page_title: Battle of Tel el Khuweilfe
section_title: 6 November general attack
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of Tel el Khuweilfe / Battle / 6 November general attack
caption_attribution_description: English: Falls Map 6 of Gaza to Beersheba line 6 November 1917עברית: מפת המערכה בצפון הנגב ב-6 בנוב' 1917
context_page_description: The Battle of Tel el Khuweilfe, part of the Southern Palestine Offensive, began on 1 November 1917, the day after the Egyptian Expeditionary Force victory at the Battle of Beersheba during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of World War I. After the Stalemate in Southern Palestine a series of coordinated attacks were launched by British Empire units on the Ottoman Empire's German commanded Yildirim Army Group's front line, which stretched from Gaza inland to Beersheba. During fighting for the town, the road from Beersheba to Jerusalem via Hebron, was cut just north of the town in the southern spur of the Judean Hills. Here Ottoman units strongly defended the road and the Seventh Army headquarters at Hebron.
  Over the next week, attacks by the 53rd Division, the Anzac Mounted Division, and the 5th Mounted Brigade attempted to capture the Khuweilfe position. Attacks were launched by the British infantry and Yeomanry cavalry, and Australian and New Zealand mounted brigades.
context_section_description: Falkenhayn, commanding the Yildirim Army Group, finally arrived from Aleppo to establish his headquarters in the German Hospice on the Mount of Olives during the evening of 5 November. However, despite the delay of six days since the capture of Beersheba, "the attack [on the centre of the Ottoman front line] was now about to be carried out in the most favourable circumstances." This was largely because at least seven Ottoman infantry regiments, including the 19th Division, had been drawn into the defence of the road from Beersheba to Jerusalem, and the fighting for Ras en Naqb and Tel el Khuweilfe. Only two regiments were holding the 6.5 miles (10.5 km) Ottoman front line, which stretched along the Wadi esh Sheria to the west.
  After the Anzac Mounted Division (less the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade) moved off on 6 November to prepare for the breakthrough at Sheria with the Australian Mounted Divisions, the remaining force was briefly known as Barrow's Detachment while the Yeomanry Mounted Division and the New Zealanders remained in the area. Chauvel's attacking force was deployed early in the morning with the Yeomanry Mounted Division on the left, the 53rd (Welsh) Division in the centre south west of Tel el Khuweilfe, with the 4th Battalion Imperial Camel Brigade at Ras en Naqb and the 2nd Battalion holding the right. On the left of the Yeomanry Mounted Division, the line was continued by the 74th (Yeomanry) Division and the 60th (London) Division, which were to attack Sheria. The 10th (Irish) Division, which was to attack the Rushdi system of trenches and the Hareira redoubt, was on their left, continuing the line westwards.
  The objective of the 53rd (Welsh) Division, during the main attack on the center of the Ottoman line at Hareria and Sheria, was to occupy the Khuweilfe to Rujm edh Dhib line to the north of the Wadi Khuweilfe and stretching 5 miles (8.0 km) west north west of Tel el Khuweilfe. Mott had argued at the conference on 4 November for an attack by the 53rd (Welsh) Division on the Khuweilfe position only, without "seeking to press forward on his left". They were to attack Tel el Khuweilfe and the three peaks forming a ridge to the southwest, defended by the Ottoman 125th Regiment, part of the 143rd Regiment, and the 77th Regiment of the 19th Division, which had fought in Galicia. The Ottoman 27th Division guarded the continuation of the Ottoman line westwards, with the 16th Division protecting Sheria and part of the 26th Division to the west of Hareira. Mott deployed four infantry battalions, the 158th Brigade with the 4/Royal Sussex of the 160th Brigade attached, to attack under cover of his divisional artillery (less one battery), the 91st Heavy Battery and the concentrated machine guns. Meanwhile, two infantry battalions formed the divisional reserve, and the attached 3rd Battalion Imperial Camel Brigade guarded the right flank.
  The intense bombardment began at 04:00 and 20 minutes later, all 16 guns of the machine gun company were firing a barrage on the near face of the ridge. They lifted their fire as the infantry approached before continuing to fire on the reverse slope. The infantry attack began in darkness and the mist during the early morning disorganised the initial advance, some units being "scattered in the fierce and confused fighting".
  The 6th Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers were a little late in starting, and the Hereford battalion on its left swung slightly left-handed attempting to establish touch. Instead of "straddling" Tel el Khuweilfe, the company on the right wheeled across the front of the Ottoman position, where they were heavily attacked by machine guns. In the centre, a company of the Hereford with the 6th Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers, "carried their objectives with the bayonet", capturing nine field guns in the process. However, they found their flanks exposed, and were strongly counterattacked from three directions, and compelled to withdraw without the guns. During this retreat, they were fired on by their own guns, before being supported by a company of the 5th Battali
caption: Situation at 18:00 on 6 November 1917
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