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'Military Lessons of the Arab Rebellion in Palestine 1936' [‎78r] (160/294)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (142 folios). It was created in Feb 1938. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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44816-1
111
movement could be completed. This was successfully carried out, and
the remainder of the band despatched with the bayonet. The engage
ment yielded 11 enemy dead, 11 rifles and 578 rounds of ammunition.
Though only small numbers were engaged on each side, this little
action provided an excellent example of combined attack by troops and
aircraft; while its moral effect was fan out of proportion to the actual
material results, since this was the first band to suffer complete
destruction and the first time that troops had been able to close with
the bayonet in open country.
The second example is afforded by an action in the Nablus hills on
the 24th September, in which far greater forces were involved than at Bab
El 'Sifad. It started during the afternoon, when the 1st Royal Scots
Fusiliers, accompanied by one aircraft, surrounded the village of Jab’a
with a view to engaging an armed band which was believed to be inside.
Shortly after this operation had started the aircraft located a band,
which included a number of mounted men, retreating in wooded country
away from the direction of Jab f a. Air action was promptly taken, but
only one casualty had been inflicted before the aircraft was hit and the
pilot wounded in tv/o places. He succeeded in making a forced landing,
and meanwhile additional aircraft were summoned by XX calls. By this
time enemy were appearing in all directions and it was soon evident that
a number of bands were on the move in the neighbourhood. GG calls were
therefore sent out, and were answered by striking forces from both
Nablus and Tulkarm. Armoured cars of the 11th Hussars, Naval pom-poms,
the light howitzers of the Chestnut Troop, and detachments of Lincolns
and Dorsets were rushed out tov/ards Jab’a; but now little more than tv/o
hours of daylight were left and both striking forces had some 12 to 15
miles to go before reaching even a debussing point. It v/as clear that
there would be little opportunity of closing the enemy’s line of retreat
with troops before dark, and that the Air Striking Force alone would be
able to hit at the main body in time. The aircraft were soon on the
scene and continued attacking until dusk, not only talcing independent
action but also co-operating as well with those troops which had already
gained contact with the rebels. As a result some 50 casualties were
inflicted, of which 41 were accounted for by air action. During the
engagement aircraft fired 3,322 rounds S.A.A. and dropped 33 bombs.
Reconnaissance
Information received from the air has already been described in
Chapter 4 under the heading of "Intelligence*. In general terms -ir
reconnaissance took three main forms - reconnaissance to locate the
enemy, ground reconnaissance, and reconnaissance to detect sabo a^e on
the main communications. The first two were mostly carried ou
allotted flights on the instructions of military area commanders.
The latter was. more frequently ordered by Force H^and involved
routine inspection of the main roads and railways with a view o o
ing information of obstacles, ambushes, broken ^bridges, amc '£> e
lines etc. Information regarding the location of e enem} ^
mostly obtained when aircraft were acting in close co ^P erc ^
troops on such tasks as searches, cordons etc., since e re e ^
most other occasions would tend to hide^directly aircr^ .^ ^ c;po rG h
the neighbourhood. It v/as air reconnaissance during^a ^ d ab #
which resulted in the location of the eneimy a. Ja a
Good information as to the movements of snipers and sa 0 '
sometimes obtained from track-marks appearing m air p o 0
Air photographs too proved of immense value to ccmmanders planning
operations in the hills; though pilots nad a ways^ o^ aerial aot ivity
guard against the danger of dispersing bands } * h r
before the droops could make contact. It is oa , iti ^ for rec0 n-
sufficient army officers made the best use of
noitring from the air. Certainly those who were fl

About this item

Content

Report detailing the military lessons of the Arab rebellion in Palestine in 1936 that was compiled by General Staff, Headquarters, The British Forces, Palestine & Trans-Jordan.

The report is divided up into chapters as follows:

  • Introduction
  • A Short History of the Rebellion I - to the end of June, 1936
  • A Short History of the Rebellion II - from the 1st July, 1936 to the end of the year
  • Conditions in Palestine as Affecting Operations
  • Commanders and Staffs
  • Intelligence
  • Intercommunication
  • Administration
  • Transport
  • Weapons and Equipment
  • The Employment of Various Arms
  • The Employment of Aircraft in Co-operation with Troops
  • Defensive Action
  • Protection of Communications
  • Offensive Action
  • Conclusion - Summary of Main Lessons

The report contains 46 photographs and a number of diagrams which are located throughout the volume. It also contains four maps, found at folios 140-143.

Extent and format
1 volume (142 folios)
Arrangement

The volume contains a contents page on folio 3.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 144; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. Pagination: the volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.

Written in
English in Latin script
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'Military Lessons of the Arab Rebellion in Palestine 1936' [‎78r] (160/294), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/16/16, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100040717909.0x0000a1> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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