'Critical Study of the Campaign in Mesopotamia up to April 1917: Part I - Report' [‎139v] (283/424)

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Secondly, it might have been possible to co-operate with the reliev
ing force on March 8th. The troops were keen. The enemy had been
taken by surpirse at Dujaila and an additional threat might have caused
a general retirement. Success would depend on determined leading
on the parts of the commanders of the sortie and of the relief force. On
the whole the chances seem to be well in favour of success, but it must
be remembered that surprise would have been difficult. Enemy agents
in the town kept the Turks informed of our movements and two Arab
mahaila men had escaped at the end of February. Yet, in spite of this,
the Turks do not appear to have had to the south and east of the town,
more than 2 Companies, 4 machine guns and a few guns the last
bsing only sent occasionally, for special purposes, and then withdrawn.
-General Townshend's own opinion however, as expressed in his book is
that 44 co-operation was of little practical use."
On March 17th the floods rose and gradually increased, making the
right bank into a marsh near Kut. Opportunity for offensive action
had passed.
The health of the troops was now rapidly deteriorating. On March
1st there were 1,470 men in hospital, including
Third phase. 5go cases of scurvy. Among the British troops
beri-beri had broken out. On the 18th March the ration was :
British.
Indian.
Bread
Meat
Dates
Oatmeal .
. 8 oz,
. 20 oz.
. oz.
. 2 oz.
for a short period.
Barley
Gki .
Date« .
Meat
.
. 8
. 1
. n
. 8
oz.
oz.
oz.
oz.
and supplies were calculated to last till April 17th.
The medical arrangements were extraordinarily difficult during the
sieze. Owing to the confined space, the hospitals in the town had to
be near headquarter offices and were consequently often under fire.
The town itself was the most insanitary place we occupied in Mesopo
tamia. The whole interior including the streets and lanes, the banks
of the river and the surrounding area for a distance of 250 yards was
made use of as latrines, the surfaces of the streets and bye lanes were
the urinaia. Fortunately no infectious diseases broke out. The hos
pitals were only capable oi containing 1,500 patients and the less sick
were obliged to convalesce with their units. Through the siege 2.446
wounded and 4,977 sick were treated in hospitals. On the whole the
health of the Indian troops was lower than that of the British owing
to the low allowance of atta and no vegetables. During the first six
weeks of the siege when iresh meat was available, the Indian troop?