"مذكرات الحرب. مقر قيادة الجيش، الهند. [...] قوة المشاة الهندية «د». المجلد ٢٣ الجزء II (من ١٦ إلى ٣٠ يونيو ١٩١٦)" [و‎‎٤‎٠] (٢٧٤/٨٤)

37
2. All is quiet on the Euphrates line, in Arabistan and at Bushire. The
60353. Chief of the Imperial General Staff has
P _ agreed with us that operations in the
cusnire hinterland would be unsuitable at the present time.
3. Bin Rashid who with an Arab force of 300 camel sowars and 300 horse*
men, was in the vicinity of Zubair, was
j , . warned to move away as soon as possible,
f cu ° f a , r ^ s was despatched from Basrah to reinforce the cavalry
a^bneiba and attack Bin Rashid, unless the latter complied with our warn-
ing*
On this concentration taking place. Bin Rashid hastily withdrew in a
60368. westerly direction. He is not being fol
lowed up.
4. The total strength of General Baratoff’s Force (called the Caucasus
59*23. Cavalry Corps) is now reported to be 8,800
S9S90! sabres, 9,000 rifles and 37 guns. This total,
r* ]• f . . however, doubtless includes all troops on
his line of communication General Baratoff is gradually retiring on Karind.
A report from Major Marsh states that General Beluselski, lately arrived
60208. from Kirmanshah, in a conversation with
wrmU tw k • J -r , ™ ^ Vice-Consul at Kasvin said that he
!°r, n ° t b V U !P r I se j ‘. f fhe Turks very shortly re-captured Kirmanshah. He
the Russians back Persia 0 " 5 Were taki " S ^ 0ffe '’ SiVe wUh " vieW t0 pushin S
A Russian withdrawal from Kirmanshah, while—
(a) causing a blow to Russian prestige.
(i) possibly having an adverse influence on the attitude of Pusht-i-Kuh.
(c) opening the road into Persia to small parties, which might attempt
to cause a recrudescence of anti-Allies disturbances in Persia.
Would still not appear to affect very adversely on operations in Mesopota
mia. Even if the Russians withdrew as far back as Hamadan, it is unlikely
that Turkish forces of any size would push on from Kangavar towards Daulat and
Qum, with the Russians threatening their line of communications.
The Cossack patrol which left Ali-al-Gharbi on the 4th June reached Kir-
6oo64 manshah safely on the 17th June.
5. A report from Berne thought to be fairly reliable, indicates that no
sg7gs complete Austrian or German units have
passed through Constantinople.
6, Force “ D ” is to be reinforced by the Meerut Cavalry Brigade from
France. The brigade is to leave Marseilles
in six transports about the 20th 7 -24th
59962 .
60178.
June.
time.
7 - Cener a l Lake has reported that the Qurneh-Amarah railway should be
6oo - 9 . completed in four or five months, and the
Basrah-Nasiriyah railway in 7 months
59473 -
nnge.
8. General Lake has stated that for the
present his policy will be for General Cor-
(a) To deny to the enemy both the Tigris and Hai routes, by consolidat
ing his position near the junction of these two rivers :
(b) Gradually to extend his hold down the Hai in order to tap as large
as possible an area of supplies from that region;
(c) By an active defensive, to contain as large a force of the enemy as
possible.
{d) If any opportunity is offered, to be prepared to take advantage
of it.