"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية. الحملة في بلاد الرافدين ١٩١٤-١٩١٨. المجلد II." [ظ‎‎٢‎٢‎٢] (٦٦٠/٤٥٣)

408 HISTORY OF THE WAR; MESOPOTAMIA
The artillery would begin to register their guns at 6.20 a m
and would open an intense twenty-five minute bombardment
at 6.45 a.m. on the whole Turkish front from the Tigris to a
point marked E on Map 20. During this bombardment
the 7th and 9th Brigades, in this order from the right, would
advance as near as possible to the Turkish line AZ, which they
would assault at 7.10 a.m. At 6.15 a.m. the 37th Brigade
would move towards the Narrows to be in a position whence
they could support the 7th and 9th Brigades.
After AZ had been captured, the 7th Brigade would clear the
Turkish front line up to the Tigris and would then occupy a
point on the river bank west of the series of canals and
consolidate a north and south line to connect with the right
of the 9th Brigade. This brigade would clear and block the
Turkish front line for a distance of 150 yards south-west of Z
and would then occupy and consolidate a fine along the canal
from Z northward as far as the east and west track leading to
Es Sinn. The 8 th Brigade was meanwhile to occupy the canal
from X to Z, converting it into a communication trench,
and also prepare it as a fire trench to face south-west as quickly
as possible.
The various movements in relief were duly carried out;
and the 7th and 9th Brigades, having effected their con
centration and deployment, were in position ready to advance
by 4.15 a.m. on the 17th April. The 7th Brigade were on the
right on a frontage of four hundred yards, with the 9th Brigade
on the left on a frontage of three hundred yards. The Connaught
Rangers were on the right of the 7th Brigade on a frontage of
one hundred yards disposed in great depth ; including drafts
for the Queen’s Own Royal West Kent battalion in Kut,
their effective strength was about 900 ; and their right was on
the northerly of the two canals. To their left, on a frontage
of three hundred yards, were the 27th Punjabis in three lines;
and the 89th Punjabis and 128th Pioneers, each also in three
lines, were in rear of the 27th. The 9th Brigade was on a
frontage of three hundred yards, with its left on the southerly
canal. In front were the 1/lst Gurkhas in two lines, with the
l/9th Gurkhas, also in two lines, and the 93rd Infantry and
Highland Light Infantry, each in one line, in rear of them.
The distance from the British line to the Turkish trench
to be attacked had been estimated in different reports to be
half a mile to a mile, but the general opinion was that it was
about a thousand yards. The artillery bombardment opened at
6.45 a.m. and ten minutes later the 7th and 9th Brigades began