Raid on the Suez Canal

Raid on the Suez Canal
	Part of the Sinai and Palestine campaign
	; Ottoman camel corps at Beersheba, 1915
Date	26 January – 4 February 1915; (1 week and 2 days)
Location	Suez Canal, Egypt
Result	British victory
Belligerents
British Empire Egypt; India; United Kingdom;	Ottoman Empire German Empire (military officers);
Commanders and leaders
John Maxwell	Djemal Pasha; F. K. von Kressenstein
Strength
30,000	25,000; Other estimates:; 11,400 (400 officers and 11,000 soldiers)
Casualties and losses
32 killed, 130 wounded	1,500 total

The raid on the Suez Canal, also known as actions on the Suez Canal, took place between 26 January and 4 February 1915 when a German-led Ottoman force advanced from southern Palestine to attack the British Empire-protected Suez Canal, marking the beginning of the Sinai and Palestine campaign (1915–1918) of World War I (1914–1918).

Substantial Ottoman forces crossed the Sinai Peninsula, and a few managed to cross the Canal. The primary objective of the Ottoman forces was not to capture British Egypt, but to seize the Suez Canal. Capturing this strategically vital channel would cut British communications with East Africa, India and Asia, and prevent British Empire troops from reaching the Mediterranean Sea and Europe. The Ottoman attack was a failure with the loss of nearly 2,000 troops.