The Capture of Yanbu (

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

: الاستيلاء على ينبع, Turkish: ''Yanbu'nun yakalanması''; 1 December 1916 - 18 January 1917) was an Ottoman attempt to recapture the city of

Yanbu Yanbu ( ar, ينبع, lit=Spring, translit=Yanbu'), also known simply as Yambu or Yenbo, is a city in the Al Madinah Province of western Saudi Arabia. It is approximately 300 kilometers northwest of Jeddah (at ). The population is 222,360 (2 ...

during the

Arab Revolt The Arab Revolt ( ar, الثورة العربية, ) or the Great Arab Revolt ( ar, الثورة العربية الكبرى, ) was a military uprising of Arab forces against the Ottoman Empire in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. On ...

. The attack on Yanbu commenced on 1 December 1916, when

Fakhri Pasha Ömer Fahrettin Türkkan, commonly known as Fahreddin Pasha and nicknamed the Defender of Medina, was a Turkish career officer, who was the commander of the Ottoman Army and governor of Medina from 1916 to 1919. He was nicknamed "''The Lion of ...

and two brigades invaded the outskirts of the city. The Ottomans initially had repelled the

Arabs The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

from strategic points in the city. Within a couple of days Pasha controlled all routes in and out of the city. The Arab soldiers in the city began constructing a makeshift airstrip for use by British aircraft. More Arab and British reinforcements arrived and strengthened defences in the city. Five

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

ships also arrived to help in the defence of the city, including , and .

T. E. Lawrence Thomas Edward Lawrence (16 August 1888 – 19 May 1935) was a British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and writer who became renowned for his role in the Arab Revolt (1916–1918) and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign (1915–1918 ...

stated, "Afterwards, old Dakhil Allah told me he had guided the Turks down to rush Yenbo in the dark that they might stamp out Faisal's army once for all; but their hearts had failed them at the silence and the blaze of lighted ships from end to end of the harbour, with the eerie beams of the searchlights revealing the bleakness of the glacis they would have to cross. So they turned back: and that night, I believe, the Turks lost their war." By 9 December, Arab counter-attacks opened up the routes to the city, and flights from the seaplane carrier severely attacked the Ottoman columns. Because of the Navy's presence in the sea off Yanbu, Pasha called off all advances on the night of 11/12 December. Due to logistical errors, and counterattacks from the Arabs, the Ottomans started the retreat to Medina on 18 January 1917, thus ending the attempted recapture of Yanbu.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Yanbu, Capture of

Battles of World War I involving the Ottoman Empire Battles of World War I involving the United Kingdom December 1916 events January 1917 events