"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية. الحملة في بلاد الرافدين ١٩١٤-١٩١٨. المجلد IV". [ظ‎‎٣‎٢] (٥٤٠/٦٩)

40
HISTORY OF THE WAR: MESOPOTAMIA
On the 20th August a brigade group, composed mainly of
units from the 14th Division, under General Thomson, occupied
Shahraban, the Turkish garrison offering little resistance and
withdrawing rapidly to the Jabal Hamrin. General Maude s
intention was to hold Shahraban and a line westward from it
to the Diyala, thus covering his right and taking a step towards
re-establishing communication with the Russians if and when
they advanced to re-occupy the Diyala line.
During August, the first of the infantry bngades, the 50th,
for the new 17th Division, was formed and was attached to the
1st Corps, relieving the 7th Brigade of the 3rd Division in the
Falluja area.
During the first half of September news of the enemy
intentions was still indefinite. The numbers of eleven different
divisions were given at different times, and from various
sources, as coming to Mesopotamia; and mention was several
times made of a Seventh Army which was coming to the
Euphrates, but it was not clear whether this army was yet
formed. One report said that during the first fortnight of
August a continual stream of men totalling over 8,000 Turkish
and 600 German and Austrian troops with heavy guns, in
addition to a daily average of seven train loads of ammunition,
had left Haidar Pasha station for Aleppo ; while later news
was received that a total of two army corps had left Constanti
nople for Mesopotamia. Other reports said that all drafts w T ere
being sent to Palestine or Mesopotamia, that picked men on the
Caucasus front were being formed into attack battalions
for Mesopotamia and that a large force from this front
accompanied by German officers had already left for the
Baghdad front.
Regarding movements from Aleppo towards Mesopotamia
there were only vague rumours and it appeared that these had
not yet commenced on a large scale and were probably awaiting
completion of roads and other line of communication arrange
ments, as well as cooler weather. General von Falkenhayn w r as
said to have been at Jerusalem at the end of August or beginning
of September ; and Djemal Pasha was said to have been
recalled from Palestine and to be on his way to Berlin,
which was taken to signify that Falkenhayn was to assume
complete control of both fronts and was to take the offensive in
Mesopotamia.
As regards the actual plan of campaign in Mesopotamia,
there was nothing definite to guide us.
The Turks had reinforced their garrison at Ramadi and were
strengthening the position there ; and it was said that wireless
installations with German personnel were to be established