'Critical Study of the Campaign in Mesopotamia up to April 1917: Part I - Report' [‎120v] (245/424)

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containing the enemy on the left bank on the last day of the operations-
will greatly assist/'
Up till March 29th the weather had been fine ? and the level of the river-
had fluctuated and then slightly diminished. On March 30th the fine
The battle oiHanna. ^ell hmke. The 31st was stormy and on April
1st there was very heavy ram. Wheeled traffic
from Sheikh Saad was impossible. The bridge over the river at the
Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. could not be used owing to high wind. By evening the trenches-
were impassable and the relief of the 7th Division by the 13th Division,
which had been kept extremely secret as it was desired to conceal from
the Turks the advent of a British Division, had to be postponed. On
the night of the 3rd-4th April the 13th Division took over, the 7th Divi
sion remaining in close support.
(1) The 13th Division was to carry the Hanna position at 0455
by surprise without preliminary bombardment, and push on and take-
Orders for the ^ secon( ^ P 08 ^ 011 ? a fter which it was to reorga-
attack. n ^ ze an ^ inform Corps Headquarters when it
would be ready to assault the third position.
Three minutes after the infantry advance, the bombardment of the 3rd
position and the approaches thereto was to commence. The machine gun
batteries of the 7th Division were to co-operate in this advance by fire-
from the right bank.
(2) The 7th Division was to be in readiness to support; it was to dig
communication trenches through No Man's land, make roads, repair
bunds, generally mop up, and be prepared to move forward on the receipt
of orders.
(3) On the right bank, the 3rd Division with the 37th Brigade were to
contain the enemy in the Abu Eumman position, and by gun and M. G.
fire prevent any movement on the left bank forward of the Fallahiya
position.
(4) Protection of Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Camp was allotted to the 35th Brigade and a
cavalry regiment on the north bank, and to the 36th Brigade on the
south bank.
(5) The Cavalry Brigade from Sheikh Saad was to prevent any hostile
movement against our lines of communication.
It is evident that the enemy were aware of our preparations. Air
reports showed considerable increase in enemy numbers on the left bank
Evacuation o£ on "t^e 3rd, and much ferrying activity at Maqasis.
Hanna. The result was that, when the 13th Division attack
was launched at 0455 on the 5th, it was found that the Turks had eva
cuated in the night leaving only a few rifles and machine guns and a large
notice on whiA was written " Au revoir a la prochaine bataille." By
0700 the 13th Division had reached the enemy's fifth line, i.e., a depth of
about a mile.