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T. E. Lawrence, Report 11 February 1918
FIRST REPORTS FROM
TAFILA
[Arab Bulletin, 11 February 1918]
Tafila had surrendered
on the 15th after a little fighting, and the number of Turks
captured there was 150 Major Lawrence, writing from there on the 22nd,
reported that the inhabitants were divided into two hostile factions,
who were much afraid of each other, and there was shooting in the
streets every night. Flour and barley were very dear and difficult to
find, and there was a serious lack of mules and camels. The Sherifian
officers, however, were arranging to police the town and organize
supplies. The situation was complicated by the presence of a colony of
Moors, who had been besieged by the Arabs, and a party of seventeen [1,700!]
destitute but, apparently, well fed Armenians.
A force of local
Arabs, under Sherif Abdullah el-Faiz and Hamud es-Sufi, of the Terabin
(adds Major Lawrence) had gone to Mezraa, on the Dead Sea, to block any
leakage of supplies westwards from Kerak; while Sherif Mastur was going
northward to Sell el-Hesa, about half-way between Kerak and Tafila.
Letters have been sent to the Kerak Arabs, whose attitude was doubtful.
Rifaifan, the head of the Mujaliyah, was believed to be pro-Turkish, but
Husein el-Tura, the other leading sheikh, was secretly pro-Sherifian.
News has since been
received of the occupation of Mezraa by the Arabs, who captured sixty
prisoners, including two officers, and burnt a launch and six sailing
boats.
On 26 January a large
force of Turks from Kerak attacked the Arabs at Seil el-Hesa, where
severe fighting took place. This resulted in a brilliant victory for the
Arabs, who killed 500 of the enemy and captured 250, including Hamid Bey,
the O.C. 48th Division. Only about fifty Turks escaped in the direction
of Kerak, and all officers were killed or captured. The booty consisted
of two powerful Austrian mountain guns, nine automatic rifles,
twenty-three machine-guns (including fifteen German Maxim machine-guns)
and 800 rifles. About 200 mules and horses were also taken and
distributed among the Bedouin.
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