"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية. الحملة في بلاد الرافدين ١٩١٤-١٩١٨. المجلد IV". [ظ‎‎٩‎٥] (٥٤٠/١٩٥)

152 HISTORY OF THE WAR : MESOPOTAMIA
there and the coal mines were found to have been flooded by
the enemy, but were otherwise undamaged. During the
night of the 27th/28th, Column B.2 closed up to a point ten
miles south of Kulawand *
Preceded by two strong detachments, sent out before dawn
to reconnoitre Tuz Khurmatli and the Khasradala ford on the
Aq Su respectively. Column A started to advance north-west
ward at 6.30 a.m. on the 28th April. At 10 a.m. General
Holland-Pryor established his headquarters four miles west
of Kulawand where he was joined, first by General Cayley
and then by General Egerton. The detachment sent to
reconnoitre Tuz Khurmatli, consisting of two squadrons
13th Hussars with some armoured cars, found the enemy in
occupation of the trenches south of that place ; and here
these two squadrons remained in close contact with the
enemy for the rest of the day. The detachment of two squad
rons 21st Cavalry sent to the Khasradala ford reached it
without opposition at 9 a.m. ; and one squadron crossing
there occupied a knoll one and a half miles to its north.
Meanwhile the 21st Cavalry (less two squadrons), sent at
8 a.m. to move on Yanija Buyuk, had found that it was held
strongly by the enemy.
As the result of the discussion at General Holland-Pryor’s
headquarters, it was decided that Column A should cross the
Aq Su by the Khasradala ford so as to get behind the enemy
and cut him off from Tauq. By noon Column B.l, which had
left Abu Gharaib at 5 a.m., had reached a point six miles
west of Kulawand ; and Column B.2 was to start again in the
afternoon for Kulawand.f
The bulk of Column A concentrated at Khasradala by
3 p.m., but had to halt there wdiile the ford was made passable
for the wheeled trafic. Enemy guns (between Tuz Khurmatli
and Yanija Buyuk) shelled the ford throughout the afternoon
and evening ; and in the afternoon the guns from General
O’Dowda’s Column B.l, moving forward to support Column
A, came, into action about two miles south of Yanija Buyuk.
* On the 26th April, a small column under Lieutenant-Colonel G. TJnderhill
(one troop 14th Hussars, one section 8th Field Battery, one section 274th
Machine Gun Company, one company 62nd Punjabis and 100 mounted
irregulars under the local Political officer) left Khaniqin and, on the 27th,
the infantry crossed the Diyala, in pontoons with much difficulty, at a point
directly between Khaniqin and Kifri. No opposition was encountered, as
the enemy had evacuated his posts in that area ; and the column arrived
back at Khaniqin on the 29th. The irregulars had given useful assistance and
the local inhabitants had been friendly.
| It reached the vicinity of that place after dark, sunset being about 6.30 p.m.