Battle of Rafa The Battle of Rafa , also known as the Action of Rafah , fought on 9 January 1917 , was the third and final battle to complete the recapture by British forces of the Sinai Peninsula during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War . In this battle , the Desert Column of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force ( EEF ) attacked an entrenched Ottoman Army garrison at El Magruntein to the south of Rafa , close to the frontier between the Sultanate of Egypt and the Ottoman Empire , to the north and east of Sheikh Zowaiid . The attack marked the beginning of fighting in the Ottoman territory of Palestine . After the British Empire victories at the Battle of Romani in August 1916 and the Battle of Magdhaba in December , the Ottoman Army had been forced to retreat back to the southern edge of Palestine as the EEF pushed eastwards supported by extended lines of communication . This advance depended on the construction of a railway and water pipeline . With the railway reaching El Arish on 4 January 1917 , an attack on Rafa by the newly formed Desert Column became possible . During the day - long assault , the Ottoman garrison defended El Magruntein ' s series of fortified and strategically strong redoubt s and trenches on rising ground surrounded by flat grassland . They were eventually encircled by Australian Light Horse men , New Zealand mounted riflemen , mounted Yeomanry , cameliers and armoured cars . In the late afternoon , the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade captured the central redoubt and the remaining defences were occupied shortly afterwards . Background . Following their victory at the Battle of Romani on 4 August 1916 , the Anzac Mounted Division with the 5th Mounted Brigade attached and supported by infantry , went onto the offensive . Their advance depended on the construction of the railway and water pipeline . With the railhead about away , on 23 December 1916 the Anzac Mounted Division , less the 2nd Light Horse Brigade but with the Imperial Camel Corps Brigade attached , secured the British occupation of El Arish during day - long fighting at the Battle of Magdhaba . Meanwhile , the 52nd ( Lowland ) Division of infantry , having marched from Romani , established garrison in El Arish and began to fortify the town on the Mediterranean Sea , from the railhead . El Arish was by road from the nearest base at Kantara on the Suez Canal , but during the following fortnight , from the arrival of the British Royal Navy on 22 December , quickly followed with the first stores on 24 December , this important Egyptian Expeditionary Force ( EEF ) forward base grew quickly as 1 , 500 tons of supplies arrived by ship . Supplies of all kinds were unloaded by the Egyptian Labour Corps and distributed by the Egyptian Camel Transport Corps . These vitally important supply activities at El Arish were protected by the infantry garrison and ground based artillery , supported by the Navy . On 4 January 1917 the first construction train arrived at El Arish , but it was some time before the railway , with its vast supply capacity for the development of infrastructure and supply of large garrisons , was fully developed . General Sir Archibald Murray , the commander of the EEF , was keen to complete the advance across the north of the Sinai , to put pressure on the southern Ottoman Army . Believing an attack would compel Ottoman forces to abandon their desert bases and outposts on the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula , he ordered the advance from El Arish to Rafa , a distance of , to begin as soon as possible . Prelude . On 28 December Major General Harry Chauvel , commanding Anzac Mounted Division , ordered the 1st Light Horse Brigade to reconnoitre Bir el Burj along the road from El Arish towards Rafa . The road was found to be suitable for cars and artillery , and a further reconnaissance by the same brigade two days later to Sheikh Zowaiid , from El Arish reported rolling stretches of pasture , crops and poppies . A small advance guard moved further , to within sight of the main Rafa defences at El Magruntein , reporting " great activity . " The weather cleared on 5 January , allowing an Australian patrol of the No . 1 Squadron , Australian Flying Corps ( AFC ) , to observe 2 , 000 or 3 , 000 Ottoman soldiers digging defences south of Rafa in the area of El Magruntein . British air patrols , two days later , found Ottoman garrisons in strength at El Kossaima and Hafir el Auja in the central , northern Sinai , which could threaten the right flank of the advancing EEF or reinforce Rafa . While the British air patrols were away on 7 January , German airmen took advantage of the growing EEF concentration of formations and supply dumps to bomb El Arish during the morning and evening . The next day the Australian No . 