"دراسة نقدية عن الحملة في ميسوبوتاميا حتى أبريل ١٩١٧: الجزء I - تقرير" [و‎‎٢‎٢] (٤٢٤/٤٨)

27
General Gorringe's force left Basra about the 22nd April. Some
marched, some went by river. The advance of this column caused the
Turks to withdraw. On the 22nd, they were reported to be withdraw
ing from Ghadir to the Karkha river : on the 29th they were at Ilia.
On this date General Gorringe had arrived at Braika. The Turks
continued to retire, and on the 1st May, it was ascertained that they
had withdrawn on Bisaitin. It was now fairly obvious that General
Gorringe would not be able to strike at the Turks. He had to contend
with supply difficulties and could not operate for long away from the
Karun. An intermediate supply depot had to be established between
the Karun and the Karkha.
On the 6th May, the column was concentrated at Kut-el-Hawashim.
The brigade in Ahwaz (less 1 Battalion) had joined up with an impro
vised bridging train. Even though the Turks could not be struck at,
there were still the Beni Taruf to be punished. This tribe had added
to their sins by a treacherous attack on a cavalry reconnaissance on the
29th April, in which 3 British officers were killed.
Accordingly, the Karkha was crossed at Ilia, on the 7th and 8th
May. The Arabs collected at Khafajiya. The Turks were reported
as having retired to Umm-Chir. On the 13th, General Gorringe with
the Cavalry Brigade, machine gun battery and 30th Brigade advanced
7 miles from Ilia. On the 14th, with the 2 former units, he went on to
Bisaitin. There was no sign of the Turks, who had actually left that
place for Amara on the 11th May.
The Beni Taruf (2,000) at Khafajiya remained to be dealt with. At
1600 14th, General Melliss with the 30th Brigade attacked Khafajiya,
with the co-operation of the 12th Brigade, which advanced down the
left bank of the river, and of General Gorringe's cavalry reconnaissance
returning from Bisaitin. The operations were continued on the 15th
and 16th May, and considerable punishment inflicted on the Beni Taruf.
The column marched back to Ilia on the 18th.
These operations on the Karun and Karkha rivers were, as events
turned out, a blow in the air. But they had the important result that
pumping in the oil wells was able to be resumed on the 22nd May. The
oil did not reach Abadan for some time, owing to the necessarj" repair
to the pipe line which had been damaged. That the working of the
oil wells was still considered a matter of primary importance at Home,
is shown by the fact that the Secretary of State on the 25th May again
telegraphed to make known the Admiralty's anxiety for the reopening
of the supply. General Gorringe's operations in Arabistan being com
pleted, General Nixon now had to decide on his further action. The
lack of shallow draught steamers precluded an advance on Nasiriva.
He, therefore, decided on attacking tie Turks above Qurna.