"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية. الحملة في بلاد الرافدين ١٩١٤-١٩١٨. مجلد I" [و‎‎١‎٠‎٨] (٤٥٤/٢٢٠)

THE TURKISH COUNTER-OFFENSIVE
193
H.M.S. Clio had been despatched to Bushire in consequence
of a request from the British Consul there for military
support ; and on the 13th March General Barrett reported
that he had authorised the British Resident at Bushire to
stop—if the necessity arose and after consultation with the
senior military officer on the spot—one of the transports
conveying troops to Mesopotamia and to disembark any
troops required.
Between the 17th and the 25th March the greater part* of the
33rd Infantry Brigade, the l/5th Hampshire Howitzer Battery
and the 12th Company of Sappers and Miners reached Basra.
The 30th Infantry Brigade were on their way from Egypt,
but it was questionable if they would arrive in time for the
Turkish attack. On the 31st March General Barrett received
information that the Turkish main force had left Nasiriya for
a forward concentration; hostile cavalry and infantry in
considerable numbers reconnoitred to within two miles of
Shaiba on the 1st April; and on the 3rd the enemy were reported
in some strength south of Zubair. From the news received
by the next day General Barrett expected that the Turkish
advance on Shaiba would take place within the next ten days
—an estimate which was confirmed by the report on the 6th
that the Turkish concentration near Nukhaila was complete.
Their strength in this area was estimated at twelve thousand
regulars with twenty-four to thirty guns and some eight to
ten thousand Arab tribesmen.
On the Ahwaz line the weak British cavalry outposts had
been forced by Turks to retire on the 31st March and again
on the 6th April ; and on the 3rd the Espiegle had been
engaged by Turkish field guns to the north of Qurna, and
in reply had inflicted some loss on the enemy, her own
casualties only amounting to three wounded. Everywhere
the indications pointed to the imminence of a Turkish offensive.
With the augmentation of the strength of Force “ D ”
there arose the question of a senior commander and additional
staff to cope with the increased duties of command and main
tenance. The Government of India decided on the 18th March
to organise the force as an army corps of one cavalry brigade
and two infantry divisions under the command of General
Sir John Nixon, who was then commanding the Northern
Army in India.f
* l/4th Hampshire, 66th and 67th Punjabis, under the command of
Major-General G. F. Gorringe. The 11th Rajputs, the fourth battalion, did
not arrive till the 9th April.
t See Appendix IV., p. 350.