Haifa Day

[michaeldr]

Work is the curse of the drinking classes and it interferes with other important things too. I am very sorry that I missed the anniversary on 23rd September, but as they used to say we are still 'within the octave', so…………………

Haifa Day

In order to keep his forces moving after the retreating Turks, it was vital to Allenby's 'Megiddo' plan that he secure Haifa with its harbour and railhead. Without Haifa, a lack of viable roads meant that it would be impossible for him to keep his army re-supplied.

From the Despatch dated 31st October 1918, by Gen Sir. E.H.H. Allenby: item 19

"........I ordered the Desert Mounted Corps to occupy Acre and Haifa. The roads leading to Haifa from Tul Keram are only country tracks, which, in the event of rain, might become impassable for motor lorries at any time. Any force, advancing northwestwards from Haifa along the coast, would have to depend on supplies landed at that harbour. It was necessary, therefore, to occupy the town without delay, in order that the harbour could be swept for mines, and the landing of stores could be taken in hand."

A force of 700 Turks from the garrison of Haifa attempted to get to Tiberias, but at 0130 hrs on the morning of the 22nd September it reached the outposts of the 13th Cavalry Brigade and was attacked in moonlight by the 18th Lancers. A large number were killed, and 311 were captured together with 4 machine guns. The next air reconnaissance of Haifa now seemed to indicate that the town was evacuated and at 1330 hrs that afternoon a detachment of Light Armoured Cars under Brig Gen A. D'A. King advanced along the Nazareth road to occupy Haifa. Before the town was reached however they found that the road was barricaded. At this point they were shelled from the slopes of Mount Carmel and subjected to machine gun fire. The column withdrew with slight casualties.

The next day, 23rd September 1918, the 14th and 15th Cavalry Brigades turned over their line to the 3rd Australian Light Horse Brigade and at 0500 hrs commenced their march on Haifa. Their route passed along the foot of the Mount Carmel range and was kept in a confined strip by the boggy ground along the River Kishon and its tributary streams. This left little room in which cavalry could manoeuvre. At 1015 hrs as the 15th Cavalry Brigade approached Haifa they came under fire from 77mm guns on Mount Carmel. The 14th Cavalry Brigade together with the divisional headquarters occupied the Kishon railway bridge and 'Harosheth of the Gentiles' at midday.

At 1400 hrs the Jodhpur Lancers supported by 'B' Battery H.A.C. attacked Haifa and encountered strong resistance, the lancers making a brilliant charge in the face of the enemy's machine guns. A squadron of the Mysore Lancers (supported by a squadron of Sherwood Rangers) had meanwhile gone over Mount Carmel to turn the town from the south. They captured two naval guns on the ridge of the Carmel and also made a gallant charge against the fire of the enemy's machine guns.

One of the German guns on Mount Carmel, above Haifa, as photographed in 1920

[michaeldr]

After street fighting, the town was captured at about 1500 hrs with 1,352 prisoners, 17 guns and 11 machine guns being taken. Not without cost however. In the main text of his Despatch of 31st October 1918, General Allenby particularly mentioned

"Whilst the Mysore Lancers were clearing the rocky slopes of Mount Carmel, the Jodhpur Lancers charged through the defile, and riding over the enemy's machine guns, galloped into the town, where a number of Turks were speared in the streets. Colonel Thakur Dalpat Singh, M.C., fell gallantly leading the charge."

from the CWGC

THAKUR DALPAT SINGH

Nationality: Indian

Rank: Major

Regiment/Service: Jodhpur (Imperial Service) Lancers

Date of Death: 23/09/1918

Awards: MC

Additional information: Son of Thakur Hari Singh, of Deoli, Pali, Jodhpur, Rajputana.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Memorial: HELIOPOLIS (PORT TEWFIK) MEMORIAL

Colonel Thakur Dalpat Singh, M.C.,

General Sir Pratap Singh had accompanied his Jodhpur Lancers on their 70 mile ride to Nazareth during a night and a day. Just short of 73 years old, the empire's faithful warrior was in Allenby's words "quite knocked up." He also had a fever. Allenby ordered him to rest for a few days, otherwise the old war horse would no doubt have joined his lancers in their action at Haifa. The anonymous author of 'Through Palestine with the 20th Machine Gun Squadron' is I believe mistaken when he refers to the death of Sir Pratap's son in this battle. He can only be referring to Colonel Thakur Dalpat Singh MC., and it may well be that this officer was the son of the same Thakur Hari Singh who had been Sir Pratap's AdC and boon polo companion. If that is so then it would be quite understandable that Sir Pratap was deeply distressed by the death, described as a loss "much regretted by his comrades, and all who knew him."

