First Battle of Amman (1918)

First Battle of Amman
Part of the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I
View across Amman to the Citadel
Date 27–31 March 1918 Location Amman, Syria Vilayet, Ottoman Empire Result Ottoman victory
Belligerents
British Empire  Great Britain  Australia  New Zealand Hejaz Arab Force	Ottoman Empire  German Empire
Commanders and leaders
E. Allenby P. Chetwode J. Shea E. W. C. Chaytor	Enver Pasha Liman von Sanders Jemal Pasha Asim Pasha Yasin al-Hashimi
Units involved
60th (London) Division Anzac Mounted Division Imperial Camel Corps Brigade	Fourth Army 3rd and 46th Assault Companies 48th Infantry Division 145th and part 150th Regiments German 703rd Infantry Battalion with a cavalry troop, artillery section and Asia Corps machine gun company
Strength
	6,000 troops with 15 guns
Casualties and losses
1,348

 British Empire

The First Battle of Amman was fought from 27 to 31 March 1918 during the First Transjordan attack on Amman of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War. The 60th (London) Division and the Anzac Mounted Division attacked the Ottoman garrison at Amman deep in enemy occupied territory, 48 kilometres (30 mi) from their front line, after capturing Es Salt and Shunet Nimrin. The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was successfully counterattacked by Ottoman Empire forces forcing them to retreat back to the bridgeheads captured on the Jordan River.

Following the victories at the Third Battle of Gaza and the Battle of Beersheba, the EEF had pursued the retreating Ottoman armies, fighting successful battles at Mughar Ridge in November and capturing Jerusalem in December. During the winter of 1917/1918 these considerable territorial gains were consolidated and the front line established. In February 1918 the front line was pushed eastwards by the EEF when the right flank of the Jaffa to Jerusalem line was extended by the capture of land from the east of Jerusalem stretching down into the Jordan Valley to capture Jericho. In early March the front line from the Mediterranean to Abu Tellul in the Judean Hills, was pushed north during the Action of Tell 'Asur. These two adjustments to the front line were necessary precursors, to advances by Allenby's EEF across the Jordan River and into the hills of Moab to Es Salt and Amman.

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