated storm troop tactics to overrun the front line trenches held by elements of the Ottoman Eighth Army. By approximately 08:00, the initial breach had been achieved, with the attacking forces pushing through the lightly wired obstacles and capturing key forward positions.^[6]^[10]^[20] In the hours following the breakthrough, the 60th Division advanced over 4 miles in the first 2.5 hours, reaching the Nahr el Falik river by midday and securing a vital bridgehead across it after overcoming scattered Ottoman rearguards. Simultaneously, the 75th Division captured Tabsor village and pressed onward to El Tire, taking the position by 11:00 amid close-quarters fighting. These efforts were closely coordinated with flanking formations, such as the 7th (Meerut) Division, to expand the penetration and prevent Ottoman counterattacks from closing the gap. By the end of the first day, XXI Corps had advanced approximately 8 miles inland, disrupting the Ottoman rail hub at Tulkarm and forcing the Eighth Army into retreat.^[21]^[6]^[22] The infantry faced severe environmental and tactical challenges during the assault, including extreme heat that led to widespread exhaustion among the troops, compounded by persistent fire from Ottoman machine-gun nests embedded in the terrain. Despite these obstacles, the weak construction of Ottoman defenses—lacking substantial depth or entanglements—facilitated the rapid momentum. On 20 September, the divisions consolidated their gains, advancing further toward the Judean Hills while neutralizing pockets of resistance, thereby maintaining pressure on the crumbling front. This infantry penetration briefly enabled the subsequent exploitation by mounted units.^[6]^[10]^[1]

Desert Mounted Corps Exploitation

Following the breaches created by XXI Corps infantry assaults, the Desert Mounted Corps under Lieutenant General Harry Chauvel launched a rapid exploitation phase from 19 to 23 September 1918, advancing up to 60 miles to encircle and destroy Ottoman forces. The 5th Cavalry Division, comprising British and Indian units, dashed westward to the Mediterranean coast, severing key Ottoman rail communications at Mughar and Et Tire on 19 September, which disrupted supply lines to the front. By midday, the division reached Liktera, capturing 250 prisoners and four guns, before pushing northward to secure the coastal flank. This maneuver effectively isolated retreating Ottoman elements, contributing to the broader collapse of their defenses. Concurrently, the 4th Cavalry Division and Australian Mounted Division executed deep inland penetrations, targeting Ottoman command and logistics hubs. On 20 September, the 4th Cavalry Division seized Afula by 08:00, overrunning the railway station, aerodrome, ten locomotives, and fifty rail trucks, while capturing 1,400 prisoners; later that afternoon, they reached Beisan, taking another 1,400 prisoners and vast supply dumps. The Australian Mounted Division, following closely, captured Nazareth on the same day, securing additional supply depots stocked with food, ammunition, and fuel that sustained the Allied advance. These actions at Afula and Nazareth crippled Ottoman reinforcements, as the divisions blocked roads and passes leading eastward. The Corps' maneuvers orchestrated the encirclement of the Ottoman Seventh and Eighth Armies, preventing organized retreats and forcing their annihilation west of the Jordan River. By splitting enemy forces along the Mughar-Kutrah line and seizing junctions like Jenin (where the Australian Mounted Division captured 2,000 prisoners and extensive stores on 20 September) and Nablus, the Corps cut off escape routes, including the vital Jisr ed Damieh bridge. Charges at Lejjun by the 4th Cavalry Division on 20 September killed 46 Ottoman soldiers and took 500 prisoners, while later interceptions at Makhadet Abu Naj yielded 3,000 prisoners and ten guns, trapping remnants in the Judean Hills. This envelopment, completed by 23 September with the 5th Cavalry Division's capture of Haifa (1,350 prisoners, 17 guns) and Acre (260 prisoners, two guns), resulted in over 11,000 prisoners for the Corps alone, decisively shattering Ottoman cohesion. Logistical challenges during these 60-mile advances were acute, with the Corps relying on foraging and stringent water management to maintain momentum. Horses received only 9.5 pounds of grain daily, with no grazing available, supplemented by captured Ottoman forage and local scavenging for barley and straw. Troops carried three days' rations for men and two for horses, drawing water from streams like Nahr Mefjir and Wadi el Sitt, while horses were watered sparingly—once every 36 hours on average—from deep wells (150-250 feet) or captured sources. Water carts and improvised troughs alleviated shortages, though managing hydration for thousands of prisoners (e.g., 8,000 at Afula) strained supplies, yet enabled the Corps to cover 567 miles in 38 days without faltering.

