Over the night of 20/21 December in heavy rain the division carried out an assault river crossing, using pontoon bridges and boats.
The 155th (South Scottish) Brigade crossed the river east of Jerisheh, and then turned right attacking the Turkish position.
The 156th (Scottish Rifles) Brigade and the 157th (Highland Light Infantry) Brigade both crossed the river west of Jerisheh.

The first unit to cross about a 1 mile (1.6 km) from the river mouth was a company of the 7th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), of the 156th Brigade.
Several of the flimsy boats collapsed, and the men were forced to wade across the chest deep river.
Once across they established a bridgehead on the Ottoman bank of the river.
When they were secure the engineers started building a pontoon bridge, for the main force to cross.
By 23:00 almost three of the division's battalions had crossed the river.
The 8th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) and the 4th Battalion, Royal Scots, from the 156th Brigade and the 7th (Blythswood) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry, from the 157th Brigade.

By midnight all the 156th Brigade had crossed over attacked the Ottoman position on a hill at Sheikh Muannis, which overlooked the river and all the other positions in the area.

The rest of the 157th Brigade were not as fortunate, when they were crossing the river, being targeted by an Ottoman artillery barrage.
However, by 01:30 two other battalions—the 6th Highland Light Infantry and the 5th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders—had crossed the river and secured the high ground overlooking the crossing point by 03:30.
The 157th also secured the northern bank of a ford to assist the crossing.

The 155th Brigade mounted two distraction attacks to cover their real attempt by the 5th Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers who, using rafts, crossed the river.
By dawn the whole brigade had crossed the river and secured the heights at Khirbet Hadra.

The whole division had crossed the river in darkness, and all Ottoman resistance was overcome by British troops using their bayonets and no shots were fired.
The attack completely surprised the Ottoman defenders and their front line were forced back 5 miles (8.0 km).
By dawn the British held a line from Hadrah to Tel el Rekkeit, around 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the river.
It had been intended for the ANZAC Mounted Division, to cross over and pursue the retreating Ottomans.
However the rainfall over the preceding days and the damp boggy ground, prevented them from following the retreating Ottoman survivors, who escaped unhindered.

With the northern river bank in British hands, the engineers constructed bridges to allow their artillery to cross the river.
The next day, 22 December, the British position was made even more secure when the 54th (East Anglian) Division captured Bald Hill to the right of the 52nd.
In doing so the Ottoman defenders lost fifty-two killed and forty-four more were taken prisoner.
By dawn the 54th Division had advanced further north occupying Mulebbis and Fejja; later in the day they also captured Rantieh.

The 52nd Division continued the advance on the left, supported by naval gunfire from a Royal Navy flotilla.
Three destroyers Grafton, Lapwing and Lizard and three monitors M29, M30 and M32.
By the end of the day they had secured Tel el Mukhmar the Wadi Ishkar and the Auja-Sheikh el Ballutah-Arsuf, on the cliffs above the sea 8 miles (13 km) north of Jaffa.
During the battle of Jaffa the attacks by the two British divisions had forced the Ottoman forces back 5 miles (8.0 km).
Over the night of 20/21 December in heavy rain the division carried out an assault river crossing, using pontoon bridges and boats. The 155th (South Scottish) Brigade crossed the river east of Jerisheh, and then turned right attacking the Turkish position. The 156th (Scottish Rifles) Brigade and the 157th (Highland Light Infantry) Brigade both crossed the river west of Jerisheh.
The first unit to cross about a 1 mile (1.6 km) from the river mouth was a company of the 7th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), of the 156th Brigade. Several of the flimsy boats collapsed, and the men were forced to wade across the chest deep river. Once across they established a bridgehead on the Ottoman bank of the river. When they were secure the engineers started building a pontoon bridge, for the main force to cross. By 23:00 almost three of the division's battalions had crossed the river. The 8th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) and the 4th Battalion, Royal Scots, from the 156th Brigade and the 7th (Blythswood) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry, from the 157th Brigade.
By midnight all the 156th Brigade had crossed over attacked the Ottoman position on a hill at Sheikh Muannis, which overlooked the river and all the other positions in the area.
The rest of the 157th Brigade were not as fortunate, when they were crossing the river, being targeted by an Ottoman artillery barrage. However, by 01:30 two other battalions—the 6th Highland Light Infantry and the 5th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders—had crossed the river and secured the high ground overlooking the crossing point by 03:30. The 157th also secured the northern bank of a ford to assist the crossing.
The 155th Brigade mounted two distraction attacks to cover their real attempt by the 5th Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers who, using rafts, crossed the river. By dawn the whole brigade had crossed the river and secured the heights at Khirbet Hadra.
The whole division had crossed the river in darkness, and all Ottoman resistance was overcome by British troops using their bayonets and no shots were fired. The attack completely surprised the Ottoman defenders and their front line were forced back 5 miles (8.0 km). By dawn the British held a line from Hadrah to Tel el Rekkeit, around 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the river. It had been intended for the ANZAC Mounted Division, to cross over and pursue the retreating Ottomans. However the rainfall over the preceding days and the damp boggy ground, prevented them from following the retreating Ottoman survivors, who escaped unhindered.
With the northern river bank in British hands, the engineers constructed bridges to allow their artillery to cross the river. The next day, 22 December, the British position was made even more secure when the 54th (East Anglian) Division captured Bald Hill to the right of the 52nd. In doing so the Ottoman defenders lost fifty-two killed and forty-four more were taken prisoner. By dawn the 54th Division had advanced further north occupying Mulebbis and Fejja; later in the day they also captured Rantieh.
The 52nd Division continued the advance on the left, supported by naval gunfire from a Royal Navy flotilla. Three destroyers Grafton, Lapwing and Lizard and three monitors M29, M30 and M32. By the end of the day they had secured Tel el Mukhmar the Wadi Ishkar and the Auja-Sheikh el Ballutah-Arsuf, on the cliffs above the sea 8 miles (13 km) north of Jaffa. During the battle of Jaffa the attacks by the two British divisions had forced the Ottoman forces back 5 miles (8.0 km).
Battle of Jaffa (1917)