"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية. الحملة في بلاد الرافدين ١٩١٤-١٩١٨. المجلد IV". [و‎‎٨‎٢] (٥٤٠/١٦٨)

ACTION OF KHAN BAGHDADI
129
At 5.15 p.m., also, General Brooking received a report from
General Cassels, timed 4.30 p.m., saying that, with his left
facing south-east on the Aleppo road, he was engaging the enemy
rear and right flank from a point about 6 f miles north-west
of Khan Baghdadi; and he asked what the situation of the
infantry groups was. General Brooking answered that the
infantry were held up by machine gun fire on a general line
five hundred yards east of the ravine dividing them from the
enemy’s “ Q ” and “ R ” trenches ; that it was evidently the
Turkish intention to hold this position so as to enable them
to retire during the night; and that he relied on General
Cassels to detain them. His own infantry, though very weary,
would maintain pressure on the enemy.
The 11th Cavalry Brigade and armoured cars had been
obliged to halt for about an hour at 10.45 a.m. to ascertain
and reconnoitre practicable routes through a succession of
ravines. But the Wadi Hauran was reached at 1.50 p.m. and
most of the animals were watered there. The Turkish main
force seemed to be engaged heavily with our infantry about
Khan Baghdadi and airmen’s reports indicated the absence of
enemy troops within a distance of ten miles to the northward.
Turning eastward and moving as rapidly as the broken nature
of the ground permitted, General Cassels’ force reached a point
about 3 p.m. which was judged to be some two miles from the
Aleppo road. Here the Guides Cavalry were detached to the
south-eastward with orders to gain contact with and hold
the enemy, so as to form a pivot on which the remainder of
the force on the northern bank of the Wadi Hauran could
wheel and get astride the Aleppo road. This road turned
out to be much farther off than had been calculated;
but by 5 p.m., the enemy’s telegraph line having been cut,
General Cassels' troops were taking up a position, facing
south-east, along the northern side of the Wadi Hauran with
their left astride the road. During the afternoon they had
encountered several enemy patrols, evidently detached to
keep open the enemy line of retreat, and had come under
constant, though ineffective, shell fire and a good deal of long
range machine gun and rifle fire.
To revert to the operations of General Brooking's infantry.
Their general advanced line ran south-westward from a
point west of Khan Baghdadi along high ground, with
the enemy's “ R ” trenches facing them about 2,000 to 2,500
yards to the north-west, “ Q ” trenches being to their left
front. In front line were the l/4th Dorsetshire (42nd Brigade),
(19465)
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