British Empire infantry and artillery reinforcements from Es Salt strengthened the 181st Brigade and the Anzac Mounted Division's attacking force travelling across difficult and unfriendly terrain.

Raiding parties attacked the Hejaz Railway from Tebuk, and a small trained force based in the Wadi Araba in the Ghor south of the Dead Sea, threatened Ma'an and Hishe Forest.

[4][5] A general advance on a front of between 23–42 km (14–26 mi) and up to a maximum of depth of between 8–11 km (5–7 mi) by the XX Corps and XXI Corps, pushed Ottoman forces north from the River Auja on the Mediterranean coast, from both sides of Jerusalem to Nablus road capturing Ras el Ain and Tell 'Asur and from Abu Tellul and Mussallabeh on the heights above the Jordan Valley.

[9] Prior to the advance to Es Salt and Amman, diversionary attacks across the entire front were planned to precede the passage of the Jordan River and the establishment of a bridgehead on the eastern bank.

[11][12] The headquarters of the Ottoman Fourth, Seventh and Eighth Armies were located at Amman east of the Jordan River, and at Nablus and Tulkarm in the Judean Hills respectively.

[26] By destroying railway infrastructure which would take considerable time to rebuild like tunnels and viaducts, pressure on the Arab forces operating in the Ma'an area by the Ottoman Army, would be reduced.

Subsequent to gaining all objectives Chaytor and Shea were to withdraw back to the Jordan River leaving a "strong detachment at Es Salt and mounted troops to protect its communication.

[41][53] By this stage the advance had been on the march continuously for three days and nights and owing to the exhaustion of the men and horses, Chaytor, commander of the mounted division, postponed the attack on Amman until the next morning.

The 181st Brigade formed a "flying column" of two battalions of infantry, three mountain gun batteries and the squadron of the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment with orders to advance to Amman the next day in support of Chaytor's Force.

By 11:00 all brigades were engaged and by midday, the Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment was advancing across the Wadi Amman, to the railway line near Kissir station about 5 km (3 mi) south of the town.

[60][61] The train steamed into the railway station from the south and the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regimental Headquarters' troops opened fire from an adjacent hill.

[61] The "flying column" of two British infantry battalions of the 181st Brigade with three mountain gun batteries, had left Es Salt at dawn on 27 March, to reinforce the Amman attack but were delayed near Suweileh by local fighting between 200 and 300 Christians from El Fuheis fought Circassians and/or Arabs when about 20 of them were killed.

A squadron from the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment negotiated a peace when the Circassians were forced to release prisoners and supply grain for the starving Christians.

[Note 4] The delayed general attack by the mounted troops and the newly arrived infantry reinforcements began at 13:30 but was met by very heavy machine gun fire from all sides.

Rain was still falling and it was bitterly cold; supply of rations and forage caused some concerns and darkness found most of the attacking force in much the same positions they had held that morning.

German and Ottoman forces made several counter-attacks, all of which were held and ultimately repulsed, including one on the northern flank between the infantry and the 2nd Light Horse Brigade.

No more troops could be spared because the threat posed to the northern flank of the attacking forces at Amman, by a detachment from the Ottoman Seventh Army, was so serious that the defenders in the Jordan Valley; the 1st and 2nd Light Horse Regiments, had to be reinforced by an infantry battalion.

[29][53][71] As darkness fell a British infantry unit was alerted by a shot from the company's listening post to an enemy attack; "every rifle and machine gun burst out as hard as they could go all along the line supported by dozens of machine guns tucked away on advantageous slopes behind us, and I pitied 'Jacko' out in that storm, as I banged away with my trusty old rifle I could see the flashes in the long grass of the Turkish weapons and aimed low accordingly.

[72][76] Lines of communication to the forces attacking Amman were seriously threatened by the movement of Ottoman troops from across the Jordan River at Jisr ed Damieh 26 km (16 mi) north of Ghoraniyeh.

The 2/20th Battalion London Regiment in reserve at Shunet Nimrin was ordered to reinforce the light horsemen as a significant buildup of Ottoman forces in the area began to threaten their positions.

[71] At 02:00 on 30 March, the first line consisting of the Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment and the 4th Battalion Imperial Camel Corps Brigade under the command of Lieutenant Colonel McCarroll began the advance on Hill 3039.

[84] At 03:00 a British infantry advance in extended order began: "Several shots rang out slightly to our left and then instantaneously the ground in front became alive with flashing rifles and machine guns, and hoarse shouts in guttural German and Turkish Arabic added to the increasing excitement."

"[85] [At dawn] most of us saw that unless something drastic was done to dominate the surrounding hill tops well held still by the enemy, though the main portions of the position was already in our hands, we should have to retire or face a murderous fire, the accuracy of which would be made more deadly by daylight.

After some dozen shots most of which buried themselves in the wall with a thud the gunners ceased – probably because our Indian Mounted Battery was beginning to find them.Before daybreak every effort was made to strengthen the positions won on Hill 3039; trenches could not be dug in the solid rock but sangers were built up as high as possible.

The one-hour bombardment caused many casualties; as soon as it was over the surviving New Zealand Camel Company troops in the forward position were withdrawn to join their battalion on the right leaving a post of ten men with two Lewis guns.

Captain Hinson (Adjutant Canterbury Mounted Rifles Regiment) and Lieutenants Thorby and Crawford of the New Zealand 16th Camel Company, each in his own part of the line, swept their men back in a charge up on to the crest.

[53][94] When darkness fell on 30 March, the front line troops received the order to retreat and an infantryman concluded: "none of us sorry to leave behind forever, we hope, a nightmare of a most terrible nature.

"[92] By 23:00 all wounded had been started on their journey back to the Jordan Valley and the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade commenced to recross the Wadi Amman at midnight; reaching the cross roads at 04:00 on 31 March.

[92] The Imperial Camel Corps Brigade began its march back to Ain es Sir at 04:30; they arrived at 07:15 but the track was too cut up by the passage of camels and horses for the infantry to follow so Chaytor ordered the infantry to march along the main road to Suweile and then down the Ain es Sir where they were met by the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade which acted as rearguard.

[101] It was well after daylight on the morning of 1 April, before the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade; the rearguard was able to start retiring again, while being fully occupied in holding off advanced German and Ottoman troops.