'PAPERS RELATING TO THE MESOPOTAMIAN COMMISSION from SIR E. BARROW'S ROOM' [‎553r] (1116/1386)

0
0/
No. 25.
Telegram from Secretary of State for India to Viceroy, dated
20th December 1915.
Nixon’s telegrams,. 1008 155/0 of 12th December and 131/54/0 of 19th
December, leave ns in some uncertainty as to his plans and as to his reasons for In's
present dispositions. According to such information as we possess we should
suppose that his first object should be relief of Townshend, and all available troops
should be concentrated for that purpose. After relief of Townshend, protection of
our position on Karim side seems to us most urgent matter. But we recognise that
his -local information may make a different course advisable. Can you throw any
light on his plans and reasons for them ?
No. 20. __
Telegram from General, Force “ D,” to Secretary of Slate for India,\dated ...
22nd December 1915. C
1'OOS IT5 0. 22nd. General Townshend wires:—“ 69/20/G. 21st December.
7,500 yards. At that range the Turkish 1 2-centimetre guns fire rapidly and
accurately. Our 5-inch guns though theoretically at least equal in range are very
old, and practically no good owing to error over 0,000 yards; that is my experience
of them at Kut-al-Amarah battle, at Kurna and Ctesiphon. Our 5-inch are'not only
old and obsolete, but are painfully slow and cumbersome. This pattern began life
as ah unsuccessful naval gun before being foisted on to the- army. They have no
telescopic sights and no recoil arrangements, and our 4-inch guns have not even-dial
sights. Our naval 4'7 guns here have a longer range actually than Turkish
12 -centimetre guns ; but being (? on) horse boats on river coidd not be brought to
bear on Turkish 12-centimetre guns. Sorry .1 could not mount the naval 4'7 on
land ; but one needed some 20 tons cf concrete for each of the 4 guns to make a
stable enough platform—impossible. We have enough gun ammunition I think ; but
nothing to spare for a heavy attack or two. Shrapnel remaining for 19 18-pounder
guns, 8,550 rounds. 5-inch, 4 guns, lyddite, 638 rounds and shrapnel, 659 rounds.
-I howitzers, shrapnel, 159 rounds, lyddite, 159 rounds. 4-inch guns, 2, shrapnel,
287 rounds, , and lyddite, 258 rounds. 4 naval 4'7 guns, 1,324 rounds. In my
Telegram of 11th December I should have said 12-centimetre guns and not
• 10 -centimetre.The 18-pounder guns have no high explosive as this was refused.
I consider that SGth and 104th Heavy Batteries should be re-armed at once with the
latest approved type of heavy guns from England. Also that the 72nd and 77th
Heavy Batteries now eu route from India should be similarly re-armed with latest,
pattern medium howitzer in lieu of the obsolete 5-inch howitzer with which I
understand they are now equipped.
No. 27.
1 _ ST
Telegram from Viceroy to Secretary of Slate for India,Idalcd 25th Decemhet ^l 915 .
IN Terence to your No. 8220, 20th December which we repeated to Ni-yon. Nixon
has ivj lied as follows :—
‘ . tragraph I.—Please see concluding portion of paragraph 3 of my 1008 149.0.
11 th Deoemberms regards Nasiriyah. The difficulty of reinforcing Nasiriyah under
existing conditions is probably not realised.
] iraaraph 2.—Ajaimi is reported- to be about 50 miles above Nasiriyah on the
right bank supported by Turkish cavalry and guns. (? So far as I can see) he is
covering a Turkish concentration by the Euphrates line as he did last February and
Mar-’h before the battle at Shaiba. So far I have only had indefinite reports of
Turkish concentration by the Euphrates, but by reinforcing Nasiriyah 1 am in a
posh n to deal with Turkish concentration on this line as well as to hold line of
approvh by the Shat-el-Hai and to deceive enemy as to real direction of my own
e< me ': i rat ion.
“Paragraph 3.—There is no question about relief of Townshend being my first
object, and every unit that can be spared is being sent up the Tigris as seen as ever/C
it arrives. But you will remember that .1 was, originally promised whole of 3rd and
7 th Divisions by the end of December; it now looks as if it will he the end of
January before they all arrive.
MS 201 1
]5