as found the
enemy were occupying part of the line we were to take up. They
withdrew, however, in the evening, and we constructed a series of
strong posts from the Beersheba road to south of El Buggar.

During these days of concentration the plain lying between Shellal and
Beersheba had been the scene of great activities. Karm had been
selected as the position for a forward supply dump, and both light and
broad gauge railways were being pushed out towards it at top speed.
The first blow of the campaign was to be launched at the defences of
Beersheba, which were facing west and extended both north and south of
the Wadi Saba. They occupied a commanding position and were
continuously wired. The main attack was to be pushed home south of the
Wadi Saba by the 74th and 60th Divisions, and at the same time the
enemy's extreme left flank was to be turned by the cavalry, who were
to make a wide detour through very difficult and waterless country and
attack Beersheba from the east, and, if possible, cut off the retreat
of the garrison of the Beersheba area. Covering all these preparations
an outpost line was established some miles east of Karm and El Buggar,
held on the left by the 53rd Division, then the 74th Division, then
the Imperial Camel Corps, and, south of the Wadi Saba, where it was
much more lightly held, a mere line of cavalry observation posts.
These cavalry posts were covering, and slightly in advance of, the
positions selected for battle headquarters for the 74th and 60th
Divisions.

The preliminary arrangements for the troop movements went like
clockwork, as did also the approach marches to the positions of
deployment, and at the appointed time on 30th October, the Divisional
H.Q. moved up the five or six miles to the battle stations selected.
There was no sign of crowding or confusion--the only indication that
there was anything unusual on, was the dust which could be seen here
and there. The moves of the infantry began just as it was getting
dusk, and long before dawn both the 60th and 74th Divisions had their
two brigades on the line of deployment, which stretched southwards
some three or four miles from the Wadi Saba.

As soon as it was daylight a bombardment of the Turkish advanced
position on Hill 1070 was started, smothering the entire landscape in
clouds of dust. This first attack, which was carried through by one of
the brigades of the 60th Division, was ordered at 8.30 A.M. Hill 1070
was carried at 8.