"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية. الحملة في بلاد الرافدين ١٩١٤-١٩١٨. المجلد IV". [و‎‎٤‎٨] (٥٤٠/١٠٠)

69
OCCUPATION OF THE JABAL HAMRIN
evening clouds of dust seen rising from the Jabal Hamrin
suggested a possible enemy retirement. But the Centre Group
moving forward after dark to occupy the line of the Ruz canal
to the north-east of Shahraban, encountered a good deal of
opposition from Turkish piquets. During the night the Right
Group concentrated about Chahriz-Tel Ibara with a view to
attacking the enemy’s left flank next morning and cutting
him off from Qizil Ribat. The Centre Group was to engage
the enemy to its front but was not to advance from the Ruz
canal tifl the Right Group attack had developed ; and the
Left Group was to drive the enemy from the right bank of
the Diyala up to the intake of the Mansuriya watercut.
On the 19th October the 36th Brigade Group remained in
the Chahriz-Tel Ibara area as a reserve. The 37th Brigade
Group, with the 7th Cavalry Brigade on its right, moved off
at 5.45 a.m. in a north-easterly direction and, passing round
the south-eastern end of the Jabal Hamrin, emerged on to
the Qizil Ribat plateau without incident. Leaving the 13th
Lancers with two Horse Artillery guns to cover the flank of
the 37th Brigade, the remainder of the 7th Cavalry Brigade
then pushed forward rapidly to the north-west and reached
the Qizil Ribat road near its crossing over the Kurdarra river
about 7.30 a.m. Some of the Turks from the Jabal Hamrin
had already retired to Qizil Ribat, but others were seen with
drawing , and these, cut off from Qizil Ribat, only managed
to escape by fording the Diyala near Abu Zenabil. The cavalry
took altogether about a dozen prisoners.
The 37th Brigade had also advanced north-westward along
the north-eastern slopes of the Jabal Hamrin with a left flank
guard moving along the crest. Meeting no opposition, it
reached the road crossing over the Kurdarra river about
midday ; and not long after this got into heliograph communi
cation with the 35th Brigade of the Centre Group which had,
in the meantime, advanced from the line of the Ruz canal
and had gained the crest of the Jabal Hamrin near the Diyala
without encountering any of the enemy.
West of the Diyala, the 38th Infantry and 55th Artillery
Brigades had occupied Mansuriya village and a line to its
north-west by 11 a.m. They had come under some hostile
shell fire and in front of them the enemy was still occupying
trenches in the foothills, to attack which our infantry would
have to advance over about seven hundred yards of flat ground
devoid of cover. Consequently, to avoid the risk of heavy