'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME I.' [‎146v] (297/454)

268 HISTORY OF THE WAR : MESOPOTAMIA
the Government of India had been able to despatch the 23rd
Cavalry to Mesopotamia; and they also arranged to send to
General Nixon, at his request, twelve 15-pounder field guns
for use in defensive posts.
Of the naval force, the Clio had to be sent for repairs to
Bombay ; the Lawrence had already gone to Bushire ; there
fore, the only naval sloops now remaining were the Espiegle
and the Odin ; and the first of the new river gunboats were,
as stated in the last chapter, not expected till the autumn.
The river steamers and tugs now amounted to a total of
twenty-one* and included those which General Barrett had
asked for in December 1914. Since then the force had
increased and its sphere of operations had been considerably
extended. General Nixon had been instructed in March to
report as to the adequacy of the river craft; and on the 27th
May he telegraphed pointing out that shortly the conditions of
the rivers would prevent many of his steamers and tugs moving
up the Karun, above Ourna on the Tigris and Kubaish on
the Euphrates, and he asked for six powerful tugs to be sent
to him as soon as possible, with a draught not exceeding three
feet and each capable of towing two large flats ; he also asked
for twelve 10-12-knot motor launches. The Indian authorities
searched everywhere in India for tugs of the type demanded
but failed to find any, and on the 20th June informed General
Nixon of this and that they were asking the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. to
try and obtain them in England. General Nixon replied on
the 25th urging the provision of these tugs as soon as possible
as he anticipated much difficulty between the 15th July and
the 15th October, when the rivers would be at their lowest.
It seems necessary to offer at this stage a few general remarks
with regard to the supply of river transport during the first
eighteen months of the operations. On several occasions, the
shortage of river transport made all the difference between
decisive success and complete or comparative failure of the oper
ations. These occasions have been and will be alluded to as they
occur ; and while it is easy to point out the shortage, it is not so
easy to indicate how the mistakes and omissions occurred which
led to this shortage. The provision of river-craft, either for
combatant, or for maintenance and transport, purposes was not
an easy matter. The type of vessel required scarcely existed
elsewhere and consequently would have to be specially con
structed. But usually time did not admit of this and the most
* Four " Tigris ” steamers, seven " P ” steamers, three " Lynch ” tugs*
four Indian tugs, and three small stern-wheelers.