'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME II.' [‎51r] (108/660)

GENERAL HAMILTON’S COLUMN
77
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without further reconnaissance and mindful of his instructions
not to make a decisive attack until he saw General Delamain’s
column move forward, gave his men the order to halt, and his
leading troops entrenched themselves in a dry water'channel
while the 76th Field Battery came up in rear in closer support.
About 9 a.m. General Townshend, having just approved of
General Delamain’s advance, sent General Hoghton orders to
push home his attack.
About half an hour before this the two columns of the turning
attack had commenced their forward movement, both of them
directing their advance on the angle where the hostile second
line bent to the north-westward.
Leaving their medical units and reserve ammunition, guarded
by a company of the 7th Rajputs and half the 22nd Sapper
Company, at their position of assembly, General Hamilton’s
column moved forward across an open plain devoid of cover.
The Norfolks (on the right) and the 1 10th Mahrattas led the
advance, with three-quarters of the 7th Rajputs and the 120 th
Infantry following in support; and on the left of the supporting
line moved the 63rd Field Battery. For some twelve to
fifteen hundred yards the advance continued unopposed ; but
then, at about 9.15 a.m., it came under a heavy rifle fire from
shallow rifle pits in low scrub about five hundred yards to the
front. The enemy here, consisting of about two hundred
infantry (probably the advanced portion of the 45th Divisional
reserve) were soon driven out, most of them being killed*
General Hamilton’s men could now see to their left the troops
of General Delamain’s column advancing against “ V.P.” ; and
the Norfolks and 110th continued their advance but were soon
brought to a standstill by a heavy rifle and machine gun fire
from a line of enemy infantry (the main body of the 45th
Divisional reserve) about nine hundred yards distant; and at
the same time the 63rd Field battery came under heavy hostile
gunfire. The enemy, who were in a position covering their left
flank between their two lines of defence, were in superior
strengthf and inflicted heavy casualties on their British assail
ants, especially on the 110th Mahrattas. Just before 10 a.m.
two companies of the 120th Infantry were pushed forward from
the supporting lines to reinforce the Norfolks’ right, as this was
suffering from an enfilade fire.
* An officer of the Norfolks speaks of them as fine men who fought well.
t The Turkish account queries the correctness of this, saying that the
strength of the five and a half Turkish battalions here was less than 4,000 and
implying that General Hamilton’s column was much stronger. In point of
fact, however, there were less than 2,500 rifles in General Hamilton’s attacking
brigade.