July British occupation of the Jordan Valley

australian mounted division roads plan

daily observations of regions around nablus (headquarters of ottoman 7th army) , amman (on hedjaz railway) required @ time keep close watch on german , ottoman forces troop movements. there several indications of increased defensive preparations on coastal sector; improvements made afule haifa railway , there increased road traffic on district while trench system near kakon not being maintained. smallest details of roads , tracks opposite british front , crossings of important nahr iskanderuneh observed.

flights made down hedjaz railway on 1 july el kutrani camp , aerodrome strafed machine gun fire australians , on 6 july @ jauf ed derwish found garrison working repair defences , railway culverts, after destruction of bridges on wady es sultane south hedjaz arabs, cut railway communications. when jauf ed derwish station north of maan reconnoitred, old german aerodrome @ beersheba used advance landing-ground. on 6 july aerial photographs taken of et tire area near sea map makers. 2 days later jauf ed derwish bombed british formation flew on maan , found garrisoned. no. 1 squadron s patrols watched whole length of railway during first fortnight of july; on 13 july convoy of 2,000 camels south of amman escorted 500 cavalry, moving south towards kissir machine gunned scattering horses , camels, while 3 more bristol fighters attacked caravan near kissir on same day; amman attacked several days later.

several aerial combats occurred on tul keram, bireh, nablus , jenin on 16 july , attacked transport column of camels near arrabe, train north of ramin , 3 albatros scouts aircraft on ground @ balata aerodrome. near amman 200 cavalry , 2,000 camels had been attacked few days previously, again attacked, , 2 albatros scouts destroyed during aerial combat on wady el auja.

on 22 july australian pilots destroyed rumpler during dawn patrol south west of lubban after aerial combat , on 28 july 2 bristol fighters piloted australians fought 2 rumpler aircraft on outskirts of jerusalem upper wady fara; rumpler forced down 2 days later.

on 31 july reconnaissance made nablus on wady fara beisan machine gunned train , transport park near station. flew north semakh machine gunning troops near railway station , aerodrome before flying on jenin aerodrome. during period of daily patrols 1,000 aerial photographs taken nablus , wady fara beisan , tul keram north covering 400 square miles (1,000 km). enemy troops, roads , traffic regularly attacked photography patrols when flying low avoid enemy anti-aircraft fire.