7th Mounted Brigade (attached Desert Corps).

1/1st Sherwood Rangers. 1/1st South Notts Hussars.

Imperial Camel Brigade.

VI

There can be no better illustration of how one battle worked out ‘according to plan’ than the quotation of the following Force Order: 

  FORCE ORDER

  GENERAL HEADQUARTERS,
  22nd October 1917.

It is the intention of the Commander-in-Chief to take the offensive against the enemy at Gaza and at Beersheba, and when Beersheba is in our hands to make an enveloping attack on the enemy’s left flank in the direction of Sheria and Hareira.

On Zero day XXth Corps with the 10th Division and Imperial Camel Brigade attached and the Desert Mounted Corps less one Mounted Division and the Imperial Camel Brigade will attack the enemy at Beersheba with the object of gaining possession of that place by nightfall.

As soon as Beersheba is in our hands and the necessary arrangements have been made for the restoration of the Beersheba water supply, XXth Corps and Desert Mounted Corps complete will move rapidly forward to attack the left of the enemy’s main position with the object of driving him out of Sheria and Hareira and enveloping the left flank of his army.  XXth Corps will move against the enemy’s defences south of Sheria, first of all against the Kauwukah line and then against Sheria and the Hareira defences.  Desert Mounted Corps calling up the Mounted Division left in general reserve during the Beersheba operation will move north of the XXth Corps to gain possession of Nejile and of any water supplies between that place and the right of XXth Corps and will be prepared to operate vigorously against and round the enemy’s left flank if he should throw it back to oppose the advance of the XXth Corps.

On a date to be subsequently determined and which will probably be after the occupation of Beersheba and 24 to 48 hours before the attack of XXth Corps on the Kauwukah line, the XXIst Corps will attack the south-west defences of Gaza with the object of capturing the enemy’s front-line system from Umbrella Hill to Sheikh Hasan, both inclusive.

  The Royal Navy will co-operate with the XXIst Corps
  in the attack on Gaza and in any subsequent operations
  that may be undertaken by XXIst Corps.

On Z—­4 day the G.O.C.  XXIst Corps will open a systematic bombardment of the Gaza defences, increasing in volume from Z—­1 day to Zx2 day and to be continued until Zx4 day at the least.

The Royal Navy will co-operate as follows:  On Z—­1 and Zero days two 6-inch monitors will be available for bombardment from the sea, special objective Sheikh Hasan.  On Zero day a third 6-inch monitor will be available so that two of these ships may be constantly in action while one