British patrols discovered them on 8 August and the remainder of the ANZAC Mounted Division got into a position to attack the next day.

Meanwhile, the rest of the division, with the 5th Mounted Brigade under command, was ordered to follow the withdrawing Ottoman force.

[3][4] On 7 August, the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade leading the divisions pursuit of the Ottoman force, located their rearguard at Oghratina.

The patrols continued their reconnaissance and located the Ottoman force again, establish on the high ground to the east of Bir ed Abd.

The Ottoman rearguard was encountered again holding a front of ten miles (16 km) across falling back on Bir el Abd.

The 3rd Light Horse Brigade would stay in contact with the New Zealanders, then move behind the Turkish position, and locate around five miles (8.0 km) to the east of it, hindering any withdrawal and compromise their lines of communications.

[9] The New Zealand advance began at 04:00, at the same time the 3rd Brigade made towards a redoubt over two miles (3.2 km) to the south.

[10] The ANZAC Mounted Division advanced through Turkish artillery and machine gun fire, until it got so heavy that it threatened the safety of their horses.

An hour later the Turkish troops, left their trenches fixed bayonets and counter-attacked the New Zealand Brigade in two columns.

Then the Composite Brigade, which was still advancing, came under fire from artillery, anti-aircraft and machine-guns, was halted around 800 yards (730 m) from the Turkish lines.

By 07:00 the Turkish had discovered the gap in the ANZAC Mounted Division line between the New Zealanders and the Composite Brigades and were trying to exploit it.

Turkish artillery fire intensified and at 10:30 Chavaul asked for air support to help locate their batteries.

To counter this the ANZAC Divisions squadrons rode forward, until the rate of fire forced them to dismount then tried attacking on foot.

[15][16] At 16:30 in the north between 2–3,000 men attacked the Composite Brigade, getting to within a "few hundred yards of the ANZAC Divisions lines.

[18] Turkish casualties for this battle are not known, but altogether they had lost more than half of the 18,000 man force in their advance, into the Sinai.

[19] It was intended for the ANZAC Mounted Division to camp that night close by, with the intention of shadowing the Turkish force the next day, if they withdrew.

The remainder of the ANZAC Mounted Division advanced to contact with the Turkish force, but both sides only engaged in long range artillery and rifle fire.