"دراسة نقدية عن الحملة في ميسوبوتاميا حتى أبريل ١٩١٧: الجزء I - تقرير" [ظ‎‎٣‎٠] (٤٢٤/٦٥)

44
Battalions of tlie 17th Brigade sent ? Why were not the remaining 2
attabons of the 16th Brigade sent, thus making both Brigades complete ?
{ t 7 s time General Townshend at his H. Q. near Nukhailat was
completely out of touch both with General Delamain and General Hogh-
ton. Consequently he had no news in detail of how the operations were
progressing and could not therefore order Major-General C.I. Fry C.B.
of Column B, to press home his attack.
The inter-communication situation was as follows
2 Brigade sections of the Divisional Signal Company were with
o umn A. The length of heavy cable normally with these sections was
1- miles. The cable was made up to 20 milee. A line was laid out as
the column advanced during the night. 10 miles of cable had been laid
as far as to the position of deployment. In the morning, of the remaining
10 miles. General Hoghton took 7 and General Delamain 3.
,, 1 ^" uc | 1 09,1)16 was used U P V General Hoghton during his march round
tHe Ataba marsh, with the result that his cable came to an end, when he
ad got round the marsh and was 1 mile west of the first redoubt that
irenera] Delamain had captured.
General Delamam's cable was finished when he was about i mile
west of the captured Turkish position. Attempts were made to continue
e me with light cable, but the passage of troops and transport con
tinually cut the line.
mi'T a 0 ^ nmUniCatl0n ^ WaS almost i m P 0SS ible, owing to the heavy
By 1315 all communication with Division H. Q. was lost. All
the news that General Townshend got from his aeroplanes was that
matters were going well. Two pack sets of wireless were with the force
Jiotfi were set up on ships, one on the Army Corps Commander's ship •
one on General Townshend's ship. One pack wireless set with General
■Uelamam would have been invaluable and permitted General Townshend
to keep in touch with the situation.
By the time Column A had reached the west end of the Suwada
marsh, the troops were greatly exhausted. They had been on the move
except for 2 or 3 long halts, since 2230 the night before. They
f, 1 !? W i ate y exCe I )t w:hat Was 111 tlle i r w ater bottles and in the pakhals
with the 1st line transport. They would get no water until they reached
Jie ligris : for the water m the Suwada marsh was brackish and undrink-
able, contrary to the report given by the Cavalry during a reconnaissance
before the battle. At 1615 a mass of Turkish infantry was seen
advancing from the direction of the Turkish bridge of boats. This was
the Turkish reserve from the right bank advancing to the counter-attack,
o i A was hastily fallen m, and commenced to advance towards the
lurks. Orders were sent round by galloper and the column was on
tJie move m 5 minutes.