Alan Smith's Allenby's Gunners tells the story of artillery in the
highly successful World War I Sinai and Palestine campaigns. Following
Gallipoli and the reconstitution of the AIF, a shortage of Australian
gunners saw British Territorial artillery allotted to the Australian
Light Horse and New Zealand Mounted Rifle brigades. It was a
relationship that would prove highly successful and Allenby's Gunners
provides a detailed and colorful description of the artillery war,
cavalry and infantry operations from the first battles of Romani and
Rafa, through the tough actions of Gaza, the Palestine desert, Jordan
Valley and Amman to the capture of Jerusalem. The story concludes with
the superb victory of Megiddo and the taking of Damascus until the
theater armistice of 1918.Smith Covers the trials and triumphs of the
gunners as they honed their art in one of the most difficult
battlefield environments of the war. The desert proved hostile and
unrelenting, testing the gunners, their weapons and their animals in
the harsh conditions. The gunners' adversary, the wily and skillful
Ottoman artillerymen, endured the same horrendous conditions and
proved a tough and courageous foe.The light horsemen and gunners also
owed much to the intrepid airmen of the AFC and RFC whose tactical and
offensive bombing and counter-battery work from mid-1917 would prove
instrumental in securing victory. This is an aspect of the campaign
that is seamlessly woven throughout as the action unfolds.The Sinai
and Palestine campaigns generally followed a pattern of heavy losses
and setbacks for an initial period before allied forces eventually
prevailed. This is a highly descriptive volume that tells and
oft-neglected story and fills the gap in the record of a campaign in
which Australians played a significant role. It is a welcome addition
to the story of the Australians in the Middle Eastern campaigns of
World War I.
Les mer
Artillery in the Sinai & Palestine Camptaings, 1916–1918
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781526714688
Publisert
2023
Utgiver
Vendor
Pen & Sword Military (ORIM)
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter