Battle of Katia The Battle of Katia , also known as the Affair of Qatia by the British , was an engagement fought east of the Suez Canal and north of El Ferdan Station , in the vicinity of Katia and Oghratina , on 23 April 1916 during the Defence of the Suez Canal Campaign of World War I . An Ottoman force led by the German General Friedrich Freiherr Kress von Kressenstein made a surprise attack on three and a half squadrons of the British 5th Mounted Brigade , which was widely scattered to the east of Romani . The mounted brigade had been ordered to the area to protect the new railway and water pipeline being built from Kantara on the Suez Canal , as this infrastructure extended out past the Canal ' s zone of defences into the Sinai Peninsula towards Romani . Kress Von Kressenstein ' s attack was completely successful , decimating the equivalent of little more than a regiment . On the same day , an associated Ottoman attack on Duidar , very close to the Suez Canal , failed when it met with strong British opposition . Kress von Kressenstein ' s force had been active in the area since the First Suez Offensive of early 1915 , when three columns attacked the Canal along the northern , central , and southern routes across the Sinai Peninsula . The growing British strength made attacks on the Suez Canal difficult , and ended the dominance of the Ottoman force in the area . The Ottoman Empire ' s attacks on 23 April demonstrated their intention to continue opposing the British in the region . However , the British reaction to these attacks was to double the strength of their forces . The 2nd Light Horse Brigade , and the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade , were sent to Katia and Romani and established a strong British presence over the contested ground . Soon after , the 1st Light Horse Brigade was also sent forward , and the 52nd ( Lowland ) Division arrived at Romani not long after . At the beginning of August , the Battle of Romani was fought over much of the same ground as that at Katia . Background . In 1915 , Sir Archibald Murray , the British Commander in Chief of Egypt , partially addressed the threat of von Kressenstein ' s forces to the Suez Canal by organising the defences into three sectors . No . 1 ( Southern ) sector , with its headquarters at Suez , covered the area from Suez to Kabrit , No . 2 ( Central ) sector , with its headquarters at Ismailia , covered the area from Kabrit to Ferdan , and No . 3 ( Northern ) sector , with its headquarters at Port Said , covered the area from Ferdan to Port Said . The No . 3 sector also had an advanced headquarters at Kantara . To support these forward defences , the British improved their lines of communication by doubling the single railway line that ran from Cairo to the Suez Canal , and also pumped water from the River Nile along the Sweet Water Canal to supply the troops and the towns on the Suez Canal . After the conclusion of the Gallipoli Campaign , both sides had large numbers of troops available for redeployment , and the British decided to move their Suez Canal defences from positions on the canal eastwards into the Sinai desert . Murray aimed to extend the railway and water pipeline to Katia , so that a permanent forward British base of 50 , 000 men could be established . In February 1916 , he requested permission from the War Office in London to extend this infrastructure further across the Sinai to El Arish . He considered that such an advance along the northern route , combined with the destruction of the central route ' s water sources and regular patrols from a base at El Arish , would permanently secure the Suez Canal . An advance to Katia was agreed by the War Office , but no decision was made regarding an advance to El Arish . The first shipload of rails and sleepers arrived at Kantara on 10 March and , four weeks later , of track stretching towards Katia had been laid by the Egyptian Labour Corps and Royal Engineers . There were also two new appointments : Brigadier General Edgar Askin Wiggin took command of the Katia district on 6 April and , three days later , Major General H . A . Lawrence became responsible for No . 