"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية. الحملة في بلاد الرافدين ١٩١٤-١٩١٨. المجلد IV". [ظ‎‎١‎٨‎٣] (٥٤٠/٣٧١)

310 HISTORY OF THE WAR : MESOPOTAMIA
to the right bank and by 5.30 a.m. all the cavalry horses were
saddled up and ready to move. It seemed probable to General
Cassels, as he stated in a situation report to Corps Headquarters
at 6 a.m., that some of the Turks had already escaped to the
north, passing west of his line, and that more of them might
be following from the Sharqat direction with the 17th Division
on their heels. He had consequently instructed General
Norton to move northward and northwestward with the
object of rounding up any Turks who had passed and of inter
cepting any wiio might follow.
Before dawn the main body of the 7th Cavalry Brigade
had moved into a covered position under the river bank near
the ford ; and “ V ” Battery, R.H.A., and the 13th Hussars’
squadron on the left bank were ordered to cross the ford as
soon as there was sufficient light. The moment the squadron
began to cross, however, two Turkish guns about 3,000 yards
away to the northwest shelled the ford heavily and, though
the squadron managed to get through without casualties, it
was considered advisable for “ V ” Battery to wait till the
hostile fire had been subdued. The battery came into action
on the left bank about 7 a.m. and soon caused the enemy
guns to withdraw. In the meantime, one squadron 13th
Lancers, which had been ordered to push up the Mosul
road at dawn, had also encountered shell and machine
gun fire and had taken up a position on a detached under
feature which was known as Cemetery Hill (see Map 44).
Here it remained under fire from commanding heights to
the north.
At 7 a.m. the two leading companies l/39th Gahrwalis arrived
at General Cassels’ position and the officer commanding, who
reported that the remainder of the battalion was following
shortly, received orders to relieve the 23rd and Guides Cavalry
as soon as possible, to enable those regiments to join the
7th Hussars in reserve.
To the south of Sharqat the progress of the 17th Division
advanced guard (No. 2 Mountain Artillery Brigade, 51st Infan
try Brigade and three sections 258th Machine Gun Company),
wffiich had left its bivouac at 1.45 a.m., had been slow. The
ground was broken and difficult and in the dim moonlight
considerable difficulty was experienced in keeping to the ill-
defined road. At dawn a squadron 32nd Lancers pushed
forward to join the advanced guard and the main body of the
Division also started from its bivouac. About an hour later,
when about three miles north of Sharqat, the Lancers gained