"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية. الحملة في بلاد الرافدين ١٩١٤-١٩١٨. المجلد IV". [ظ‎‎١‎٨‎٢] (٥٤٠/٣٦٩)

308 HISTORY OF THE WAR : MESOPOTAMIA
General Fanshawe, with 18th Division headquarters, No. 8
Company Sappers and Miners and B/336th and C/336th Field
Batteries, was at Nami, to which place the 159th Heavy Battery
was on its way from the Little Zab. The 54th Infantry Brigade
(less l/39th Gahrwalis) and A/336th and 341st (less one section)
Field Batteries were at the Little Zab bridgehead. Between
Fat-ha and the Little Zab were the 32nd Lancers (less three
squadrons), who had been sent by General Cobbe to patrol that
river and so release more infantry. The remainder of the 18th
Division was about Fat-ha and furnishing the detachment at
Ain Nukhaila.
With General Leslie to the south of Sharqat on the Tigris
right bank were one and a half squadrons 32nd Lancers, 220th
Field Artillery Brigade (403rd less a section, 404th, one section
1064th and 1066th Batteries), 101st Heavy Artillery Brigade
(one section each 157th and 246th Batteries), 2nd Indian
Mountain Artillery Brigade, 34th and 51st Infantry Brigades,
45th Sikhs, three sections 258th Machine Gun Company and the
276th Machine Gun Company. This gave him a total of about
150 sabres, 3,200 rifles* and 34 guns.
The remainder of the 17th Division, which was south of the
Fat-ha gorge, had been organised by General Cobbe at midday
as a mobile column for use as a Corps Reserve.
At 7.20 p.m. General Leslie reported to Corps Headquarters
that the advanced portions of his division had concentrated on
the heights above Sharqat and would advance again at 6 a.m.
on the 29th. General Cobbe, however, did not concur in this.
At 8.35 p.m. he sent an order to General Leslie pointing out that
the enemy appeared ready to surrender and that it was
imperative to push on to the assistance of General Cassels, whose
troops had been holding up the enemy force and had been
engaged for two days. The moon would rise at 1.25 a.m. and
at 1.45 a.m. the 17th Division was to advance vigorously, and
at all costs brush aside any opposition by outflanking the enemy
rear guards on a wide front. General Cobbe expected the 17th
Division to get into touch with General Cassels’ force by 7 a.m.
on the 29th. He had sent Ford vans with water up the road to
Balalij and they were to be pushed on to supply the most
advanced troops.
General Leslie replied at first that this order would be com
plied with. But after consultations with his subordinate
commanders he sent another reply deprecating a night advance.
* i.e., 34th Infantry Brigade about 1,200, and the 51st Infantry Brigade
(including 45th Sikhs) about 2,000.