"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية. الحملة في بلاد الرافدين ١٩١٤-١٩١٨. المجلد IV". [ظ‎‎١‎٦‎٦] (٥٤٠/٣٣٧)

276 HISTORY OF THE WAR : MESOPOTAMIA
bank. From there they started to work round the enemy’s
right and this movement, combined with the accurate fire of
our guns, caused the Turks to retire north-westward under
cover of a rear guard, which the 7th Hussars engaged till after
The main body of the brigade reached the Little Zab just
before it was dark, having marched about 77 miles in the
pj. 0 Y 2 Qus 39 hours, and bivouacked on the left bank, while the
Hussars, who had suffered 15 casualties, held a position
on the right bank covering the crossing. General Cobbe
received news of this successful crossing at 5 p.m.
On the extreme British right General Lewin’s column had,
during the day, pushed forward towards Kirkuk, where the
enemy displayed some strength.* As the role of his column
was to contain the Turkish force in this area, General Lewin
saw no reason to risk heavy casualties by an attack, and there
fore contented himself with maintaining close contact.
At 7.30 p.m. General Cobbe received a wireless message from
the Light Armoured Motor Brigade reporting that it had
reached the vicinity of Hadr without seeing any of the enemy.
During the 25th October the Turkish force at Kirkuk main
tained its position till dusk, when it began to withdraw towards
Altun Kdpri. General Lewin's column, which had kept in
close contact with the enemy throughout the day, occupied
Kirkuk and a line to the north of it after dark.
At dawn on the 25th the Turks on the Tigris were found by
our advanced troops to be still holding a line from the south
ward of Mushak to the crest of the Jabal Makhul; but the
enemy detachment, with which the 11th Cavalry Brigade had
been engaged on the Little Zab the previous evening, had
withdrawn, apparently to the Tigris. Reports that the enemy
was holding the Mushak position were received by General
Cobbe from his airmen between 7 and 8 a.m. and further air
reports received at the same time gave him the following in
formation. The Light Armoured Motor Brigade had been seen
at 6.45 a.m. some twenty-six miles due west of Sharqat, evident y
proceeding towards that place ; four enemy battalions with
eight guns had been seen at 7.30 a.m. three miles north-east
ward of the Humr bridge proceeding in a north-easterly direct
ion, probably towards the Little Zab ; and the 11th Cavalry
Brigade was engaged in crossing the Little Zab.
* From subsequent statements of prisoners the enemy’s strength appears
to have been about 150 sabres, 1,900 rifles and 8 guns.