'Intelligence Mesopotamia' [‎9r] (17/60)

SECRET.
From Director of Military Intelligence to General Officer Commanding, Mesopotamia.
(No. 40046, cipher.) 23rd August^l7, 9.55 p.m.
My No. 39819 and Commander-in-Cbief’s, India, No. 56721 . Russian General
Staff pamphlet, partly compiled from captured Turkish document, probably dated
1914-15, shows three railway stations between Ras el Ain and Nisibin, as follows :—
(1) Urude (Arada ? on international map 1/1,000,000, and Tel Arad on Kiepert) at
40 kilometres. (2) Djerbesh (Derbessie?) at 64 kilometres. (3) Tel ul Khelib at
kilometre 84 and 39 kilometres west of Nisibin. This seems to confirm your location of
Derbessie. Tel esh Shair, shown on Kiepert’s map as 10 kilometres west of Nisibin,
appears to coincide approximately with point 12 miles east of Amudeh (my No. 39482
and Force D Intelligence Summary No. 151), and report of agent at Mosul, 16th May,
that formation level was complete to 38 or 40 miles east of that point is supported bv
a Geneva report, dated 8th August, that “ Baghdad Railway ” (sic) had reached
point 40 to 50 kilometres east of Nisibin. This provides some guide to rate of
construction, as taking railhead at Derbessie on 28th March, railway may have been
laid roughly to a point about 40 miles beyond Nisibin by about end of Juy (possibly
23rd July, see No. X 2957), or^ibout 60 miles in about 120 days, or at ^ mile per day.
Rate of construction probably increased now owing to increase in rolling stock and
arrival of material. Date of completion depends on whether further alignment is
followed to Feishkhabur or direct to Mosul. Above location of Derbessie indicates
probability that Mardin is served by a separate branch from the main line to IS-tsikieY
while motor traffic still runs from Derbessie direct to Mosul pending complef i»*v><ff
railway.
Repeated to India and Egypt.
Copies to M.I. 1.
(B14/348) '25 8/17 H&S 4873-3wo
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