3 Sector of the canal defences , which covered the northern section . Meanwhile , several raids were undertaken by the Australian Light Horse and the Bikaner Camel Corps , accompanied by the Egyptian Camel Transport Corps carrying supplies , rations and ammunition . The purpose of these raids was to destroy water sources on the central inland route , which had been used by the Ottomans during the First Suez Offensive in late January and early February 1915 . To provide forward protection for the railway construction workers and the infrastructure , the 5th Mounted Brigade was ordered to move to Katia . By early April , however , signs of renewed Ottoman activity in the area were detected and , as a result , the 5th Light Horse Regiment was ordered to reinforce the 5th Mounted Brigade ; it was due to arrive at Katia on 24 April . Prelude . Ottoman forces . Kress von Kressenstein moved to challenge the growing British presence with a force of ninety - five officers 3 , 560 other ranks comprising 1st and 2nd Battalions and one company of the 3rd Battalion , 32nd Regiment , a regiment of Arab irregulars on camels , and six mountain gun s , a 75 - mm battery of the 8th F . A . Regiment and two guns of the 9th F . A . Regiment ( one and a half batteries ) , two field ambulances and an ammunition column . The Ottoman and Arab force travelled across the Sinai Peninsula on the northern route , which runs not far from the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and nearly parallel with it . A series of oases with date palms and reliable water stretch for from Bir el Abd in the east to Oghratina , Katia and Romani near the Suez Canal . These oases make the northern route from the Ottoman - Egyptian Frontier at Rafa to El Arish and Romani viable , and British strategists thought it possible that 250 , 000 Ottoman troops could cross the Sinai , and 80 , 000 be based permanently in this fertile area . Whoever could hold the contested ground in the area of Katia and Romani would be in a position to protect the Canal , or within striking distance . The area was patrolled almost daily by Ottoman aircraft , which bombed the recently established Katia camp on 20 April , and both Katia and Romani the next day . British deployments . The 23 April 1916 , was St George ' s Day and also Easter Sunday , and dawn found the 5th Mounted Brigade , dispersed over a wide area . The brigade was made up of the Warwickshire Yeomanry , the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars , and the Queen ' s Own Worcestershire Hussars . These regiments were deployed as follows : At Oghrantina was two squadrons of Worcestershire Hussars ( less one troop ) , with four officers and 60 other ranks of the 2 / 2nd Lowland Field Company Royal Engineers . At Katia was one squadron and a machine gun subsection of the Gloucestershire Hussars , along with 40 dismounted men of the Worcestershire Hussars , and a detail from the Royal Army Medical Corps , Army Veterinary Corps and camel transport . At Bir el Hamisah were the Warwickshire Yeomanry ( less one squadron ) , and one squadron and one troop from the Worcestershire Hussars . At Romani , near Pelusium , were the Gloucestershire Hussars ( less one squadron ) , and a machine gun subsection in reserve . At the small oasis of Dueidar south south west of Katia were 156 men ; 120 from the 5th Battalion , Royal Scots Fusiliers and thirty - six from the Bikanir Camel Corps , including a few Yeomanry . The 4th Battalion , Royal Scots Fusiliers of the 52nd ( Lowland ) Division , were holding Hill 70 , behind Dueidar . On 22 April Wiggin and his brigade headquarters , with one squadron and one troop of Worcestershire Hussars , had arrived at Bir el Hamisah from Katia . Wiggin moved there in response to an intelligence report that an Ottoman force was at Bir el Mageibra some distance to the south and , with the agreement of his commander H . A . Lawrence , he prepared to launch a surprise attack . At dawn on 23 April , Wiggin found and destroyed a large but almost empty camp at Bir el Mageibra , capturing six prisoners . He was back at Bir el Hamisah by 09 : 00 , having covered a distance of , when he heard news of Ottoman attacks . Battle . Oghratina . The oasis at Oghratina had been occupied by one squadron from the Worcestershire Hussars and a detachment of Royal Engineers thirty - six hours before the Ottoman attack ; a second squadron arrived just twelve hours before the attack , so defensive works had not been extensive . These squadrons stood to at 04 : 00 in dense sea - fog , which was common at that time of year . They heard the sound of pumps operating at wells to their south west , and an officer who investigated found about sixty Ottoman soldiers . The yeomanry completely surprised this small Ottoman force , opening fire and causing heavy casualties , but in following up their retreat , the yeomanry