THE infantry could crush the Turkish forces immediately before them, and did so on 19 September, but only the cavalry could properly exploit that victory by rampaging through the Turkish rear areas, capturing and scattering unsuspecting Turkish units, and destroying any immediate prospect of the revival of resistance. The 4th and 5th Cavalry Divisions had got through the old Turkish defences very early on the 19th, and once past the Nahr Iskenderun, there was little in the form of resistance to their ‘great ride’.

From the crossing of the Nahr Iskenderun they intended to swing right into the Plain of Esdraelon to sever the road and rail communications that the Turks relied on. The ultimate target for both the 5th and 4th Divisions, was el-Afule, the main railway junction of the Turkish railway system. This was a manoeuvre fraught with danger, since the precise Turkish intentions and strength in the region were unknown. Some possibilities could be anticipated. Thus the 5th Division was to detach some troops to meet any attack which might come out of Haifa, which was to be left on its flank. It was also to leave a force at the Abu Shushe Pass, since if the Turks recovered control after the division went through it would be in serious danger. A third detachment was to be sent against Nazareth, north of el-Afule, where the headquarters of the whole Turkish force was located, ‘with a view to capturing influential persons and important documents’ – the prisoner everyone wanted was Liman von Sanders, of course.