In his 'History of the British Cavalry' the Marquess of Anglesey concludes his description of this action thus;

"By 3 p.m. the battle was over and victory complete. A vital new supply base had fallen into British hands. Four days later the landing of supplies started. Without a doubt this was the most successful mounted action of its scale in the course of the campaign. It was won by a weak brigade of only two regiments and a single 12-pounder battery pitted against about 1,000 well-armed troops who had so far seen no action. These, skilfully deployed, occupied a naturally formidable defensive position with an impassable river on one side of a narrow defile and a steep hill on the other. That they had already received news of the general rout is certain and this may well have affected their behaviour, but there is little evidence to show that they put up less than a respectable resistance. The speed and daring, dash and boldness of the two Indian Imperial Service regiments, in conjunction with the skilful flanking movements devised by Holden [Lieutenant-Colonel H. N., the senior Special Service Officer ] were what made the action such a success. The speed and good order demonstrated by the leading squadron of the Jodhpores when it was forced to change direction under heavy fire, were other vital ingredients in what was almost certainly the only occasion in history when a fortified town was captured by cavalry at the gallop."

Jodphur and Mysore Lancers entering Haifa, 23rd September 1918

India and her army have not forgotten their heroes of the Great War. The two famous regiments which took Haifa have been combined to form the republic's 61st Cavalry Regiment and annually India commemorates the 23rd September 1918 as Haifa Day

[for example see http://www.mod.nic.in/samachar/dec1-20/html/ch10.htm

and http://news.bahai.org/story/69]

A footnote on a footnote:

Gen Sir Archibald Wavell in his biography 'Allenby – A Study in Greatness' has the following footnote on page 281

"This is probably the only recorded charge of cavalry in which men of the Royal Engineers have ridden. The 15th Field Troop, R.E., happened to be alongside the Jodhpur Lancers just before the charge, and on the invitation of the Lancers' commanding officer armed themselves with lances and swords from casualties and rode in the charge. Though none of them had ever handled such weapons before they claim to have killed at least one Turk with the arme blanche."

Wavell's story is repeated by others, Anglesey included, but where did Wavell get it from?

Unless stated otherwise, details are from:

'The Advance of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force - July 1917 to October 1918 - Compiled from Official Sources' Second edition, HMSO, 1919

'Allenby in Palestine -The middle east correspondence of Field Marshal Viscount Allenby' selected & edited by Matthew Hughes, Army Records Society, 2004

[michaeldr]

These stone and bronze sculptures were created by Leonard Jennings in 1922 to commemorate those killed from the cavalry regiments of the Indian Army during World War I in battles in Sinai, Palestine and Syria. The three statues represent soldiers from the three Indian States - Hyderabad, Mysore and Jodhpur, together with detachments from Bhavnagar, Kashmir and Kathiawar. The statutes were collectively named Teen Murti and the base carries the names of officers. The statues stood in front of Flagstaff House, the Commander-in-Chief's residence, Dehli

The second photograph shows a recent wreath laying ceremony, in this case marking the anniversary of the beginning of the change over from horses to mechanised cavalry [armoured corps]

[Kurt1959]

Good morning Michael,

thanks for that post and with this map I want to share a little story about Haifa, which happend in April 1918.

During the dramatic battles the Bavarian pilots of the Fliegerabteilung 304b in Afula had still some time for crazy ideas. The pilots were disappointed about the long lasting travel from their airfiled in Afula to the city Haifa, which was a four hours ride with a very old train for just 60km. They wanted to have a faster travel to go this city. Therefore captain Walz, the Squadron leader, had the genius idea to take a wagon from the train company and ordered to build a 160 hp Daimler plane engine ontop of it. His men did as ordered and called this vehicle the Phönizischer Bäderexpress. The order for the 7. April 1918 was: "The first ride will be the day after tomorrow at 8 p.m. after the flight duty. The participation is according the merits. Take bathing trunks with you!" Indeed, with 90km maximum speed they travelled with this machine to Haifa and the surpized Turks were calling "yavas, yavas" (slowly, slowly).

