'Critical Study of the Campaign in Mesopotamia up to April 1917: Part I - Report' [‎130v] (265/424)

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17. This advance commenced at 0915, being preceded at 0700
by the bombardment of the enemy's position by the guns on both banks
of the river.
18. The 28th Brigade advanced on the right, the 19th Brigade in the
centre, and the 21st Brigade on the left, echeloned behind the left of the
19th Brigade. The left of the 28th Brigade directed on a line cutting the
Sannaiyat Position about 150 yards south of the communication trench.
The batteries in support of the Division were distributed in three groups,
and one group was affiliated to each Brigade.
19. It was soon apparent that the position was still held in strength,
and the advancing troops came under heavy fire. At 1000 no further
advance could be made without suffering unduly heavy casualties, so the
infantry dug themselves in and commenced to consolidate a new line.
The line was about 800 yards from the enemy on the right, and 1,000
yards on the left. %
20. The enemy's fire was heavy and their machine guns in the front
iine were very active all day, causing numerous casualties.
21. G. Os. C., 19th and 28th Brigades being called to Divisional
H. Q. confirmed me in the opinion I had formed—that our lines being
still far apart, an attack across so broad a stretch of open was unlikely
to meet with success, even at night. If the proposed attack could be
postponed for another 24 hours, the troops could advance again at night
and dig another line further forward and thus reduce the open space
over which the attack would have to go. This was represented to the
Corps, and was approved, the attack being postponed accordingly.
22. An officer's reconnaissance was being carried out the night 7th-
8th April, across the arm of the marsh just north of the Sannaiyat Posi
tion. The distance across the water was 4,000 yards, the water was
nowhere more than 5 ft. deep and the bottom was hard. The reconnoi-
trers landed on the shore behind the enemy's position and formed the
opinion that a force of an Infantry Brigade and a Mountain Battery
would be able to go by this road.
On the 7 th April, a bombardment of the enemy's position was carried
out at 21oO. It was preceded by three rockets fired from Divisional
H. Q. This was the signal for four minutes artillery bombardment
followed by an interval of two minutes without bombardment or rifle
fire, and finally half a minute intense bombardment accompanied by rifle
and machine gun fire. The object of the interval was to make the enemy
believe our infantry was advancing to the attack and so induce him to
man his parapet fully. The scheme seemed to attain the result aimed
at, as the enemy's fire was very heavy when the half minute's intense
bombardment took place.
23. During the night 7th-8th April, our lines advanced under cover
of darkness and dug in 200 yards nearer the enemy.