"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية. الحملة في بلاد الرافدين ١٩١٤-١٩١٨. مجلد I" [و‎‎١‎٦‎١] (٤٥٤/٣٢٦)

OCCUPATION OF NASIRIYA
297
Nasiriya. The 12th and 30th Brigades marched in during the
day, while the 18th Brigade cleared up the battlefield and held
the line of communication with Asani.
In the action of the 24th, the enemy force under command
of Ahmed Bey was, after the fight, estimated to have consisted
of about 4,200 Turkish troops with 15 guns* and a large number
of Arab tribesmen. Of these some 1,500 troops with 5 guns
were understood to have been defending the right bank of the
river, 1,700 with 6 guns were on the left bank, and about 1,000
with 4 guns on the Sadanawiya position. The British captured
all the 15 guns, 5 machine guns, a large quantity of arms,
ammunition and stores and 3 motor boats. The Turkish
casualties were roughly estimated at 2,000 killed and
wounded ; and in addition the British captured 450 prisoners
on the 24th, a number which had increased by the 29th to 951.
The Turks had fought stubbornly and their gun fire had been
unusually accurate and efficient.
The effective strength of the British troops on the 24th July
was about 4,600 rifles with 26 naval and military guns (excluding
the naval 3-pounders). The infantry battalions were all much
below establishment, varying in numbers from 140 in the l/4th
Hampshire Regiment to 620 in the 120th Infantry. The battle
casualties on that day amounted to 104 killed and 429 wounded,
of which 44 killed and 110 wounded had been in the West Kents,
who had gone into action under 500 strong ; and the l/4th
Hampshire had incurred 45 casualties out of their total of 140.
Of the 12th Divisional Signal Company more than half had been
disabled by sickness and casualties in action in the course of
the heavy and continuous work they had to carry out during
these operations.
During the operations on the Euphrates the naval casualties
in action had been two officers and three men wounded.
General Nixon in his despatch reporting these operations,
which had been such a complete and brilliant success, says :
“ I cannot praise too highly the skill and determination
with which General Gorringe conducted the task assigned
to him—nor the gallant and devoted manner in which the
troops under his command responded to the strenuous
calls which were made upon them.
“ Seldom, if ever, have our troops been called upon to
campaign in more trying heat than they have experienced
this summer in the marshy plains of Mesopotamia.
“ Many indeed succumbedf to the effects of the sun when
* One 4-inch heavy gun, twelve field guns and two mountain guns.
| 373 fighting ranks were transferred sick to Basra from the Euphrates
between 26th June and 23rd July, and on the 24th July there were 316 sick
i n hospital at Asani.