'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME I.' [‎127v] (259/454)

mrinmi m
230 HISTORY OF THE WAR : MESOPOTAMIA
and these had to be placed on the bridging rafts and boats,
which were being towed downstream.
The Arabs opposing General Melliss suffered considerable
losses ; an attempt by them to work round the British right
flank had been easily frustrated by the horse artillery guns;
and many of the Arab houses had been set on fire by the
British shells. But the day was waning and General Gorringe
ordered the troops to withdraw northward to their bivouac.
This withdrawal—which was almost unmolested—was covered
by the 66th Punjabis, who had been sent for from Ilia by
General Melliss when he started his advance. General Lean’s
column bivouacked in the evening about five miles short of
Khafajiya.
On the 15th, General Gorringe sent back the horse artillery
and the 33rd Cavalry to Ilia, as he was finding it difficult to
get up sufficient supplies and also the ground was unsuit
able for mounted operations. At 8 a.m., General Melliss was
instructed to resume operations against Khafajiya. General
Lean’s column was now in sight, but its advance was being
much delayed by having to cross various canals ; and General
Melliss’ infantry^ moved forward to the river-bank under
cover of its own field artillery fire. A crossing of the river was
now effected by a party of volunteers from the 76th Punjabis
of his force. These, led with great gallantry by Subadar-
Major Ajab Khan, swam across and captured a boat on the
opposite bank, the operation being covered by the fire of the
82nd Field Battery and of the remainder of the infantry 7 .
This boat was now used to ferry other men over, carrying
about twenty at a time. There were about a thousand Arabs
opposing the crossing and a similar number were seen to be
retiring before General Lean’s column. But the accurate
artillery and rifle covering fire of the British drove the enemy
back from the vicinity of the river and set on fire several
huts near the bank ; and a company of the 76th Punjabis,
under Major C. L. Perrin, successfully made good their footing
on the further bank. Owing to the excellence of the covering
fire they had sustained but few casualties.
The enemy could now be seen retiring everywhere and only
a few remained firing from various houses. In one of the
largest of these, whose walls were double and could therefore
withstand artillery fire, there were about fifty Arabs who
asked for an officer to come forward and accept their surrender,
only, however, to shoot at him and at the political officer
when they advanced for this purpose. But they soon paid for