"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية. الحملة في بلاد الرافدين ١٩١٤-١٩١٨. مجلد I" [و‎‎١‎٣‎٧] (٤٥٤/٢٧٨)

“ TOWNSHEND’S REGATTA ”
249
to take part in the operations. After warning the troops of
the danger of land and floating mines, the allotment of heliums
was given. The total of these was 372, of which 296 were
allotted to carry 2,560 officers and men of the 17th Infantry
Brigade ; and of these, 96 were “ shielded.” The rest were
allotted, in varying proportion, to the 30th Mountain Battery,
the Sirmur Sappers, to two sections of the Divisional
Signal Company, and to No. 1 Field Ambulance. Each
helium was to carry ten men, including one non-commissioned
officer, and carried a reserve of 125 rounds of ammunition
per rifle, a day’s ration, a waterproof sheet and two sandbags
per man, in addition to certain boat stores. A small number
of heliums were told off to bring up supplies and cooking pots
to units as opportunity offered, and the arrangements for
refilling points were indicated.
In addition, there were rafts for the machine guns—the
17th Brigade being allotted four additional machine guns for
the operations—the mountain guns and the field ambulance ;
and five heavy and field guns—two 5-inch, two 4-inch and a
spare 18-pounder Q.F.—were mounted in barges.
On the 28th, the helium arrangements were tested by a
parade of the force which was to attack in them along the
right bank of the Tigris. Moving out from the perimeter at
Quma in three columns, the heliums and rafts deployed into
two lines at the rendezvous west of Fort Snipe whence the
attack was to start on the 31st. The movement was success
fully carried out and gave the troops confidence in their ability
to manoeuvre with some measure of precision. As a result of
this parade an adjustment of the machine-gun shields on the
heliums was carried out next day to permit of easier movement.
The weather at this time was intensely hot, the temperature
rising well above 100°, and there were many cases of heat
stroke—for instance, on the 29th, one hundred and seventeen
men went sick from the effects of the heat—and the heat was
even greater in the ships in the river than on the land. By
the night of the 29th—30th the whole of the force intended for
the operation had been concentrated at Qurna; and on the
30th, General Nixon had also arrived there. Although he
informed General Townshend that he had no intention of
interfering with the conduct of the operations, he had
announced his intention of being present while they were
carried out. In view of the unusual nature of the operations,
of the fact that he was himself controlling the demonstrations
on either flank, and of a feeling existing, as has been already