"دراسة نقدية عن الحملة في ميسوبوتاميا حتى أبريل ١٩١٧: الجزء I - تقرير" [ظ‎‎١‎٣‎٥] (٤٢٤/٢٧٥)

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The position at the Liquorice Factory as far as could be seen did
not prevent the Turks using the Hai, and what could be done in this
direction could be equally well done from Kut itself.
On arrival in Kut, General Townshend organized his defence in
three areas :—
(1) North-west sector, 1 Bcigade.
(2) North-east sector, 1 Brigade.
(3) Southern sector, including the Liquorice Factory and Kut,
1 Brigade.
The General Reserve consisted of 1 brigade, the 16th or 30th, which
ever was not in the north-west sector. The bulk of the artillery was
located round the brick kilns with a battery in the palm groves and the
4-7 guns in horse boats on the river. The fort proved to be an excellent
0. P. 2 miles from Kut and on the flank of our position.
The first line of defence to "be prepared was that along the line of
the wire. The block houses were destroyed as they proved very good
ranging marks for the enemy, and the excavation of the line began on
the 4th Dec. General Townshend states that the Indian troops were
too tired to dig. Officers who were present do not agree with this state
ment. In any case there were two other causes which prevented quick
work. Firstly the troops were very short of picks and secondly they
were told to reserve their ammunition. The Turks were allowed to
approach to close range, dig in, and hinder our working parties while our
troops could not reply adequately. The front line was joined up by
the 15th. with, a single fire trench, and four redoubts were built into it
later. The second line was completed by the reserve brigade by the
12th. A middle line was dug by Christmas. Thus there were three
lines of defence some 400 to 1,000 yards apart. After Christmas the
retrenched line was dug in case it should be necessary to evacuate the
fort The Liquorice Factory and river front were also entrenched and
the communication system gradually improved. The whole area was
sniped throughout the day. The Turks themselves sapped close up
to the front line, being within 50 yards of the Fort, Liquorice Factory
and one point on the northern sector. Altogether the defenders dug
some 30 miles of trenches.
The food supply and the various predictions as to its quantity
were to exercise a profound influence on operations. The Military
Governor was authorised to buy all the gram
n.-Food supply. in the town; alld apparently the G. 0. C. had
given orders for full details of supplies to be prepared, but he says he
was afraid to search the Arabs' houses until relief appeared doubtful
It was these fears for the Arabs that led to the premature battles of
Shaikh Saad, Wadi and Hanna, for General Aylmer believed that he
must reach Kut about January 15th.