Gaza
was to be made: everything pointed to the eastern flank, though it should
be said that the Turks right up to the last moment were in ignorance as to
where the main blow would fall.

A frontal attack was out of the question. If, during the summer months, we
had been stealthily and laboriously preparing for the assault the Turks had
been no less active in strengthening their defences. Gaza itself was almost
impregnable; and from the sea to Beersheba they had constructed a series of
enormously strong works, of which those at Atawina Ridge and between Sheria
and Hereira were the chief. These defences were absolutely up-to-date in
every respect. They were connected by telegraph and telephone, and it could
with truth be said that as far as Sheria the Turkish front was one
continuous tangle of wire. Beersheba itself was in a measure isolated from
the rest of the line. Indeed the only real opening in the whole chain of
defences was between that place and Sheria, the Turks no doubt trusting to
the exceptionally difficult country, which hereabouts was a maze of small
wadis and nullahs, to prevent any attempt at a break through. Similarly
they relied on the desert south-east of Beersheba to make an outflanking
movement impossible in that direction. In both these beliefs they were
sadly deceived, as will be seen later.

In addition to these defences the Turks were well served by their railways
on both flanks and in the centre. Beersheba was in direct connection with
the north, _via_ Sheria, and Gaza, although not actually on the railway,
was only about four miles from the railhead--Beit Hanun--of the other
branch of the northern line. Their roads both laterally and longitudinally
were in the main excellent, and they were in the midst of a country where
water was plentiful and the land fertile. Finally, their immediate reserves
and supplies were at such places as Hebron and Huj, both of which were
within easy reach of the front.

From about the middle of June our "nibbles" at the Turkish line became more
frequent and more ambitious.

The Scots made a characteristic raid on Umbrella Hill, one of the ridges
south-east of Gaza, and found out all they wanted to know without firing a
shot and with, I believe, only four casualties. The Turk at night-time was
very susceptible to the bayonet. This raid was typical of many, and the
combined result was that our line in the neighbourhood of Gaza was
materially advanced and the position