were met with very heavy rifle fire from a much larger force . Soon afterwards , British squadrons on the right were attacked , and by 05 : 15 the whole camp was being assaulted from north , east and south east in overwhelming strength at a range of or less . The Ottoman attack began with heavy fire from light guns , machine guns and rifles . Although the commander of the yeomanry detachment had orders to retire if attacked in force , he could not leave the dismounted engineers . The Ottoman attack was resisted for two hours , but by 07 : 45 eleven yeomanry officers and 135 other ranks were casualties . The survivors , four officers and forty - two other ranks , surrendered . Katia . At 03 : 30 " A " Squadron Gloucestershire Hussars stood to arms and saddled up ; a patrol was sent out and returned to report all clear . Soon afterwards a small Ottoman patrol fired on the yeomanry and retired . About 05 : 30 heavy fire was heard from Oghratina , and a message was received half an hour later that an attack had been repulsed . At 06 : 30 another message reported that the attack had been renewed , and a message from Romani reported that Dueidar had also been attacked . At 07 : 45 another Ottoman attack at Katia was driven off . At 08 : 45 a patrol sent out towards Oghratina saw 600 Ottoman soldiers marching towards Katia in open order in two long lines about away , followed by more troops in a formed body , and cavalry advancing to the south west to surround Katia . At 09 : 45 a battery of mountain guns near Er Rabah opened fire on Katia from the north east , which killed or maimed some of the horses within a few minutes . Rather than retiring to Romani or to Bir el Hamisah , the officer in charge decided to stay at Katia and hope for support from Romani . The Gloucestershire squadron maintained rapid fire against the increasing numbers of Ottoman attackers , and just before 11 : 00 British reinforcements from Romani and Bir el Hamisah were seen converging on Katia . Heavy fire from Ottoman rifles and machine guns continued for several hours at Katia , and the Ottomans gradually pressed in on the yeomanry ' s front and flanks . Eventually working their way to within , the Ottomans rushed the squadron shortly before 15 : 00 . At about 13 : 00 the Katia garrison ' s commanding officer had asked a captain to bring up the horse holders , as every man was needed , but the captain fainted from the effects of a wound before he reached them . When he came to , he saw the camp had been captured , and galloped with the surviving horses and horse holders to meet escaping yeomanry . A total of eighty men escaped , including the horse holders and the only officer to get away from Oghratina or Katia . Two officers were killed and three wounded and taken prisoner , while seventeen other ranks were killed and fifty - six missing . Dueidar . At Dueidar the garrison of 156 men defended an area of just containing six small redoubt s . At 04 : 00 a linesman was sent out to investigate a loss of communication with Katia ; the commander of the garrison visited the posts under his command and sent out a patrol to the south east , ordering his troops to stand to arms . The patrol saw nothing in the mist , but at 05 : 17 a sentry saw a large of group Ottoman soldiers and opened fire on them . This alerted the nearest redoubt garrison armed with fifty men and a Lewis gun which swept the Ottoman ranks . So effective was the fire that the attackers soon fell back leaving twenty dead and wounded , while an Ottoman mountain gun battery was unable to find the British positions . At 07 : 00 Ottoman forces attempted to outflank the British position to the south , but were stopped by fire from a small defensive works on that flank containing one Non - commissioned officer ( NCO ) and six men . Shortly afterwards Ottoman soldiers repeated their attack on the south eastern redoubt . Some of them got to within of the defensive barbed wire , but were again routed by steady fire . British and Australian reinforcements . Wiggin ordered the Worcestershire Yeomanry to water at Bir el Hamisah and then advance on Katia , but before watering was complete they saw shells bursting at Katia , and moved off at 09 : 50 to reinforce the line of the Gloucester squadron on the left . The remaining squadrons of Warwickshire Yeomanry , after watering at Bir el Hamisah , moved at 10 : 30 to attack the Hod um Ugba , which was north east of Katia and halfway between Bir el Hamisah and Katia . Wiggin moved off an hour later to