1 Squadron ' s patrols were in the air all day covering preparations for the attack on Rafa . Lieutenant General Philip Chetwode , commanding Desert Column , rode out of El Arish at 16 : 00 on 8 January towards Rafa where a 2 , 000 - strong Ottoman garrison was based . Chetwode ' s mounted force was the same as Chauvel commanded during the Battle of Magdhaba in December , with the addition of the 5th Mounted Brigade ( which had been garrisoning El Arish ) and No . 7 Light Car Patrol consisting of 4 gun cars and 3 stores cars . Risking an aerial attack during daylight hours , the force began the journey before sunset to ensure there was enough time for the force to reach El Magruntein . For the first few miles they trekked over heavy sand dunes , which were difficult to negotiate for the doubled teams of horses pulling the guns and ammunition wagons . Once the great shallow trough , worn down by traffic since ancient times , along the Old Road or Pilgrims ' Way appeared , the guns and ammunition wagons travelled on the firm middle way while the mounted units rode on either side . The vanguard of the column reached Sheikh Zowaiid at about 22 : 00 ; Desert Column bivouacked near the crossroads to the west of the village . Here the first grass the horses had seen since leaving Australia was found on the edge of the fertile maritime plain , north of El Arish . The plan for the attack at Rafa the next morning , 9 January , was a repetition of Chauvel ' s successful encirclement attack at Magdhaba . The regiments and motor cars would surround the Ottoman garrison position , gallop up under fire , then dismounted to attack the defenders , in their formidable treble system of trenches and field - works around the earthwork redoubts on the knoll . Attack force . The mounted units of Desert Column , which moved out to the attack commanded by Chetwode were : No . 1 Squadron Australian Flying Corps , which had been based at Mustabig during the El Arish , Magdhaba operations , moved forward to west of El Arish to support the attack . Ottoman defenders . Rafa was defended by the Ottoman 31st Infantry Regiment ( 3rd Division ) supported by one mountain gun battery . It had been reported by British aerial reconnaissance that this force was between 2 , 000 and 3 , 000 strong . They were strongly entrenched in four main positions on the high ground about Hill 255 , known as El Magruntein . The central redoubt , which rose about above to dominate the surrounding grassland , was supported by three systems of redoubts identified as A , B and C systems . These redoubts were linked and supported by trenches on the slopes spreading out towards the southeast , south and southwest . The strong , well prepared and well sited redoubts and trench systems provided all - round defence with a clear view of a battlefield devoid of cover for some . The only slight weakness was to the rear of the position in the northeast . Battle . Desert Column began the final approach to attack Rafa on 9 January 1916 without any reserve ammunition for the artillery , rifles and machine guns . The Column ' s commander , Chetwode , had ordered all wheeled vehicles , excepting the guns , to remain at Sheikh Zowaiid . His brigadiers complied with the order , but only under protest by all . It had been the intention of Desert Column Headquarters that the reserve ammunition would be sent onward after daylight . For some reason , this did not occur , resulting in a critical failure of the ammunition supply during the battle . In many cases , supplies rushed forward , but failed to reach the units requiring them on the firing line . At 01 : 00 the 1st Light Horse and the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigades led Desert Column . Half a mile ( 0 . 80 km ) from Sheikh Zowaiid , they encountered a hostile Bedouin camel patrol which was captured . At 06 : 15 the Auckland Mounted Rifle Regiment ( New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade ) was first to reach the boundary pillars on the Egyptian and Ottoman frontier , moving from the African continent onto Asia . These two brigades rode to a position from which to attack the Rafa defences , from the south , east and north . They were followed at 02 : 30 by the remainder of the Anzac Mounted Division , part of the 5th Mounted Brigade , the Imperial Camel Brigade , and six Ford motor cars of the 7th Light Car Patrol . Two troops of the Worcester Yeomanry , ( 5th Mounted Brigade ) remained at Sheikh Zowaiid to protect the ammunition column , while a squadron followed the caravan road towards Rafa . By 06 : 45 the Anzac Mounted Division headquarters was established west of Karm Ibn Musleh on the frontier to the south of Rafa and El Magruntein . The 1st and 3rd Light Horse Brigades and the artillery , took positions to the south to guard against the Ottoman garrison retreating to the southeast , with the Imperial Camel Corps Brigade located three quarters of a mile ( 1 . 