The capture of Aleppo on 25 October 1918 was the final major engagement of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign in World War I.
Key Facts
- Date
- 25 October 1918
- Capturing force
- Prince Feisal's Sherifial Forces
- Campaign
- Sinai and Palestine Campaign, WWI
- Damascus captured
- 1 October 1918
- Armoured car pursuit
- 24 cars in three batteries
- Street fighting duration
- Most of the night
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the British Empire's victory at the Battle of Megiddo, remnants of the Ottoman Yildirim Army Group retreated northward through Deraa, Damascus, Rayak, Homs, and Hama toward Aleppo. Heavy sickness-related losses in the Desert Mounted Corps limited pursuit capacity, leaving a small force of armoured cars, light car patrols, and the 15th Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade to continue the advance.
Prince Feisal's Sherifial Forces arrived outside Aleppo after advancing north along the Hejaz railway. After engaging a strong Ottoman rearguard south of the city earlier on 25 October 1918, they bypassed the entrenchments under cover of darkness and entered Aleppo, where hand-to-hand street fighting continued through the night until the city was secured by morning.
The fall of Aleppo marked the end of meaningful Ottoman resistance in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. It effectively concluded the campaign in the final days of World War I, accelerating the collapse of Ottoman military power in the region and contributing to the armistice conditions that followed shortly after.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Prince Feisal.
Side B
1 belligerent