'Naval Staff monographs (historical) vol 4 no 15 - Naval operations in Mesopotamia and the Persian Gulf' [‎61] (78/150)

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and Kamsiya, had been withdrawn up the Shatt-al-'Hai to join
the Turkish forces on the Tigris.
46. The Operations : Capture of Gurma-Safha Position. —At
4 p.m. on 27th June the Shushan and Massoudieh left their
anchorage and proceeded to the westward across the Hamar
Lake, followed by the remainder of the flotilla and the steamers
and barges carrying the troops. The ships experienced con
siderable difficulty in keeping to the tortuous and almost
unmarked channel through the muddy waters of the lake, and
they frequently grounded. At 1.30 p.m., as they approached
the Haqiqa Channel, two Turkish patrol boats further up the
river above the dam opened fire on them with pom-poms, and
the gunboats returned the fire. Steamboats swept ahead of the
flotilla, but no mines were found, and, entering the Haqiqa
Channel at 4 p.m., the gunboats anchored just below the dam.
It was decided to blast a passage through the obstruction
with explosives, and the work was at once commenced. On the
following morning, 28th June, the northern end of the dam was
blown away, when four mahelas were discovered which had
been sunk in the fairway underneath the dam, when it was
constructed some two years ago. The enemy patrol boats fired
a few rounds now and then at the working parties, but were
easily driven away by the gunboats, and at 5 p.m. on 29th June
a small channel having been made through the dam, the
Shushan and Massoudieh were hauled through into the
Euphrates against the rush of water. The two horseboats with
4' 7-inch guns were got through on the morning of 30th June,
and at 11.45 a.m. these craft proceeded up-river on a reconnais
sance. The enemy's position was located at the junction of the
Gurma-Safha and Euphrates, where he was entrenched and had
placed two guns to command the line of our advance up the
channel. These two guns also defended a minefield 1 which
spies reported to have been placed in the river. Hostile Arabs
prevented this reconnaissance from making detailed obser
vations. Accordingly on 2nd July another reconnaissance was
made, supported by two double companies of infantry. Below
the point marked on the plan as Ati's House the country on
both banks was chiefly marsh ; but above it both banks were
dry and covered with very thick date gardens, much intersected
by irrigation channels and mud walls. The channel itself was
tortuous, and consequently the view was very much restricted
by date palms, jungle, and willow trees on the water's edge. 2
At 4 a.m. on 4th July, all craft having been successfully
hauled through the obstruction, the gunboats escorted an
advanced party of infantry, pioneers, and mountain guns to
secure Ati's House, and to make a passage, giving access by
water for bellums from the river to the open water on the west
of Ati's House. A reconnaissance established the fact that
1 See plan 8.
2 General Gorringe's Report.