'Intelligence Mesopotamia' [‎20r] (39/60)

*20
y
SECEET.
From Director of Military Intelligence to General Officer Commanding,
Mesopotamia.
(No. 41567, cipher.) 19 th September, 1917, 5.10 p.m.
Information below has been obtained from Greek Consul lately at Jerusalem, and is
forwarded for what it is worth. It is not improbable that the enemy may have taken
care that this man was supplied with information which they wished us to receive :
(a.) Falkenhayn s army will consist of 15 divisions apart from troops on actual
Palestine and Baghdad fronts. Nine divisions will be sent to Mesopotamia and six to
Palestine, including four from Caucasus and troops that have already arrived from
Macedonia. On 10th September Falkenhayn left Constantinople for Aleppo ; his staff
is expected to leave this week.
(b.) Amanus tunnel completed last month, and standard gauge from Aleppo—Kara
^Punar (sic) now running ; Consul himself passed through. Work on Taurus proceeding
very.fast and may be completed in 3 or 4 months’ time.
jPi 0 -) Haidar P asha station was completely wrecked by explosion on 6th September ;
500 trucks of munitions and stores were blown up ; all wheat and other stores were
completely destroyed ; reported several hundred thousand shells intended for 4th Army
were destroyed, and will probably delay offensive. Several hundred persons killed.
(Note.—Standard gauge was reported to have reached Hajji Keu ; , south of Belemdik.
about the middle of August, but there have been no reports of its advance northwards
fro m_ Oelebek^ which place, or a point near it, should perhaps be read for Karapunar.
Report of destruction by fire of Haidar Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. station appeared on 15th September in
the Zurich Press. There has been reported from Switzerland a landslip on the Amanus
on the 28th August.)
5 Oncev*
C ! )c a>«L ' W/V
Repeated to India, Egypt and Caucasus Military Agent.
(BJ4/348) 25 9/17 H&S 5C05-2wo
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