21 km ) to the west . The New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade was about to the north with the 5th Mounted Brigade forming Desert Column ' s reserve . By 07 : 00 a patrol of the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment had cut the telegraph line running east from Rafa towards Shellal and Gaza , isolating the Rafa garrison . Chauvel had reconnoitred the El Magruntein defences and the British Empire horse artillery batteries had begun firing on the redoubts at El Magruntein . Just after 08 : 00 the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade circled northwards , moving into position for their attacks on the C4 and C5 groups of redoubts and trenches , while the 1st Light Horse Brigade moved into position to attack the C3 , C2 and C1 groups . After these objectives were captured , the two brigades were to attack the central redoubt . Meanwhile , three battalions of the Imperial Camel Brigade were ordered to attack the D group of fortifications . The 3rd Light Horse Brigade formed the Anzac Mounted Division ' s reserve . The divisional artillery had selected their targets . The Leicester , Inverness and Somerset Batteries Royal Horse Artillery were to cross fire with " B " Battery Honourable Artillery Company to produce a concentrated artillery attack for half an hour from 09 : 30 to 10 : 00 . Under cover of this barrage , by 09 : 45 the attacking troops had approached to within of the Ottoman entrenchments . Attack begins . As the 1st Light Horse Brigade advanced from the direction of El Gubba , westward towards El Magruntein and the " C " group of redoubts , they encountered heavy machine gun and shrapnel fire from German and Ottoman guns . To the south , the Imperial Camel Brigade advanced towards the B4 redoubt , and at 10 : 30 the 5th Mounted Brigade was ordered " to demonstrate against the works further west . " When they arrived at a plateau from El Magruntein , the Warwickshire Yeomanry regiment on the right was ordered to attack the B1 and B2 redoubts , while the Gloucestershire Yeomanry were " sent to the left along the edge of the sand - dunes " to attack the right of the A1 redoubt , the most westerly of the defences . The troops dismounted to begin their attack from their objectives , but were targeted " at once " by heavy machine gun fire and shrapnel from two guns . By 10 : 00 the attack from the north , led by the Auckland Mounted Rifle Regiment and supported by two machine guns , with the Canterbury Mounted Rifle Regiment on their right , had ridden into Rafa as they circled around El Magruntein . Here , they quickly captured the village along with six German and two Ottoman officers , 16 other ranks and 21 Bedouins . Two troops were sent to watch for the approach of Ottoman reinforcements ; one troop to the north towards Khan Yunis and one to the east towards Shellal . With the Ottoman garrison defending El Magruntein cut off from the north and east by the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade , orders were issued for all Desert Column reserves to be committed and the attack " pressed home . " By 11 : 00 the attacking force was deployed from right to left : the Canterbury and Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiments , two squadrons of the 1st Light Horse Regiment , one squadron of the 2nd Light Horse Regiment , the 3rd Light Horse Regiment ( 1st Light Horse Brigade ) , the 10th Light Horse Regiment ( 3rd Light Horse Brigade ) , the 1st Battalion Imperial Camel Corps Brigade and the " Warwick and Gloucester Yeomanry . " They were supported by the Inverness Battery covering the New Zealanders , the Leicester and Somerset Batteries covering the Australians and the Hong Kong Battery covering the Camel Corps battalion , while the HAC battery shelled the " C " group of redoubts from a distance of three quarters of a mile ( 1 . 