attack the same place , and this force became engaged with Ottoman flanking troops . By 13 : 45 Wiggin had advanced about against very strong opposition , but soon afterwards he saw a commotion among the camels at Katia ; the tents in the camp were burning and he decided that the best option was to fall back to Bir el Hamisah . Reinforcements from Romani , commanded by Lieutenant Colonel R . M . Yorke , attacked the Ottoman force to the north of Katia , but were driven off . These five troops and a machine gun section of Gloucestershire Hussars moved out from Romani at 10 : 15 to intercept a column of 500 Ottoman soldiers retiring south - east from Dueidar . Shortly after leaving Romani , firing was heard from Katia , and from some high ground they could see the Ottoman artillery north of Er Rabah shelling the camp . When the Gloucestershire Hussars advanced towards the Ottoman artillery , it ceased fire , and fifteen minutes later was seen to withdraw some distance . The Gloucestershire Hussars pushed some Ottoman soldiers back to the high ground south of the Hod um Ugba , where Ottoman reinforcements stopped their advance . The strength of the Ottoman attacks made a gradual withdrawal necessary , but long halts were made to enable the wounded at Romani to retire also . Unfortunately the Gloucestershire Hussars from Romani were not aware of Wiggin and his reinforcements on the other flank until it was too late , finally coming in sight of them at about 15 : 00 . Wiggin had seen Yorke ' s force an hour earlier , but had not been able to communicate with it . Dueidar was reinforced by two companies of 4th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers from Hill 70 on the railway to the rear . On approaching Dueidar , a small detachment of reinforcements was sent to the south eastern redoubt . The Ottoman firing line was found to be south of the Dueidar to Katia track and from the principal redoubt . Shortly after the mist cleared , a British aircraft dropped a message that the main Ottoman force was in retreat and that there were only about 150 rifles still attacking . A squadron of the Australian 5th Light Horse Regiment arrived at midday from Kantara , and moved off south east in pursuit of the main Ottoman force , while the garrison at Dueidar attacked the Ottoman rearguard which broke and fled , leaving behind seventeen unwounded troops who were taken prisoner . The remainder of 5th Light Horse Regiment arrived at Duidar at 13 : 30 and took up the pursuit . They captured one officer and thirty - one other ranks , and killed seventy - five men ; there were fifty - five British casualties . Aftermath . The commander of 5th Mounted Brigade decided to retire towards the Suez Canal , and the two squadrons from Romani joined him , abandoning much equipment to ride overnight to Bir el Nuss . Wiggin arrived at Dueidar at 09 : 00 on 24 April with two squadrons . The 5th Mounted Brigade had been completely surprised ; its commander and his important reserve force had been out of position at a critical time following false intelligence , and could not support his regiments . The three and a half squadrons at Oghratina and Katia were decimated — almost all were killed , wounded or captured . The overwhelming success of the Ottoman Army ' s operations during the Battle of Katia demonstrated the attacking strength and determination of Kress von Kressenstein ' s force in 1916 , and their efficient implementation of appropriate tactics , particularly timing and false intelligence . This success was underpinned by the Ottoman infantry ' s ability to make the gruelling march across the Sinai Peninsula and be fit enough to then launch attacks with force and determination . On 24 April Romani was reoccupied and the commander of the Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division ( Anzac Mounted Division ) , Major General H . G . Chauvel , took command of the advance positions . The 2nd Light Horse Brigade and the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade of the mounted division were ordered to Romani and reoccupied the area unopposed by any Ottoman force . The 52nd ( Lowland ) Division reinforced the garrison at Dueidar and also came under Chauvel ' s command . After the battle the area was held by British forces with their main bases at Romani and Kantara . Regular patrols and reconnaissances were carried out over the oases area , until the issue was resolved at the Battle of Romani in August 1916 when British Empire forces won a decisive victory .