Battle of Nablus (1918)
The Battle of Nablus together with the Battle of Sharon formed part of the Battle of Megiddo (1918) fought towards the end of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War.
5th Light Horse Brigade capture Nablus
The light horse brigade with the 2nd Light Armoured Motor Battery moved quickly on the Tul Karm to Nablus road between the 7th and 60th Division to attack the last resistance outside Nablus and capture the town. The RMMC with two armoured cars entered first while the 14th Light Horse Regiment made touch with troops of the XX Corps at Balata. Between 800 and 900 prisoners were captured in Nablus and two field guns. The brigade then received orders to rejoin the Australian Mounted Division at Jenin.[1][2]
After camping near Tul Keram the 5th Light Horse Brigade assisted in the capture of Nablus, having made their way through the wreckage on the road from Tul Keram to Nablus.[3]
Dead men and animals, torn about with ruthless bombs, swollen and distorted, stank fearfully. Many of the animals still lived in speechless agony, and some of the wretched wounded were in many cases pinned down by carrion, but there was no time to stop and help them. That was for others who came behind. War is hell, and looks well only in a picture show.
The Ottoman defenders were pushed back from Mounts Gerizim and Ebal, and supported by artillery and aircraft rode through the streets of Nablus (the ancient Shechem) and camped on the plain beyond the town.[5] [Note 1]
The 5th Light Horse Brigade doubled back to turn up the road to Jenin where they arrived at dusk after the 3rd Light Horse Brigade had captured the town and many prisoners who had intended to escape northwards across the Esdraelon Plain.[6]
Notes
- ^ Here Vespasian killed 11,000 inhabitants in 67 AD. [Powles pp. 241–2]