"دراسة نقدية عن الحملة في ميسوبوتاميا حتى أبريل ١٩١٧: الجزء I - تقرير" [ظ‎‎٢‎٥] (٤٢٤/٥٥)

34
The troops bivouacked in tlie captured position for the night. Nasi-
nya was occupied the next morning without opposition, the Turks having
evacuated it and withdrawn up the Hai towards Kut. Aeroplane re
connaissance on the 25th could find no enemy within striking distance.
though the Turks fought quite well, these operations were really
^ est of endurance. The troops liad been engaged without cessation
or 20 days. It was quite common to have a shade temperature of 113°
■wit a damp and humid atmosphere. No animals could be employed i
consequently the fighting troops had to do all the handling of stores,
guns and ammunition. It can safely be said that the troops put up a
very fine performance under exceptionally bad conditions.
It will have been observed that the attack on the 24th July was
entirely frontal. This was due to the factsthat—
i. On the right bank, there was a flooded area, which made any
flanking or enveloping movement impossible.
n. On the left bank, there was a belt of palm groves extending for
some distance from the river bank.
This made reconnaissance extraordinarily difficult. The G. 0. C. 30th
ngade was not in favour of a flanking movement, owing to the diffi-
cultj of maintaining touch and connection.
We had a great preponderance in guns and machine guns, and relied
largely on their covering fire to break the front.