Aerial and Ottoman Counteractions

On 19 September 1918, the Royal Air Force (RAF) initiated aerial operations in support of the ground assault during the Battle of Sharon, conducting reconnaissance flights to identify Ottoman positions and bombing key targets including aerodromes, communication centers, and headquarters to disrupt command structures.^[11] S.E.5a fighters maintained constant patrols over Jenin aerodrome, grounding Ottoman and German aircraft and preventing any effective enemy air reconnaissance, while corps squadrons laid smoke screens, bombed frontline communications, and coordinated with artillery to target 32 enemy batteries.^[11] These actions created initial disarray among Ottoman forces, as the bombing severed telephone lines and misled high command regarding Allied intentions, contributing to a collapse in coordinated responses.^[11]^[4] From 20 to 23 September, RAF squadrons intensified attacks on retreating Ottoman columns, troop concentrations, and supply lines, using Handley Page 0/400 heavy bombers and Bristol Fighters to drop bombs and strafe targets relentlessly.^[11] On 21 September, Bristol Fighters from No. 1 Squadron Australian Flying Corps targeted a 9-mile-long column of the Ottoman Seventh Army in the Wadi el Fara, expending 9.25 tons of bombs and 56,000 rounds of ammunition between 8 a.m. and noon, resulting in the destruction or abandonment of nearly 90 field guns, over 1,000 vehicles, and numerous bridges essential for retreat.^[11] These strikes scattered wreckage over a six-mile stretch and inflicted heavy casualties on the fleeing troops, while also destroying Ottoman aircraft on the ground and preventing any aerial counter to RAF dominance.^[1]^[4] In response, Ottoman forces exhibited mounting desperation and disorganization. On 19 September, the initial RAF bombardment induced widespread confusion within the Yildirim Army Group, with units unable to mount coherent defenses due to severed communications.^[11] By 20 September, the Ottoman Eighth Army, facing the collapse of its coastal flank, received orders to retreat northward toward Jenin, but the disintegration accelerated under continuous air attacks, leaving troops exposed and demoralized.^[11] On 21 September, attempts at localized counterattacks by remnants of the Seventh Army near Nablus failed utterly, as RAF interdiction and advancing ground forces annihilated the units in the Wadi el Fara, trapping thousands.^[11] From 22 to 24 September, the Ottoman lines fully collapsed, with surviving elements of the Seventh and Eighth Armies fleeing in disorder toward Damascus, their retreat harried by RAF bombings that prevented any regrouping.^[11]^[1] The German Asia Corps, integrated into the Ottoman defenses, provided limited bolstering through its better-equipped infantry and machine-gun units, but its armored elements—primarily light motor sections—offered only marginal resistance amid the chaos, suffering heavy losses by battle's end.^[4] Communication breakdowns, exacerbated by RAF targeting of headquarters and lines, further hampered the Corps' coordination, rendering any organized armored response ineffective as Ottoman command structures fragmented.^[4]^[11] Overall, RAF air superiority decisively prevented Ottoman reorganization, enabling the rapid encirclement and destruction of the Yildirim Army Group by denying reconnaissance, severing logistics, and maintaining relentless pressure on retreating forces, which ultimately led to the capture of over 25,000 prisoners and the effective end of Ottoman resistance in the region.^[1]^[11]