Der Schnellzug Haifa-Afula: Nr. 1 Kommandeur der F.A. 304 Hauptmann Walz, Nr. 2 Ltn. von Gablenz , Nr. 3 Kommandeur der Flieger Hauptmann Heemskerck, Nr. 4 Ltn. Felmy, Nr. 5 Ltn. Debus, Nr. 6 Ltn. Heussenstamm, Nr. 7 Hauptmann Elias, Nr. 8 Ltn. Haefner.

Picture and text from Dr. Norbert Schwake, Nazareth

I guess on your map we can see very good the railway from Afula (El Affule) to Haifa - the airfiled Afula was taken 20 september by australian cavalary before all planes and equipment could be evacuated and may of the personel became POWs. The famous train should be used to evacute some material and tools but crashed somewhere underway with an opposite travelling train.

Best regards

Klaus

[michaeldr]

Good morning Klaus,

Your photograph also appears in Benjamin Z. Kedar's book 'The Changing land between the Jordan and the Sea'

[which is subtitled 'Aerial photographs from 1917 to the present] ISBN: 965-05-0975-5

Kedar's version does not identify those on the "Air Wagon" except to say that it was constructed by the Jewish engineer Barukh Katinka

who is the person to be seen standing at the back, just to the right of the engine

[Kedar credits the photograph to 'E. Berghaus, "Auf den Schienen der Erde. Eine Weltgeschichte der Eisenbahn" Munich 1960, opp. p.225]

Many thanks for the additional information regarding the others onboard/date/speed/etc

best regards

Michael

[wroclaw]

Michael and Klaus!

This strange train/plane hybrid actually became a small piece of history quite a few fell in love with. I actually, once in some meeting where several "old train enthusiasts" were present, tackeled them with a fate of that machine. What I was told is that in September 1918 it was seen "riding east" and no one knows of its exact fate... now I see we might know some more about it.

BTW the slow train: this line (Known as the "Train of the valley" was notoriously known as being slow and not efficient up until its final journey in 1948. There were many humoristic stories about it, the best known would probably be of passengers getting off the train while it was on its way, picking wild flowers, and them walking in leisure back to the same train, getting on it back again…

[Kurt1959]

Good morning Michael and wroclaw,

thanks for your comments on this. I got the information and picture from a good colleague of mine, who is living and researching about German wargraves in Palestine. Schwake also wrote, that this hybrid train/plane was used to bring spareparts, instruments and and one M.G. with four men to Haifa. On 20th September only very few planes from Fliegerabteilung 304 could flee, most of them were captured. One reason was also the traffic jam of backwards moving troops on the small roads close to Nazareth. But 10km after starting from Afula the magic train crashed with a oppisite train. They managed to safe the engine, which was loaded on the Turkish train. Than they burned the hybrid train before the Australian cavalry arrived.

Best regards

Klaus

[michaeldr]

Gal & Klaus,

Many thanks for those extra details

best regards

Michael

[michaeldr]

Haifa Day 2010; not forgotten by India or Israel

See My link

[Guest uri7]

Visit my Blog for pictures from the memorial event in the Haifa Indian army grave yard

http://haifa-history.blogspot.com/2010/09/haifa-day-in-indian-army-memory-for.html

[michaeldr]

Uri

Welcome to the Great War Forum

and many thanks for the link to your blog

it's great to see the photographs from this year's ceremony

regards

Michael

[michaeldr]

Uri,

I hope that you and yours are safe and well during this terrible forrest fire on The Carmel

regards

Michael

[Dragon]

Yes, indeed.

Gwyn

[michaeldr]

Quote from Uri; Thanks for your mail we are not far from the area but we are safe

Sad days here

Gwyn,

Thanks for your interest; I have had the above message from Uri

At last the fires seem to being brought under control (I do hope that I am not speaking too soon here)

It has been very heartening to see the extent of the international cooperation in fighting this disaster. The Jordanians and the Palestinian Authority have both sent fire fighting units and Egypt has sent 10 tonnes of material. The list of countries which have sent special fire fighting aircraft is both long and most impressive. In the last few days help in various forms has arrived from Azerbaijan, Britain, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Romania, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and the USA. I hope that I have not forgotten anyone.

The scar will remain on the landscape of The Carmel for decades, but for the bereaved families it will never go away.

[Steve1871]

Thank you very much Michaeldr!!      
It is a big surprise that this happened in late 1918! It is the obscure, strange or odd stories like this that keep my curiosity going with the Great War. To have “ modern ships” Submarines , Tanks and Aircraft of all type, in the same war, there were Calvary, Lancers,Horse/wagon supply trains and the camel Korps the variaty of things used was just so vast. 
 

