As the British forces pushed on up the Tigris in Mesopotamia, the Turks were also being threatened from another direction - from Egypt. From here Murray's forces were pressing on towards Palestine, though the advance was held back by the slow progress of the water pipe-line through the inadequately watered Sinai. When the line was sufficiently far advanced to allow a large-scale assault, Murray ordered an attack on Gaza. The attack was successful, but Murray was not informed, and he ordered his men to fall back. The second attack was a disaster.

This article is located in the History of the First World War Volume 5 (REF D522 .H58 1969 V.5).