Battle of Rafa - Background

Background

Following their victory at the Battle of Romani on 4 August 1916, British mounted forces supported by infantry, went onto the offensive; their pace of advance governed only by the speed by which the railway and water pipeline could be constructed across the Sinai Peninsula. With the British railhead about 40 miles (64 km) away, on 23 December 1916 the Anzac Mounted Division less the 2nd Light Horse Brigade but with the Imperial Camel Corps Brigade attached, during a day-long battle, won a victory at the Battle of Magdhaba which secured the British occupation of El Arish on the Mediterranean Sea.

The infantry garrison for El Arish was provided by the 52nd (Lowland) Division and with the railhead still 30 miles (48 km) away, began to fortify the town. El Arish is 90 miles (140 km) by road from the port of Kantara on the Suez Canal, but during the fortnight beginning 23 December, the establishment of this important British forward base grew quickly, when 1,500 tons of supplies arrived by ship at El Arish.

On 28 December the 1st Light Horse Brigade reconnoitred Bir el Burj 12 miles (19 km) along a road, which was found suitable for cars and guns, running from El Arish towards Rafa. A further reconnaissance by the same brigade two days later to Sheikh Zowaiid 20 miles (32 km) from El Arish reported rolling stretches of pasture, crops and poppies. An advance guard moved 10 miles (16 km) forward to within sight of El Magruntein; the main Rafa defences, and reported on Ottoman activity.

General Sir Archibald Murray, the commander of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, was keen to complete the advance across the north of the Sinai, believing pressure on the southern Ottoman Empire would compel the Ottoman forces to abandon their desert bases and outposts in the inland of the Sinai Peninsula. He ordered the advance from El Arish to Rafa, a distance of 27 miles (43 km), to begin as soon as possible.

On 4 January 1917 the first construction train arrived at El Arish, but it was some time before the railway with all its important supply capacity for the development of infrastructure and garrisons, was fully developed. Until that time, supplies of all kinds were unloaded from supply ships by the Egyptian Labour Corps and distributed by the Egyptian Camel Transport Corps. These vitally important supply activities at El Arish were protected by the infantry garrison and ground based artillery supported by the Royal Navy.

The weather cleared up on 5 January and an Australian patrol of the No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps, observed 2,000 or 3,000 Ottoman soldiers digging defences south of Rafa in the area of El Magruntein. British air patrols on 7 January found Ottoman garrisons in strength at El Kossaima and Hafir el Auja in the central, northern Sinai which could threaten the right flank of the advancing British Empire force and/or quickly reinforce Rafa.

While the British air patrols were away on 7 January, German airmen took advantage of the growing British concentration and bombed El Arish during the morning and evening. The next day the Australian No. 1 Squadron's patrols were in the air all day covering the assembly for the attack on Rafa.