That was a great Post, info there

[Guest]

Mate,

Walz Franz Josef     Capt    Pilot Airforce OC Flieger-Abteilung 304b 8-17 (215 men) 9 pilots & 7 obvers was put together in Schleissheim at Munich) Uçus filosu komutani Yeriko Kartali (Flight fleet commander Yeriko Eagle)    1917-18    (1885 at Speyer died 18-12-45) from Bayerisches Infanterie-Regiment No 8 to Field Aviation Department 3b 1914 to Jagdstaffel 2 (Boelcke) claimed first victory a French Caudron over Douaumont 9-4-16 shown WIA 30-7-16 on Western Front to commander Jagdstaffel 2 11-16 to 6-17 claimed last plane shot down RAF DH 2 (A2622) British Ace William Curphey N of Severin Ferme 14-5-17 (shown Jagdstaffel 34 6-17 to 8-17) to Turkey 8-17 reported in Gefschaft (in prison) reported he was forced down and captured by the British 8-18 or shown possibly PoW 20-9-18 when airfield at Afuleh over run Bavarian - from Jasta Boelcke - (7 victories) awarded Pour le Merite and House Order of Hohenzollern and Ottoman Osmanie Order 4th class with swords and Silver Liakat Medal and War Medal post war in the Sino-Swedish expedition in China 1927–1929 to Col 1935 later WWII Gen-Maj Luftwaffe Training 1939-40 to Gen-Lt Commander Gorno Airfeild and GovGen Poland 1941-45 Pow in Prussia 1945 dying in Polish captivity end of war (spelling in Ole Nikoljsen)

Gablenz    Lt    Airforce Flieger-Abteilung 304b     1917-18 (no record I could find the closest is

Gabler Karl    Flieger / Pnr    Ground crew Airforce Flieger-Abteilung 304b     1917-18    (1898 at Eichstätt Mittelfr ) Bavarian in Gefschaft (in prison) possibly PoW (20-9-18) when airfield at Afoule over run

Heemskerck (Heemskerk) (Homskerk) Hans-Eduard von    Capt (Maj)    Observer Airforce Luftstreitkräfte Vortrupp Pasha OC Flieger-Abteilung 300 2-16 to hosp (dysentry) 4-16 rtn 5-16 RTG 8-16 to (Kofl) Kommandeur der Flieger Herresgruppe Yilderim (Kofl F with headquarters in Nazareth) 9-17 to 3-18     1916-18    (1880 at in Geesteminde KIA 28-8-42) Killed in an Air Raid on Berlin - from (Fusiliers Regiment No 80) RHQ/Prussian Garde-Regiment zu Fuß No 4 to Feldflieger-Abteilung 11 8-14 leicht verwundet (minor wound) WIA 1914 Feldflieger-Truppe to Feldflieger-Abteilung 42 1915 to Feldflieger-Abteilung 5 12-15 to 1-16 to Turkey 2-16 RTG 10-16 at Staffelführer Generalstab-Training 1-17 to 7-17 rtn Turkey Generalstab with Pascha 2 7-17 RTG 3-18 to Generalstab Officer 3rd Landwehr-Division 3-18 retired Maj 1920 awarded Ottoman War Medal 5-16 later WWII Luftwaffe official (Ministerialdirigent) was killed in an early air raid on Berlin (spelling in Ole Nikoljsen)

