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'Railways - Mesopotamia and L of C [Lines of Communication] Policy' [81r] (161/204)
The record is made up of 1 file (100 folios). It was created in 18 May 1917-21 Dec 1917. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: 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. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
9M|
^ S E C R E To
Erom GoHoQ,e Mesopotamiac
To War Office,
19 t 8 0 17.
Xc 3259,. Your 39429 cipher McR„ 2^/199.
At present average daily carrying capacity of LoOf C* is 900 tons
and will increase to 1200 tons from Septemher 1st and thereafter
rise slowly to 1500 9 1500 tons will allow of 100 tons oeing utilized
daily for building up reserves of ammunition, food, and material or
for supplying Russian troops, if necessary. This calculation is based
on troops and animals being fed un full scale of ration* Reduction
to operations scale of ration will provide considerably greatei
margin of safety. On assumption given by you in paragraph 2, maximum
average daily estimate in tons is as follows:- supplies 900, ammunition
92j> Engineer field stores 43, Ordnance stores 50, worxs 42, railways
270, Interruption in Basra and Amarah and Kut-el-Amarah - Baghdad
railways would reduce daily delivery at Baghdad by 250 and 550 tons
respectively.
In low water larger tonnage can be delivered at Kut-el-Amarah than
could be forwarded on our light draught vessels. Interruption
Kut-el-Amarah - Baghdad stretch, therefore, in low water, when the
most shallow draught craft only can be worked on that section, has
mere serious effect than in high water, when fleet can be redistributed
throughout L<, of C. Daily tonnage local supplies availaole in Baghdad
area varies constantly but may be taken as 200 tons and allowance for
this amount has been made in figures given above.
Copies to :-
D.G.M.R.
D. M. 0.
M. R*. 2 * a.
M. 0 o 2. ai
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D. S. & '
D.C.I.G.S.
D.E.O.S,
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M.I.I.
M. 0 * 2. c.
M. I<,2.d
M.R.l.
1.0.
About this item
- Content
The file, marked secret, contains correspondence and notes regarding rail and river transportation for the Mesopotamian campaign during the First World War. The papers cover a number of matters, including:
- Strategic considerations of the use of rail and river communications
- Supply of railway materials, rolling stock, and personnel to Mesopotamia [Iraq] from India, other parts of the British Empire, and allied territories
- Problems with unloading and shipping congestion at Basra
- Progress of railway construction, including weekly reports from the General Officer Commanding or Director of Railways to the War Office, starting from August 1917
- Capacity estimates (for troops, food, ammunition, and materials) and efforts to increase it
- Complaints of shortages of railway stock and personnel in India due to the demand in Mesopotamia
- Preparations for a commission, led by Sir Henry Francis Edward Freeland, to be sent to review rail and river transportation in Mesopotamia
- Questions of flooding and damming of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
Correspondents include: the Commander-in-Chief, India; the Chief of the Imperial General Staff; the General Officer Commanding, Mesopotamia; the War Office; the Director of Railways, Mesopotamia; the War Section, Army Department, Government of India; and Major General Sir Henry Francis Edward Freeland.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (100 folios)
- Arrangement
The file is arranged in chronological order, from the rear to the front.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 102; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel; these numbers are written in coloured crayon and pencil; where they have been written in pencil and circled, they have been crossed through.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/5/787
- Title
- 'Railways - Mesopotamia and L of C [Lines of Communication] Policy'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:101v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence