Battle of El Buqqar Ridge | |||||||
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Part of the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I | |||||||
El Buqqar Ridge. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
British Empire |
Ottoman Empire German Empire | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Philip Chetwode Henry Chauvel |
İsmet Bey Erich von Falkenhayn | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
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Strength | |||||||
3 infantry brigades 2 mounted brigades |
2 infantry regiments 1 mounted division | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
24 killed 53 wounded 10 missing |
10 killed 40 wounded |
The Battle of el Buqqar Ridge took place on 27 October 1917, when one infantry regiment and cavalry troops of the Yildirim Army Group, attacked the 8th Mounted Brigade of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) in the last days of the stalemate in Southern Palestine during the Sinai and Palestine campaign of World War I.
The commander of the Yildirim Army Group ordered the reconnaissance in force, which greatly outnumbered the Yeomanry in the mounted brigade, holding the outpost line. Despite a large number of casualties, one group made a slight withdrawal to subsequently hold their ground, until reinforcements arrived and the attackers withdrew. However another group of Yeomanry was overwhelmed and killed.
Four days later, two infantry and two mounted divisions launched the EEF's Southern Palestine Offensive, with the Battle of Beersheba on 31 October 1917.