"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية. الحملة في بلاد الرافدين ١٩١٤-١٩١٨. مجلد I" [و‎‎١‎٣‎٤] (٤٥٤/٢٧٢)

243
TOWNSHEND AT QURNA
palm-trees in the neighbourhood of Quma, some miles of reeds*
and the sandhill islands held by the Turks.f Between
these islands and Qurna the depth of water averaged one to
three feet, but channels of varying breadth and depth ran
in every direction and were quite undistinguishable among
the general flood. These rendered it out of the question to
advance by wading; while the shallowness of the greater
part of the area, the concealment of the deeper channels and
the presence of Turkish mines limited the extent to which the
ordinary river craft could be utilised.
The Turkish main position was astride the Tigris about
Abu Aran, Muzaibila and Ruta ; while they held advanced
positions on the sandhills in front of Ruta, on One Tree Hill,
and on the hillocks to the north and south of Barbukh creek.f
The enemy’s strength was estimated at five or six infantry
battalions with eight guns and two thousand Arabs.
Before leaving Basra for Qurna General Townshend had an
interview with General Nixon, to whom he suggested that the
Turks should be driven north of Amara by a combined move
ment from Qurna and Ahwaz. His reason for this was that
the flooded nature of the country in the region of the Tigris
rendered all manoeuvre impossible. He reached Qurna on the
24th April, and after inspecting there, proceeded in the Odin,
first for four or five miles up the Tigris and then along the
Euphrates to reconnoitre the A1 Huwair creek. General Dobbie
advised him that a turning movement to the east of the Tigris
up the Shwaiyib river was not feasible, owing to the narrowness
of the Shwaiyib channel and the probability that it had been
mined. After instructing General Dobbie to send out recon
naissances to see if a practicable fordable route could be found
north-eastward of Muzaira’a towards the sandhills and t e
Ruta creek, General Townshend returned on the 26th to Basra.
Next day he made his report to General Nixon. He had
satisfied himself that the Turkish positions north of Qurna
could not be turned tactically and he again suggested a turning
movement from Ahwaz.
Such a plan did not then commend itself to General Nixon.
General Gorringe’s force had only just commenced its opera
tions in Arabistan and General Nixon was not sure how tar
H.M. Government would approve of operations in Persian
* These reeds were practically everywhere except in the imroe^ate neigh
bourhood of the banks of the Tigris and of the various creeks. They grew to
heights varying from three to six feet,
f See Map 2.