'Critical Study of the Campaign in Mesopotamia up to April 1917: Part I - Report' [‎39v] (83/424)

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made from the air by Major Eeilly, E. F. C., which proved to be very
accurate as regards main essentials, and on which the battle was fought,
little is made of this very remarkable feature. High Wall, which stands
up clearly either from the ground or from the air. No Commander or
Staff Officer saw the position from air or ground.
At 0600 Column C began their advance. General Townshend
ordered their left to be directed on the Arch. This must have brought
them close past High Wall. They went forward slowly and cautiously
and the Turks did not open fire. At 0745 fire had not been drawn.
Accordingly Column B was told to advance ; it started at 0800.
Column A advanced at 0900. Column A moved very rapidly, as is
shown by the fact that their objective, Y. P. was captured at 1020.
Vital Point was 3 miles distant from the jumping off position. There
was practically no artillery support. The 5" guns who were supposed to
fire on V. P. only fired a few rounds. They fired but 11 rounds in all
during the day, owing to the mirage. Artillery co-operation was not
satisfactory. This was probably due to the fact that an improvised
brigade (with no proper staff or inter-communication arrangements)
carried out the actual attack. It proved very difficult to communicate
with the guns. Casualties, consequently, were unnecessarily heavy.
Some units in Column A suffered over 60 per cent, casualties, the
majority of these being incurred in this attack.
Column C, already directed too much to the left, inclined still further
in this direction, owing to the necessity of dealing with a small redoubt
at Bustan. Consequently they had to make an oblique march towards
the Water Redoubt in order to get on to their proper line. In doing so,
they suffered severe casualties from machine gun fire from High Wall.
At 1030 Column C asked Column A for assistance. The message
was received at 1145. Half a battalion of the Dorset Regiment and
the remains of the half battalion 24th Punjabis were despatched towards
Water Redoubt. With this assistance the remainder of the Turkish
front line was captured about 1300. It should be noted that during the
battle, the Turkish guns on the right bank effectually checked the attempts
of the Naval flotilla to get up the straight reach of the river west of
Bustan, with a view to enfilading the enemy trenches.
In the meantime Column A had reorganized and advanced towards
the Turkish 2nd line. By about noon they reached a point, a little
over 1 mile N.-W. of V. P., when they were brought to a standstill by
heavy fire.
Column B at 1130 had also been brought to a stop about 1|
miles N. by E. of V. P. Their right flank was exposed owing to the with
drawal of the Flying Column. The Flying Column had, in the early
r morning. advanced in a direction that brought them towards the Turkish
2nd liue and not on its flank. They were brought to a stop by a