The primary functions of the EEF and the Ottoman Army during this time were to man the front lines and patrol the open eastern flank, although both sides conducted training of all units. The XXI Corps maintained the defences in the Gaza sector of the line by mid-October, while the battle of Passchendaele continued on the Western Front. Meanwhile, Allenby was preparing for the manoeuvre warfare attacks on the Ottoman defensive line, beginning with Beersheba, and for the subsequent advance to Jerusalem, and he was nearing completion with the arrival of the last reinforcements.