On this day in 1917 the charge of the Australian Light Horse at Beersheba occurred, and is remembered as the last great cavalry charge. The assault on Beersheba began at dawn on 31 October 1917, with the infantry divisions of the British XX Corps attacking from the south and south-west, and the ANZAC Mounted Division attacking from the east. Both were unsuccessful. With time running out to capture Beersheba before dark, Brigadier General William Grant, commanding the 4th Light Horse Brigade, was ordered to make a mounted attack directly towards the town. The 4th and 12th Regiments charged at the unwired Turkish trenches as the enemy gunners opened fire with shrapnel. This was the first time that the Australian Light Horse was used purely as cavalry, even though they did not have swords and lancers. Instead, they charged with their rifles, using their bayonets as swords in the cavalry style. This unconventional attack meant that the pace of the Light Horse was too fast for the Turkish gunners, and the Aussies were able to take advantage of the momentum of their surprise attack to break through the Turkish defences and capture Beersheba. This victory meant that the Gaza-Beersheba line was turned. Gaza fell a week later and on 9 December 1917, the British troops entered Jerusalem. (Source: awmlondon.gov.au/battles/beersheba)
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 23:07:13 +0000
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