"أوراق متعلقة بلجنة بلاد الرافدين من غرفة السير إ. بارو" [و‎‎٤‎٢‎١] (١٣٨٦/٨٥٢)

Telegram from Secretary of State for India to Viceroy,
dated 20tk December 1915.
5226. Nixon’s telegrams, 1008/155/0 of J2tli December and 131'54/0 of 19'b
December, leave ns in some uncertainty as to his plans and as to his reasons for hi>
present dispositions. According to such information as we possess we should
suppose that his first object should be relief of Townshend, and all available troops
should be concentrated for that purpose. After relief of Townshend, protection of
our position on Karun side seems to us most urgent matter. But wo recognise that
Ins local information may make a different course advisable. Can you throw any
light on his plans and reasons for them ?
No. 26.
Telegram from General, Force 11 to Secretary of State for India,
dated 22nd December 1915.
--m 08 /H i )r) '°A 22 1 n(1 ' General T( '/ v nshend wires 69/20/G. 21st December.
<,odU yards. At that range the Turkish 12-centimetre guns lire rapidly and
accurately. Our 5-inch guns though theoretically at least equal in rancm arc very
old and practically no good owing to error over 6,000 yards; that is my experience
ot them at Kut-al-Amarah battle, at Kurna and Ctcsiphon. Our 5-inch are not only
out and obsolete, but are painfully slow and cumbersome. This pattern bemrn life
as an unsuccessful naval gun before being foisted on to the army. They have no
• telescopic sights and nojecod arrangements, and our 4-inch guns have not even dial
sights. Our naval 4o guns here have a longer range actually than Turkish
1 --centimetre guns ; but being (? on) horse boats on river could not be brought to
bear on iurkish 12-centimetre guns. Sorry I could not mount the naval DI on
lam. ; but one needed some 20 tons of concrete for each of the 4 guns to make a
stable enough platform impossible. We have enough gun ammunition I think • but
nothing to spaie foi a heavy attack or two. Shrapnel remaining for 19 18-pounder
guns, 8,550 rounds. 5-inch, 4 guns, lyddite, 638 rounds and shrapnel, 659 rounds.
4 howitzers, shrapnel, 159 rounds, lyddite, 459 rounds. 4-inch guns 0 shrapnel
287 rounds, and lyddite 258 rounds 4 naval 4*7 guns, 1,324 rounds.' In my
telegiam of 11 th 1 ecember I should have said 12 -centimetre guns and not
lo-centimetre. The 18-pounder guns have no high explosive as this was refused
consider that 86 th and 104th Heavy Batteries should be re-armed at once with the
atest approved type of heavy guns from England. Also that the 72nd and 77 th
Heavy Batteries now en route from India should be similarly re-armed with latest
pattern medium howitzer in lieu of the obsolete 5 -inch howitzer with which 1
understand they are now equipped.
No. 27.
Telegram from Viceroy to Secretary of State for India,
dated 2btli December 1915.
Reference to your No. 3226, 20 th December which we repeated to Nixon Nixon
lias replied as follows :—
“ I’aragraph 1.—Please see concluding portion of paragraph 3 of my lOOS'HO'O
11th December as regards Xasiriyah. The difficulty of reinforcing Nasirivah under
existing conditions is probably not realised.
“ Paragraph 2.—Ajaimi is reported to be about 50 miles above Nasirivah on the
right bank supported by Turkish cavalry and guns. (? So far as I can see) he m
covering a Turkish concentration by the Euphrates line as he did last February and
March before the battle at Shaiba. So far I have only had indefinite reports of
! urkish concentration by the Euphrates, but by reinforcing Nasiriyah I am in a
position to deal with Turkish concentration on “this line as°well as" to hold line of
approach by the Shat-el-Hai and to deceive enemy as to real direction of my own
concentration.
“ I'ar'Kjraplt 3.—There is no question about relief of Townshend bein" mv first
object and every unit that can be spared is being sent up the Tigris as soon as ever
it ai lives. Bin you will rememlicr that I was originally promised whole of 3rd and
7lh Divisions by the end of December; it now looks as if it will be the end of
.January before they all arrive.
MS 262 p
v.
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