‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 23 PART II (From 16thto 30thJune 1916)’ [‎15r] (34/274)

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Addressed C.*in-C., India, repeated G. O. C», Force D .
Working copy to G.S. (M.O. 2 ).
Copy to M.S.C., M.S.V., D.G.O., Q.M.G., G.S, (M O. 1 ).
Telegram No. 8248, dated 16th June 1916. APPENDIX 248
(Despatched 5 P.M., received 4-10 A.M., 17th June 1916.) (Diary No. 59970)
From—The C. 1 . G. S., War Office, London.
To—The Commander-in-Chief in India, Simla.
Following communique being issued Press 16 th June :— Begins. Situation
unchanged in Mesopotamia.
On North Bank of the Tigris to the east of Kut, our trenches have
been pushed forward to within 2 oo yards of the Turkish Sannaiyat position ; on
South bank we have occupied an advanced position at I man Mansura 3^ miles
to the south of Magasis.
No fighting reported from the Euphrates Line except small punitive sue*
cessful expedition against Arabs, who had persistently cut telegraph lines to
North of Hammhar Lake. On the night of l4th-l5th June our cavalry
raided hostile Arab tribe, captured 2 oo cartloads of grain, number of sheep.
Three barges on the ligds were sunk by Turkish artillery fire loth June.
Above incidents appear to form basis on which imaginative Turkish official com*
muniqud, 15th June, was founded.— Ends.
Working copy to G.S. (M.O. 3).
Copy to M.S.C., M.S.V., G.S. (M O. 1 , D.C.C).
No. 5314-200 (O.-5), dated 9th June 1916.
From—The Director General of Ordnance in India.
To-
APPENDIX 249
(Diary No. 60006)
The General Officer Commanding, Indian Expeditionary Force “ D, ” Basrah.
I am directed to forward herewith for your information copies of the
marginally noted correspondence regard
ing the supply of two balloon theodolites
required in connection with the fixing of
the position of a target by the aid of
aeroplanes.
* Copy of a U. O. dsted 2nd JunelQlS, from
the Director General of Observatories, to Army
Department.
Telegram No. 58228, dated 7th June 1916,
from ( ommander-in-Chief to <£ WeatherLondon.
Telegram No. Nil, date! 8th June 1916, from
“Shaw Director,” to the Commander-in-Chief,
Simla.
2. Instructions for using the theodolites will be sent to Colonel Beach by the
Director General of Observatories.
Record copy to D.G.O.
(Confidential.)
* I saw Dr. Simpson in hospital this morning and he handed over to me the
following note:—
“ While in Mesopotamia I used a specially constructed theodolite for
observing pilot balloons. It was pointed out that similar theodolites had been
used in^Egypt by the artillery when fixing the position of a target by the aid
of aeroplanes. The special construction of these theodolites makes it possible
for an aeroplane to be kept in the field of view while manoeuvring over the
enemy position. Two theodolites are set up at the end of a base line, and the
aeroplanes observed through them. As soon as the aeroplane comes over its
target it drops a smoke ball, the position of the aeroplane at this moment can
be calculated at once from the theodolite observations and so the exact position
of the target determined. At the request of Cdlonel Beach I took my
S 3