'Critical Study of the Campaign in Mesopotamia up to April 1917: Part I - Report' [‎65v] (135/424)

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with the two companies of the 128th Pioneers. These had followed
the Black Watch and 6th Jats, who, after experiencing heavy casualties,
had been checked at a distance of between 300 and 400 yards from
the enemy. Half a mile away on the right another group of Seaforths,
125th and 28th was facing northwards and was about 300 yards from the
enemy's flanking trenches. The men now began to make such cover as
could be thrown up with their entrenching implements ; but soon after
wards a force of Turks, probably the battalions which had been seen
in the morning by the 35th Brigade and 16th Cavalry, accompanied by
Arab horsemen, began to advance as if to envelop our right, which was
being guarded by the 16th Cavalry. Colonel Dennys then put in his
small reserve and the machine guns, and sent to the 21st Infantry
Brigade for assistance. General Norie at once moved the 41st up
behind the right of the 19th Brigade, and subsequently prolonged the
line with the 9th Bhopals. With the assistance of the 77th Howitzer
Battery which had been brought in action to support the left of the
21st Infantry Brigade, and of the 19th and 20th Field Batteries and
72nd Howitzer Battery which were now covering the 19th Brigade, the
advance of the Turkish Infantry was then checked at a distance of
some 400 to 600 yards from our front, and the rest of the Turks were
held to their trenches. At the same time the two guns of the 104th
Heavy Battery, which were firing from a position near the bank of the
Tigris, and the fire of the big gun of the Cranefly which sent a few rounds
tow T ards them, put an end to the advance of the Arab horsemen.
The presence of large numbers on and behind the enemy's left had
also been reported at about 1500 by an airman. This officer had seen
three battalions in the open on the Turkish left flank, a body of from
3,000 to 4,000 men was in occupation of a newly excavated trench lying
at some distance, four or five miles, behind the left, and there were also
from 2,000 to 4,000 Arabs in this area. The Turks, however, did not
again attempt to make an attack, and as the British were unable to do
so the battle then remained stationary in this quarter until dusk, when
the 19th Brigade, which now had in line only 800 rifles, was able to re
organise and entrench on a frontage of about 1,200 yards facing both
west and north. The Black Watch and 6th Jats also dug in after
withdrawing for a short distance; and the remainder of the 21st
Brigade, which had not been so roughly handled, secured the position
that they were holding, while ammunition was replenished, food and
water were sent up to the units and the wounded were collected and
brought in.
During the time when this action had been ia prog ess the 1-lst
Sussex Battery had been firing at the supposed position of the portions
of the enemy's trenches that lay nearer the Tigris ; but these subsequently
were found to be further from the leading troops of the 35th Brigade than