Battle of Bir el Abd

Battle of Bir el Abd (the Abd well)
Part of the Middle Eastern theatre of the First World War

Australian light horse patrol in Egypt
Date9 August 1916
Location
Result Ottoman victory[1]
Belligerents

 British Empire

 Ottoman Empire
 German Empire
Commanders and leaders
Australia Harry Chauvel Ottoman Empire Kamil Bey
Units involved
ANZAC Mounted Division
5th Mounted Brigade
39th Infantry Regiment
603rd Machine-Gun Company
606th Machine-Gun Company
Mountain Artillery Battery
Engineer Company

The Battle of Bir el Abd or the Abd well (9 August 1916) was fought between the forces of the British Empire and the Ottoman Empire, during the Sinai and Palestine campaign of World War I.

The battle took place in the Sinai Desert following the British victory at the Battle of Romani (3–5 August). The British Empire's ANZAC Mounted Division, with the 5th Mounted Brigade under command, was tasked to follow a retiring Ottoman Army force. British patrols discovered them on 8 August and the remainder of the ANZAC Mounted Division got into a position to attack the next day. The assault was launched on early 9 August and became a day of attack and counter-attack. Finally in the early evening Chauvel, commanding the ANZAC Mounted Division, ordered his troops to withdraw leaving the Ottoman force in command of the battle ground.[nb 1]

  1. ^ "Battle of Romani". The Long Long Trail. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  2. ^ Fewster, Basarin, Basarin 2003, pp.xi–xii


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