Aftermath

Casualties, Captures, and Immediate Pursuit

The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) suffered relatively light casualties during the Battle of Sharon, reflecting the effectiveness of the preliminary bombardment and infantry assaults. The XXI Corps recorded 3,378 total casualties, including 446 killed, primarily during the initial assaults on 19 and 20 September. The Desert Mounted Corps incurred 533 casualties, with minimal losses in the air operations conducted by the Royal Air Force.^[23] Ottoman and German forces experienced far heavier losses, with over 25,000 prisoners captured, alongside more than 3,000 dead and wounded. Among the captured materiel were approximately 300 guns and 100 aircraft, crippling the Yildirim Army Group's defensive capabilities. These captures occurred across the coastal plain and during the rapid exploitation phase, where disorganized Ottoman units surrendered en masse.^[23] Following the battle's conclusion on 25 September, the Desert Mounted Corps initiated an immediate pursuit, advancing over 150 miles in six days to reach Damascus by 1 October. This swift operation linked up with Arab irregular forces under Prince Faisal, who had simultaneously disrupted Ottoman lines in the east, encircling the city and forcing its surrender without significant resistance.^[23]^[1] The recovery phase was complicated by an outbreak of Spanish influenza among both Allied troops and the vast number of prisoners in late September, straining medical resources and slowing logistical efforts in the region. Many captives, already weakened by malnutrition and disease, succumbed to the flu, exacerbating the humanitarian challenges in the immediate aftermath.^[23]

Broader Campaign Impact and Legacy

The Battle of Sharon, as the western sector of the larger Battle of Megiddo (19–25 September 1918), played a pivotal role in securing the decisive Allied victory that shattered Ottoman defenses in Palestine. By breaking through the coastal lines held by the Ottoman Eighth Army, British forces under General Edmund Allenby enabled the rapid encirclement and destruction of multiple Ottoman armies, effectively ending their capacity to wage war in the region.^[1] This success directly precipitated the Ottoman Empire's collapse in the Middle East, culminating in the Armistice of Mudros signed on 30 October 1918, which formalized the empire's surrender and partitioned its territories.^[24] The battle facilitated extensive territorial gains, granting Allied control over the Sharon plain along the Palestine coast northward to the Sea of Galilee, a critical corridor that severed Ottoman supply lines and opened the interior. This breakthrough allowed the Desert Mounted Corps to pursue retreating forces over 300 kilometers, capturing key cities including Damascus on 1 October, Homs on 16 October, and Aleppo on 25 October, thereby securing northern Syria and halting Ottoman reinforcements.^[1] These advances not only neutralized the Ottoman threat to British interests in the Suez Canal but also positioned Allied forces to dictate post-war arrangements in the Levant. In terms of legacy, the Battle of Sharon exemplified the decisive application of surprise through deception operations—such as feigned attacks in the Jordan Valley—and integrated combined arms tactics involving infantry assaults, cavalry exploitation, artillery barrages, and aerial reconnaissance, which overwhelmed Ottoman command structures.^[14] These methods influenced the delineation of post-war borders, particularly by establishing British military administration in Palestine, which evolved into the British Mandate for Palestine under the League of Nations in 1920, reshaping regional governance and fostering long-term geopolitical tensions.^[1] Scholarly assessments highlight Allenby's orchestration of these tactics as a prototype for modern mobile warfare, emphasizing decentralized mission command that prioritized initiative and coordination over rigid hierarchies, a model echoed in later doctrines like blitzkrieg.^[14] Recent analyses, including those from the Great Arab Revolt Project, underscore the underappreciated contributions of Arab forces under Sharif Faisal, whose Northern Army conducted disruptive raids on Ottoman flanks during Megiddo, pressuring retreats and capturing strategic points like the Hejaz railway, which amplified the campaign's strategic collapse of Ottoman power.

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[23]
[PDF] SINAI & PALESTINE CAMPAIGN, 1918 (THE BATTLE OF MEGIDDO ...
However, two British attacks on Ottoman-held Gaza in March and April 1917 both failed, and saw Murray replaced by General Edmund Allenby. • Allenby's ...