Having already looked at the Ottoman plans for the attack on the Suez Canal and the naval and air aspects of the British defensive plans, it's time to look at the overall plan for ground defense of the Canal.
The ground defenses were primarily manned by elements of the Indian Army, mostly from the Xth and XIth Divisions, with Territorial Artillery, some cavalry and India's Bikaner Camel Corps, which we have met before. The Egyptian Army, which was not a belligerent, provided a few machine-gun positions.
Though the overall command of Imperial Forces in Egypt was under General Sir John Maxwell, the defense of the Canal was commanded by Major-General Alexander Wilson, Commander of Indian Expeditionary Force "E."
The British official history provides a very detailed list of deployments as of January 15, which I reproduce in full below. Between January 15 and the battle on February 3, there were some additional reinforcements: two battalions of the Indian XIth Division moved into trenches on the west side of the Canal between Bench-mark Post and Ballah Ferry; the New Zealand Brigade was brought up from Cairo; its Otago and Wellington Battalions reinforced the El Kubri crossing near Suez, while the Auckland and Canterbury Battalions went into reserve at Ismailia. The January 15 deployments appear below; I've glossed a few abbreviations that may be unfamiliar. Tomorrow, we'll begin to deal with the battle itself.
DISPOSITION OF TROOPS IN THE CANAL DEFENCES, 15TH JANUARY, 1915.
G.O.C., Canal Defences - Major-General A. Wilson.
Chief Staff Officer, Canal Defences - Br.-General A. H.
Bingley.
SECTOR I. (Port Tewfik to Geneffe, both inclusive.)
Headquarters - Suez.
Troops.
30th Brigade (24th and 76th Punjabis,
126th Baluchis,
2/7th Gurkha Rifles).
1 Squadron Imp. Service Cavalry.
1 Coy. [Company] Bikanir Camel Corps.
1 Coy. Sappers and Miners.
1 Bty. R.F.A. (T.). [Battery, Royal Field Artillery
(Territorial)]
1 Indian Field Ambulance.
battalions
from the XIth Division, who
occupied the trenches on the
west bank between the
Bench-mark post and Ballah
ferry. The New Zealand
Infantry Brigade was also
brought up from Cairo, two
battalions (Otago and
Wellington) reinforcing the
El Kubri Post north of Suez,
while the brigade
headquarters, with the
Auckland and Canterbury
Battalions, detrained at
Ismailia to fill up the
reserve.
Posts in Sector.
Esh Shatt.
1 Coy. Indian Infantry.
1 M.G. [Machine Gun] Section.
Baluchistan
1 Coy. Indian Infantry.
El Kubri
1 Squadron Imp. Service Cavalry.
1 Coy. Bikanir Camel Corps.
1 Coy. Sappers and Miners.
1 Bn. [Battalion] (less 2 coys.) Indian Infantry.
1 Battery R.F.A. (T.).
2 M.G. Sections (Indian Infantry).
Gurkha
1 Coy. Indian Infantry.
Shallufa
1 Coy. Indian Infantry
1 M.G. Section (Indian Infantry).
Geneffe
14 men, Indian Infantry.
Suez
2 1/2 Battalions (local reserve).
SECTOR II. (Deversoir to El Ferdan, both inclusive.)
Headquarters - Ismailia Old Camp.
Troops.
22nd Brigade, less 3rd Brahmans (62nd and 92nd Punjabis,
2/10th Gurkha Rifles).
28th F.F. Bde. (51st and 53rd Sikhs, 56th Punjabis, 1/5th
Gurkha Rifles).
1 Squadron Imp. Service Cavalry.
Bikanir Camel Corps (less 3 1/2 Coys.).
M.G. Section of Egyptian Camel Corps.
1 Brigade R.F.A. (T.).
1 Battery Indian Mountain Artillery.
2 Field Ambulances.
Posts in Sector.
Deversoir
1 Coy. Indian Infantry.
7 men Bikanir Camel Corps.
Serapeum E.
2 Coys. Indian Infantry.
7 men Bikanir Camel Corps.
Serapeum W.
22nd Brigade (less 2 battalions and one half-coy.).
1 Bty. R.F.A. (T.).
1 Field Ambulance.
Tussum
1 Coy. Indian Infantry.
7 men Bikanir Camel Corps.
Gebel Mariam
Observation Post.
Ismailia Ferry
1 Squadron Imp. Service Cavalry.
Bikanir C.C. (less 3 1/2 Coys.) and M.G. Section Egyptian
Camel Corps.
1 Bn. Indian Infantry.
1 Bty. R.F.A. (T.).
1 Section Indian Mountain Artillery.
1 Wireless Section (T.).
1 Field Ambulance.
Ismailia Old Camp
28th Bde. [Brigade] (less one battalion and one coy.).
21st Bty. Indian Mountain Artillery.
(Local Reserve.)
SECTOR III.
(El Ferdan, exclusive, to Port Said, inclusive.)
Headquarters - Qantara
Troops
29th Bde. (14th Sikhs, 69th and 89th Punjabis, 1/6th Gurkha
Rifles).
1 Bn. 22nd Bde.
1/2 Coy. Sappers and Miners.
1 Squadron Imp. Service Cavalry.
2 Coys. Bikanir Camel Corps.
2 Batteries R.F.A. (T.).
26th Bty. Indian Mountain Artillery.
Armoured Train with 1/2 Coy. Indian Infantry.
Wireless Section (T.).
Indian Field Ambulance.
Detachment R.A.M.C. (T.).
Posts in Sector.
Ballah
2 Platoons Indian Infantry.
Qantara E.
29th Bde. (less 1 coy.).
1 Squadron Imp. Service Cavalry.
2 Coys. Bikanir Camel Corps.
1/2 Coy. Sappers and Miners.
1 Bty. Indian Mountain Artillery.
Wireless Section (T.).
Qantara W.
Armoured Train, etc.
2 Batteries R.F.A. (T.).
El Kab
1/2 Platoon Indian Infantry.
Tina
1/2 Platoon Indian Infantry.
Ras El Esh
1 Platoon Indian Infantry
Salt Works
1 Company Indian Infantry.
New Canal Works..
1 Company Indian Infantry
Port Said
1 Bn. Indian Infantry (less 2 coys.).
ADVANCED ORDNANCE DEPOT
ZAGAZIG.
Troops.
1 Bn. 32nd (I.S.) Brigade.
ENGINEER WORK
DEFENCE OF RAILWAY AND SWEET WATER CANAL.
Troops.
1 Troop Imp. Service Cavalry,
1/2 Coy. Bikanir Camel Carps,
1/2 Coy. Indian Infantry.
GENERAL RESERVE CAMP, MOASCAR.
Troops.
31st Brigade (less 1 coy.), (2nd Q.V.O. Rajput L.I., 27th
Punjabis, 93rd Burma Infantry, 128th Pioneers).
32nd (I.S.) Bde., less 1 battalion (33rd Punjabis, Alwar,
Gwalior, and Patiala Infantry).
Imp. Service Cav. Bd.. (less 3 squadrons and 1 troop).
1 Egyptian R.E. Section (Camels),
1 Egyptian Mountain Battery.
2 Sections Field Artillery with Cavalry Brigade.
3 Indian Field Ambulances
Posts
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