Charge at Haritan

Charge at Haritan
Part of the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I
An Imperial Service Mysore Lancer
Date 26 October 1918 Location Haritan, Aleppo Vilayet, Ottoman Empire Result Ottoman victory
Belligerents
British Empire  British India Kingdom of Hejaz	Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Cyril Rodney Harbord	Mustafa Kemal Pasha
Units involved
15th (Imperial Service) Cavalry Brigade	Remnants of the Yildirim Army Group
Casualties and losses
21 dead 56 wounded 3 missing	At least 50 dead 20 prisoners

The Charge at Haritan occurred on 26 October 1918 at the end of the Pursuit to Haritan during the final stages of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War. Two regiments of the 15th (Imperial Service) Cavalry Brigade, 5th Cavalry Division, charged into the retreating remnant column of the Ottoman Army's Yildirim Army Group. Subsequently, six squadrons of the same brigade charged into an Ottoman rearguard position but were counterattacked and forced to retreat.

After the British Empire's victory at the Battle of Megiddo, the remnants of the Ottoman Turkish Empire's Yildirim Army Group from Amman were pursued by Prince Faisal's Sherifial Force which captured Deraa on 27 September, on the right flank of the 4th Cavalry Division. Meanwhile, the pursuit by the Australian Mounted Division followed by the 5th Cavalry Division of Yildirim Army Group remnants retreating from the Judean Hills, captured Damascus on 1 October 1918, many thousands of German and Turkish prisoners and many miles of Ottoman Empire territory. A remnant force of Yildirim Army Group managed to escape Damascus, to concentrate at Rayak before retreating through Homs and Hama towards Aleppo. Huge losses in Desert Mounted Corps from sickness delayed and depleted their pursuit from Damascus which was continued by twenty-four cars in three batteries of armored cars, and three-light car patrols armed with machine guns. They were supported by the 15th (Imperial Service) Cavalry Brigade with the remainder of the division following with the Australian Mounted Division moving north to reinforce them. Prince Faisal's Sherifial Force successfully attacked Aleppo on the night of 25 October.