Battle of Jisr Benat Yakub | |||||||
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Part of the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I | |||||||
"Jisr Benat Yakub: bridge repaired by Australian Unit" by George Lambert, shows the repaired bridge and buildings at the western end of the bridge in 1919 |
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Belligerents | |||||||
British Empire France |
Ottoman Empire German Empire |
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Edmund Allenby Harry Chauvel Henry West Hodgson |
Otto Liman von Sanders Mustafa Kemal Pasha Jevad Pasha |
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Units involved | |||||||
Egyptian Expeditionary Force Desert Mounted Corps Australian Mounted Division |
Tiberias Group formed from surviving Yildirim Army Group garrisons which retreated from Samakh and Tiberias and reinforcements from Damascus |
The Battle of Jisr Benat Yakub was fought on 27 September 1918 at the beginning of the pursuit by the Desert Mounted Corps of the retreating remnants of the Yildirim Army Group towards Damascus during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of World War I. After the Battle of Samakh and the Capture of Tiberias, which completed the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's decisive victory in the Battle of Sharon section of the Battle of Megiddo, the Australian Mounted Division attacked and captured a series of rearguard positions. The positions were held by German and Ottoman soldiers of the Tiberias Group at Daughters of Jacob Bridge, an important bridge across the Jordan River, and at fords at El Min and north towards Lake Huleh.
Remnants of the Ottoman Seventh and Eighth Armies were retreating in columns towards Damascus from the Judean Hills via Samakh, the bridge at Jisr Benat Yakub, Kuneitra, and Kaukab, pursued by the Australian Mounted and the 5th Cavalry Divisions. At the same time remnants of the Ottoman Fourth Army were retreating in columns towards Damascus along the Pilgrims' Road (the old hajj road following the even older route of the King's Highway) through Deraa, pursued by the 4th Cavalry Division.