"دراسة نقدية عن الحملة في ميسوبوتاميا حتى أبريل ١٩١٧: الجزء I - تقرير" [و‎‎٥‎٤] (٤٢٤/١١٢)

CHAPTER IX.
The battle of Shaikh Saad.
By Major-General Sir W. D. Bird, K.B.E., (IB., C.M.G., D.S.O.
{This narrative is based on the war diaries, to which I was most kindly permitted to
have access. I was also able to consult "My Campaign in Mesopotamia," by
Major-General Sir Charles Townshend.)
Before the advance on Baghdad was undertaken by the 6th Indian
Division, the 6th Cavalry Brigade and other troops, under General
Townshend, towards the end of November 1915, a promise had
been made by the Government that the 3rd and 7th Indian Divisions
would, after some exchanges with Indian units that were serving in
be transferred from France to Mesopotamia. Although it was
expected that these troops would begin to arrive in the country early
in December, the situation created by the result of the battle of Ctesiphon
was considered to be so serious that General Nixon, who was Comman
der-in-Chief in Mesopotamia was informed that the 34th and 35th
Indian Infantry Brigades, three Field Batteries, one regiment of
Indian Cavalry and one company of Sappers and Miners would be
despatched forthwith from India to Mesopotamia, embarking at Bombay
between the 2nd and 6th December.
Sir John Nixon who had been at the front, had gone after the action
back to Basra for the purpose of supervising the despatch up the Tigris
of these reinforcements. But before their arrival Townshend had fallen
back to and shut himself up in Kut-al-Amara, after sending down river
the 6th Cavalry Brigade, which met the first of the reinforcements from
France and Egypt, the 28th Infantry Brigade, under General Young-
husband, on the 9th December at Ali-Gharbi.
About 16,000 fighting men belonging to a cavalry and camelry
brigade and the 35th, 38th, 45th and 51st Turkish Divisions, accom
panied by a number of Arabs, closed in on the 7th December on the
force under Townshend, which consisted of about 12,200 men of whom
2,200 were in hospital. From the 10th to the 13th December the enemy
pressed the garrison so hard that Townshend felt obliged to telegraph
to Nixon in regard to his anxiety lest the ammunition should prove
to be inadequate ; and he also expressed the hope that the place would
be relieved within ten or fifteen days.
For some time after their activity on the 10th to the 13th December
the Turks remained comparatively quiet, either because of their losses
or because they were awaiting the arrival of reinforcements.* After
* Apparently the 52nd division reached the front in this interval,
( 87 )
g