Capture of Yanbu explained

Conflict:Battle of Yanbu
Partof:Arab Revolt of the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I
Date:1 December 1916 – 18 January 1917
Place:Yanbu, Kingdom of Hejaz
Result:Arab victory
Combatant1: Kingdom of Hejaz
United Kingdom
Combatant2: Turkish Empire
Commander1: Faisal bin Hussein
Abdullah bin Hussein
Ali bin Hussein
T. E. Lawrence
Edmund Allenby
Commander2: Ahmed Pasha
Fakhri Pasha
Strength1:~4,000
Strength2:2 brigades
Casualties1:Minimal
Casualties2:Heavy

The Capture of Yanbu (Arabic: الاستيلاء على ينبع, Turkish: Yanbu'nun yakalanması; 1 December 1916 - 18 January 1917) was an Ottoman attempt to recapture the city of Yanbu during the Arab Revolt.

The attack on Yanbu commenced on 1 December 1916, when Fakhri Pasha and two brigades invaded the outskirts of the city. The Ottomans initially had repelled the Arabs from strategic points in the city. Within a couple of days Pasha controlled all routes in and out of the city. The Arab soldiers in the city began constructing a makeshift airstrip for use by British aircraft. More Arab and British reinforcements arrived and strengthened defences in the city.

Five Royal Navy ships also arrived to help in the defence of the city, including, and . T. E. Lawrence stated, "Afterwards, old Dakhil Allah told me he had guided the Turks down to rush Yenbo in the dark that they might stamp out Faisal's army once for all; but their hearts had failed them at the silence and the blaze of lighted ships from end to end of the harbour, with the eerie beams of the searchlights revealing the bleakness of the glacis they would have to cross. So they turned back: and that night, I believe, the Turks lost their war."[1]

By 9 December, Arab counter-attacks opened up the routes to the city, and flights from the seaplane carrier severely attacked the Ottoman columns. Because of the Navy's presence in the sea off Yanbu, Pasha called off all advances on the night of 11/12 December. Due to logistical errors, and counterattacks from the Arabs, the Ottomans started the retreat to Medina on 18 January 1917, thus ending the attempted recapture of Yanbu.

References

Notes and References

  1. Book: Lawrence . T. E. . Seven Pillars of Wisdom . registration . 1935 . Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc. . Garden City . 129-130.