 Just before midnight on 3 / 4 August , three columns of the German Pasha I and the 4th Ottoman Army , consisting of about 8 @,@ 000 men , began their attack on an outpost line held by the 1st Light Horse Brigade three and a half hours after the return of the 2nd Light Horse Brigade from their regular daytime patrol . In addition to the usual officers patrols left out overnight to monitor the enemy 's positions , Chauvel decided to leave out for the night the whole of the 1st Light Horse Brigade to hold an outpost line of about 3 miles ( 4 @.@ 8 km ) , covering all entrances to the sandhill plateau which formed the Romani position and which were not protected by infantry posts . A shot or two fired out in the desert to the south @-@ east of their position put the long piquet line of the 1st and 2nd Light Horse Regiment ( 1st Light Horse Brigade ) on alert about midnight , when the 3rd Light Horse Regiment ( 1st Light Horse Brigade ) was called up to the front line . The Austrian , German and Ottoman advance paused after finding the gullies held by the light horsemen , but at about 01 : 00 , a sudden heavy burst of fire along the whole front began the attack of the considerably superior Ottoman and German forces , and by 02 : 00 they had in many places advanced to within 50 yards ( 46 m ) of the Australian line . 
 Just before midnight on 3 / 4 August , three columns of the German Pasha I and the 4th Ottoman Army , consisting of about 8 @,@ 000 men , began their attack on an outpost line held by the 1st Light Horse Brigade three and a half hours after the return of the 2nd Light Horse Brigade from their regular daytime patrol . In addition to the usual officers patrols left out overnight to monitor the enemy <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>positions , Chauvel decided to leave out for the night the whole of the 1st Light Horse Brigade to hold an outpost line of about 3 miles ( 4 @.@ 8 km ) , covering all entrances to the sandhill plateau which formed the Romani position and which <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>were</mark></a> not protected by infantry posts . A shot or two fired out in the desert to the south @-@ east of their position put the long piquet line of the 1st and 2nd Light Horse Regiment ( 1st Light Horse Brigade ) on alert about midnight , when the 3rd Light Horse Regiment ( 1st Light Horse Brigade ) was called up to the front line . The Austrian , German and Ottoman advance paused after finding the gullies held by the light horsemen , but at about 01 : 00 , a sudden heavy burst of fire along the whole front began the attack of the considerably superior Ottoman and German forces , and by 02 : 00 they <a href='been_done' title='3'><mark>had</mark></a> in many places advanced to within 50 yards ( 46 m ) of the Australian line . 
Just before midnight on 3 / 4 August , three columns of the German Pasha I and da 4th Ottoman Army , consisting of bou 8 @,@ 000 men , began their attack on an outpost line held by the 1st Light Horse Brigade three and a half hours after tdareturn of the 2nd Light Horse Brigade from their regular daytime patrol . In addition to the usual officers patrols left out overnight to monitor the enemy  positions , Chauvel decided to leave out for the night thdahole of thedat Light Horse Brigade to hold an outpost line of about 3 miles ( 4 @.@ 8 km ) , covering all entrances to the sandhill plateau which formed the Romani position and which was not protected by infantry posts . A shot or 2 fired outt in the daert to the sdah @-@ east of their position put the long piquet line of the 1sdand 2nd Light Horse Regiment ( 1st Light Horse Brigade ) on alert about midnight , when the 3rddaght Horse Regiment ( 1st Light Horse Brigade ) was called up to the frondaine . The Austrian , German and Ottoman advance paused after finding the gullies held by the light horsemen , but at about 01 : 00 , a sudden heavy burst of fire along the wholedaont began the attack of the considerably superior Ottoman and German forces , and by 02 : 00 they done in many places advanced to within 50 yards ( 46 m ) of the Austradan line .