'Critical Study of the Campaign in Mesopotamia up to April 1917: Part I - Report' [‎51r] (106/424)

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By February 14tli ? 1910, the following additional shipping had
arrived at Basra :—
2 sternwheelers, 3 paddlers, 2 motor lighters, 1 small river tug
and 16 barges.
Of the sternwheelers, neither of which could be used for towing,
one accommodated 400 troops and 60 tons of supplies, the other 200
men and 50 tons supplies. Of the paddlers, one could not tow and car
ried 100 men with no supplies. Another carried 400 troops with 80
tons of supplies. The third was in dock undergoing repairs to damage
which had occurred during the voyage and would not be ready for three
weeks. Anyhow its accommodation was negligible. The tug carried
200 men and 5 tons of supplies. Thus these five vessels could transport
some 240 tons of supplies which was the capacity of one P. boat. To
sum up, before Ctesiphon the craft were only just sufficient for two divi
sions. In February there were the makings of five divisions in the
country and the river transport had not been increased.
The troops therefore had to march in spite of the great delay-
(2) Land Bridges spanned the rivers at Kurmat Ali
Qurna, Qala Salih. The distances by road
were :—
Basra to Ali G-harbi 14 days and Basra to Shaikh Saad 16 days.
The road above Qurna ran close to the left bank and was the first
stretch to give way. On January 21st, the river rose seven feet and
flooded the right bank. Normally in flood time the waters of the Tigris
spill over into the area between the two rivers and inundate the whole
country. After 15th March it was unsafe to rely on the land route at
all. During this month Arab labour was extensively utilised to streng
then the river bunds, but the march of the 13th Division, which began
to arrive towards the end of March, was greatly delayed.
The practice of marching did not, however, entirely relieve the ship
ping. Owing to the shortage of land transport, the train baggage of
units was carried on ships which were thus tied to the marching units.
The artillery in many cases had to go by river when the roads were im
passable for wheels, and horses had to be left behind owing to lack of
transport. D. A. Cs. were usually the last to leave Basra, batteries
being replenished at the front direct from the ships.
For the battles of January all available transport was continually
reallotted in order to fit out new formations arriving. The frontal
attacks m the ensuing battles were provided with a minimum first line
only, as they were near the river. For the flank attacks a meagre train
was allotted and as it became emptied it had to be used for collecting
the wounded for whom there was no other conveyance. After each
.action the transport was reduced in proportion to the casualties in units