21 km ) . Chaytor , commanding the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade , moved his headquarters up to the boundary post southeast of Rafa , immediately behind the Auckland Mounted Rifle Regiment . Half an hour later , the attack was seen to be steadily progressing all along the line . By 12 : 15 the Wellington Mounted Rifle Regiment had come up to the front line , between the Canterburys on the right , and the Aucklanders on the left , within of El Magruntein , while the 2nd Battalion of the Camel Brigade advanced to extend the line held by the 1st Battalion of the Camel Brigade . Shortly afterwards , the Canterbury Mounted Rifles Regiment found touch with the left of the 5th Mounted Brigade , completing the cordon around the Ottoman Army entrenchments . To the left of the 5th Mounted Brigade , the 7th Light Car Patrol reached the Rafa road , where they found cover from which to direct fire on the A1 and A2 redoubts away . Meanwhile , the batteries had pushed forward about from their previous positions . " B " Battery HAC stopped firing on the " C " group of redoubts , to commence firing at a range of on the A1 and A2 redoubts , in support of the 5th Mounted Brigade . Ammunition shortages . The Ottoman defenders continued to hold very strong defensive positions , with each redoubt ideally placed to provide supporting fire for other redoubts . In most places the dismounted attackers were utterly exposed to this fire . A constant stream of fire was maintained on the Ottoman parapets to keep the defenders suppressed and unable to take aim while the attack continued . Little by little the cordon slowly drew tighter under intense fire over the bare , gently - sloping grasslands . However , between about 12 : 15 and 14 : 15 progress slowed . By early to mid - afternoon supplies of ammunition had begun to run low . Although Chauvel called for further effort , the mistake of leaving the ammunition vehicles behind was paid , as the attack wavered . The New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade ran out of ammunition for four of its machine guns and the Inverness Battery ran out of shells and had to withdraw . At 14 : 30 Chauvel ordered a fresh effort against the C group of redoubts , to begin at 15 : 30 , while a sustained artillery barrage was to continue on these redoubts until then . However , 15 minutes later , an Ottoman machine gun officer and three German soldiers , captured by the troop of the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment keeping watch towards Shellal , stated that their 160th Regiment had left Shellal on the Wadi Ghuzzeh when the attack began , to reinforce the Rafa garrison . Shellal was between or about three and a half hours away . This was confirmed when two battalions were seen advancing in artillery formation , over the ridges west of Shellal towards Rafa . An additional 500 soldiers were seen approaching Rafa from the direction of Khan Yunus by the same mounted rifle regiment ' s northern guard . Final assaults . The general assault , launched at 15 : 30 , was supported by all available guns . It made slow progress against the stubborn Ottoman defenders , who were supported by bombing from German planes , while the advanced guard of Ottoman reinforcements , from Khan Yunus in the north and Shellal in the east , were attacking the two troops of the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment . Four guns of the Canterbury Mounted Rifles Regiment , on the right flank , were moved to a trench before being moved forward to the sunken road . From there they maintained effective overhead covering fire , until the assaulting troops were within a few yards of the trenches . These guns were also well positioned to provide cover if pressure by the Ottoman reinforcements from Khan Yunus and Shellal proved too strong for the two troops of Wellingtons , or if the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade was forced to retire to the coast . After steady , methodical and persistent work , by 16 : 00 a cloud of smoke hung over the central redoubt from rifle and machine gun fire . The covering fire was so effective that the Ottoman defenders had extreme difficulty aiming and firing their rifles and machine guns . It then became possible for the attacking forces to cover the last of smooth grassy slope in two rushes . At about 16 : 30 the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade launched its final assault on the central redoubt from the northwest , the north and the northeast , without artillery support . Instead , they made determined use of machine guns on the firing line , crossing fire to get better targets , and cooperating with the machine guns of the 1st Light Horse Brigade to cover the advance to within of the main Ottoman position . They captured the central redoubt in a final bayonet charge , at the run , many of them firing as they ran . From their captured position in the dominating central redoubt , they were able to enfilade other redoubts still held by Ottoman defenders . With the New Zealanders holding the