Felmy Gerhard    ObLt (Capt)    Pilot Airforce to Flieger-Abteilung 300 4-17 - shown OC (Jasta 55) Jagdstaffel 1 (F) 1-18 RTG 5-18     1916-17 1918-    (1891 at Berlin died 8-12-55) brother Hellmuth joined the Infanterie Regiment "von der Marwitz" (8th Pomeranian) No 61 to Feldflieger-Abteilung 51 Eastern Front to Turkey 9-16 shown Rumpler C1 arrived with Falke (O) at El Arish 11-9-16 shown leicht verwundet (minor wound) WIA 2-12-16 both feet in Rumpler C1 with Jeschonnek (O) shot down Capt Minchin in Martinsyde G100 (7474) B Flight 14 Sqn RFC over Rafah SE 2-12-16 (14 Sqn RFC records claim Felmy shot down a DH 1a (4608) with Lt Floyer/Palmer 14 Sqn RFC failed to return from recee over Wadi Nuran (possibly by AA fire not Felmy) 5-3-17 claimed in Rumpler C1 with Falke (O) shot down a Martinsyde G100 (A1583) by Lt Murray-Jones 1 Sqn AFC but forced landed at Weli Sheik Nurak 6-4-17 & in Rumpler C1 (2631/16) with Falke (O) raid on rail & water line near Bir Salmana 19-4-17 and 24-5-17 claimed Rumpler C1 with Falke (O) shot down a Martinsyde G100 (A1583) by Lt Murray-Jones 1 Sqn AFC WIA crashed at Abu Ghalyn 16-5-17 + in Albatross D3 forced Lt Crerar in DH1 (A2623) to land at Kafiye near Gaza 25-6-17 shown in Albatross D3 shot down Lt Vautin (PoW) BE 12a (A6321) near Bet Hanun 8-7-17 possibly also shown 17-7-17? + possibly shot down 1 Sqn AFC plane 23-7-17 RTG sick malaria 16-8-17 rtn Palestine 1-18 RTG 5-18 shown leicht verwundet (minor wound) WIA 1918 shown in group photo of Flieger-Abteilung 300 dropped to 1 Sqn AFC around 7-17 awarded Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with swords 6-17 and Ottoman Silver Imtiyaz Medal with swords and Silver liakat medal with swords 6-17 and War Medal later WWII Gen-Maj Admin comds Luftwaffe (spelling in Ole Nikoljsen)
 

Debus Wilhelm    Lt    Pilot Airforce Flieger-Abteilung 300 12-17 to (Jasta 55) Jagdstaffel 1 (F) 4-18 shown combined Flieger-Abteilung 300 to OC (from Meirederks KIA) 5-18 to 6-18    1918-    from Feldflieger-Abteilung 12 1916 to Jagdstaffel 34b to Jagdstaffel 9 1917 to Flieger-Abteilung 300 12-17 to Jagdstaffel 55 (F) 5-18 (not identified) (spelling in Ole Nikoljsen) 

Heussenstamm-Häuser (Heußenstamm) Karl    Lt deR    Observer Airforce Flieger-Abteilung 304b 10-17     1917-18    (1890 at München died 1930 in the USA) Bavarian from Bayer Feldartillerie-Regiment No 7 to Flieger-Ersatz-Abteilung Schleißheim 6-15 to Beobachter-Kurs VII/14 8-15 kommandiert to Fliegerabteilung (Artillerie) FA (A) 286b 11-15 to Fliegerabteilung (Artillerie) FA (A) 287b 4-17 to Palestine 8-17 shown to (Feldlazarett 213) hosp (malaria) 9-17 & (blind arm irritation) 9-18 RTG 7-18 to Flieger-Ersatz-Abteilung 2b (spelling in Ole Nikoljsen)

Elias Alfred Albert Hermann    Capt Dr    Pilot Airforce Flieger-Abteilung 302 formed in Prussia 12-7-17 (shown OC) - Flieger-Abteilung 302 to OC Flieger-Abteilung 305 9-18     1917-18     (1876 in Cottbus died 10-11-55) German Jew meteorologist and aeronaut pre war navigator with Albert Friedrich on flights from Berlin to Paris and Constantinople 1913-14 from Feldflieger-Abteilung 17 OC 12-16 Western Front to OC Flieger-Abteilung 305 1918 (replaced Steiner) possibly PoW 21-9-18 awarded EK II & EK I and Austrian Military Merit Cross (spelling in Ole Nikoljsen)

Hüfner (Haefner) (Häfner) Victor    Lt    Pilot Airforce Flieger-Abteilung 304b 10-17 shown Jagdstaffel 2 (F) possibly when (Jasta 55) Jagdstaffel 1 (F) combined with Flieger-Abteilung 300 around 5-18 reported with 14th Aircraft Company Tayyare Boluk 6-18    1917-18    Bavarian photo when Albatros D5 (5350/17) Jagdstaffel 1 (F) broken wing midair near Nablus repoted AEG C4 with Förster (P) in a dogfight with British SE 5 in the wadi Sarar Area 30-5-18 and shown flew Albatros D5a (5360/17) Jagdstaffel 1 (F) claimed shot down an unknown aircraft with 14th Sqn Tayyare Boluk 27-6-18 RTG 9-18 sick (not identified) (spelling in Ole Nikoljsen) 
 

S.B