Battle of Kissoué
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The Battle of Kissoué (17 June 1941) was part of the Allied advance on Damascus in Syria during the Syria-Lebanon campaign in World War II. The battle is noted for the confrontation between Vichy French and the Free French forces. The Free French met with stiff resistance from the Vichy French.
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[edit] Background
On 8 June 1941 troops of the Indian 5th Infantry Brigade Group, under Brigadier Wilfrid Lewis Lloyd, had crossed the Syrian border from the British Mandate of Palestine to take Quneitra and Deraa with the objective of opening the the way for Free French forces to advance along the roads from these towns to Damascus. This was one of four attacks planned for the campaign by the Allied commander General Henry Maitland Wilson. By 12 June Deraa, Sheikh Meskine and Ezraa on the Deraa to Damascus road had been captured and the Indian and Free French forces, now named Gentforce and under the unified command of French Major-General Paul Legentilhomme were before Kissoué. Unfortunately Legentilhomme was wounded almost immediately after taking command and was succeeded by Brigadier Lloyd.[1]
Kissoué was a strongly defended position with considerable defence works whilst the river Nahr el Aouaj flowed in front of it across the Allied line of advance. Movement in the surrounding area was made difficult by the hilly terrain.
[edit] The battle
At 04.00 on 15 June, Indian troops made a frontal attack which fortuitously coincided with a relief of the Vichy force's forward troops. After fierce fighting the village was taken by 08.30. By 09.00, the Indian troops were pushing forward into the hills behind the village which overlooked the main road from the west. On the river on the far left flank of the advance the village of Monkelbe had been secured by 11.30. [2]
A second phase of the attack had begun at 11.00 with Free French forces advancing across the river into the hills on the right of the Damascus road. Having captured Jebel Kelb, the advance stalled on Jebel Abou Atriz, whilst on the far right a flanking move by Free French tanks was stopped by heavy shelling from Vichy artillery. Further depressing news for Lloyd came from the Allied troops holding Quneitra, on the other main road to Damascus from the south, who reported the approach of a strong Vichy force from the north. Furthermore, Lloyd's own lines of communication were being threatened by the capture of Ezraa by Vichy Tunisian troops which had advanced cross country from Tel Soutaine to the east. [3]
Lloyd decided that a rapid advance on Damascus would best deal with the critical situation. During the night of 15 June, pushing forward through the hills to the left of the Kissoué to Damascus road, Indian troops took Aartouz on the Quneitra to Damascus road. By the afternoon of 16 June, Ezraa had been re-taken by the Allies but the news from Quneitra was less promising. Outnumbered 3 to 1 and facing tanks against which they had no effective counter, the Allied defenders at Quneitra held out until 18.00 on 16 June. But with ammunition exhausted, they then surrendered. [4]
Despite this threat to Gentilforce's supply lines, it was decided to press on to Damascus. This forced the Vichy commander to withdraw his flanking forces. [5]
[edit] Bibliography
- Compton Mackenzie (1951). Eastern Epic. London: Chatto & Windus, 605 pages.