dominant redoubt , the 1st and the 3rd Light Horse Brigades were able to advance and capture the remaining redoubts on their fronts . As the 3rd Battalion of the Imperial Camel Brigade approached the B group of trenches , a white flag appeared , and the B2 and the central work of B group were occupied by 16 : 50 . They captured five officers and 214 other ranks while the Warwickshire Yeomanry captured the B1 redoubt and another 101 prisoners . These successful attacks were supported by aircraft , which bombed the redoubts and trenches . The aircraft had recently been fitted with wireless ( they had to drop messages during the Magdhaba attack in December ) , and during the afternoon reported progress to Desert Column headquarters . The New Zealanders remained close to the main redoubt system while prisoners were collected and sent to Sheikh Zowaiid and the four captured guns were taken away . Chetwode reported to the commander of Eastern Force Lieutenant General Charles Macpherson Dobell that the work of all troops engaged had been excellent , and the part played by the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade had been outstanding . Casualties . Desert Column suffered three times the losses previously endured at Magdhaba . The 487 casualties included 124 New Zealanders : 71 killed , 415 wounded and one missing . The mainly Ottoman prisoners , which included some German machine gunners , totalled between 1 , 472 and 1 , 635 , with 162 of them wounded . About 200 Ottoman soldiers were killed on the battlefield . Aftermath . After establishing a strong rearguard position manned by two light horse regiments , commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Leslie Cecil Maygar , it was necessary for the bulk of Desert Column to return to Sheikh Zowaiid for water and rations , arriving about midnight . Two light horse regiments remained to stand guard , while the battlefield was cleared by the light horse field ambulance s , their stretcher bearers working into the night . The 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance , covered by the 8th Light Horse Regiment ( 3rd Light Horse Brigade ) , remained on the battlefield , as all available ambulance carts and empty wagons were sent up from Sheikh Zowaiid to help transport the wounded to hospital . The Anzac Mounted Division Field Ambulance had been reorganised before the battle , and the 10 pairs of litters , 15 pairs of cacolets , 12 sand - carts , 12 cycle stretchers and six sledges , capable of carrying 92 patients at a time , worked to transport the wounded . While , in the morning , the 8th Light Horse Regiment was attacked by Ottoman cavalry and camel units which the light horsemen forced to withdraw leaving 14 prisoners . The whole of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade returned to the battlefield on 10 January with the 7th Light Car Patrol and wagons to collect captured material . El Arish bombed . During the night of 19 January , with the benefit of a full moon , German and Ottoman aircraft carried out the biggest aerial bombing raid yet , inflicted on the EEF ' s fast growing , important forward base of El Arish . As well as dropping bombs , these aircraft , probably the powerful new Taube Albatros D . III , swooped down firing machine gun bullets into the camp . Casualties , particularly in the horse lines , which were an obvious target from the air , were considerable . Murray ' s plans . The campaign across the Sinai desert , which had begun in August , ended with the expulsion of the Ottoman Empire from Egyptian territory . With the victory at Rafa , the steady progress of the railway and pipeline , and the build up of supplies at El Arish , the EEF was able to build a firm base from which to advance into Ottoman territory . But to do so would require the capture of Gaza ; the First Battle of Gaza was fought in March 1917 . On 19 January aerial reconnaissance found the Ottoman Army had evacuated El Kossaima and the strength of the main desert base at Hafir el Auja had decreased . However , it was thought that Ottoman garrisons would continue to hold onto the Nekhl area in the center of the Sinai Peninsula , including the villages of Bir el Hassana , Gebel Helal , Gebel Yelleg and Gebel el Heitan . To address the problem of Ottoman Army units in the rear of the advancing EEF , a Raid on Nekhl was carried out by two columns of light horse and yeomanry . The two columns moved out from Serapeum , near Ismailia on the Suez Canal , with three aircraft in support to attack Nekhl to the east . However , on 17 February when the columns were approaching the area , reconnaissance aircraft found the Ottoman garrisons had retired .