'IRAQ AND THE PERSIAN GULF' [‎196v] (397/862)

HISTORY
282
the British advanced to the Shatt al Gharraf south of Kut, and
secured the west bank. This river was at its lowest, dry in places and
only 6 inches deep in others, but liable to rise almost any day,
and it was therefore bridged. For the rest of the month and during
January fighting was continuous as the British gradually closed in
towards the Tigris, both in the Khudaira bend below Kut and in the
Dahra bend above the town. By 19 January 1917 the Khudaira bend
was cleared of Turks, though they had been heavily reinforced, and
by 16 February the river bank in the Dahra bend was occupied after
methodical trench warfare. The British now held the whole right
bank of the Tigris from a point some 8 miles above Kut, but were
still faced by a deep network of trenches at Sannaiyat, on the left
bank about 15 miles below that town.
On 17 February General Maude launched his main attack. After
heavy bombardment of the Sannaiyat position and fighting which
lasted two days, the first two lines were captured and held against all
counter-attacks. A second thrust in this quarter drew the Turkish
reinforcements. On the night of the 23 rd a small force ferried itself
across the Tigris at the Shumran bend, 8 miles above Kut, establishing
a bridgehead on the left bank, and the river, now rising to flood-levels
and 300 yards wide, was bridged in 9 hours. By the 24th the whole
Sannaiyat position was captured and the Turks were in full retreat.
There was still only one squadron of British aircraft in Mesopotamia,
and the cavalry were unable to operate far from the Tigris. Much of
the infantry were still on the right bank of the river at Shumran or
working their way past Kut on the north. The pursuit was therefore
taken up by the five gunboats Tarantula, Mantis, Moth, Gadfly, and
Butterfly, 1 which overtook the rearguard above Shumran, passed it
under heavy fire, and, despite considerable damage in two ships,
steamed on to engage the main body of the Turks, raking them with
every gun, the high level of the river enabling the ships to fire
over open sights ‘into the brown’. The Turks were completely de
moralized, abandoned their guns, and fled. Steaming on, the flotilla
came up with the Turkish river boats, including the Firefly which had
been lost during the retreat from Ctesiphon, and which was now set
on fire, run ashore, and abandoned; she was boarded, the fire was
extinguished, and she was refloated. Other vessels with troops and
wounded, as well as many ammunition barges, were also abandoned
and captured.
1 These vessels had all become available since the battle of Ctesiphon, having
been ‘ assembled ’ in the new shipyard at Basra.