'Critical Study of the Campaign in Mesopotamia up to April 1917: Part I - Report' [‎10v] (25/424)

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4 ships in the fairway. One of these was a Hamburg-Amerika liner the
"Ecbatana" of 5,000 tons : another was the 44 John O'Scott the other
two were small Turkish-owned vessels, one of which was an old light
ship. This obstruction was above stream of the junction of the Karun
and Shatt-al-Arab. The Turks were not successful in their attempt
Ihe ships settled down in shoal water and the passage was not completelv
obstructed. It was not found necessary to blow up the "Ecbatana " du
rmg the war. The light-ship can still be seen close to the right bank.
We had one naval sloop up the Karun, H.M.S. "Espiegle " Another
jomcd our cpnvoy off Fao, H.M.S. "Odin." During October the Turks
objected to the presence of these vessels in what thev called Turkish
waters. But the " Espiegle" was in Persian water and we had al^
Jiad the right to pass our vessels up the Shatt-al-Arab.
n T^e Commander in Iraq at this time was the Vali or Governor of
Baghdad, Javid Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. . He combined the post of Vali with that of
Inspector of the 12th and 13th Army Corps.
The Com ma nder in lower Iraq was Colonel Subhi Bey, the Vali of
™ Wh f commanded in the earlier fights in Mesopotamia,
P * , ® 6 tIlat he rendered at Qurna in December 1914
u > t ?® rati0nS a « ain ' st ^ Turks took place on the 6th Novem-
". ( J dln " Preceded by 2 steam launches stood in
and bombarded the Turkish battery on the shore near Fao fort. The
battery was silenced in one hour, whereupon a force of 600 infantrv
one section of mountain guns and a few sappers were landed. Two of the
transports each towed eight boats, an armed launch towed seven and
Naval launches towed a detachment of marines from H.M.S. " Ocean "
There was no resistance. The so-called Fort at Fao was only a walled
ondosure with no banquettes or gun platforms. It was commanded by
imbashi of Fao fort. This officer lived in Basra. The Bimbashi
was Med by a shell during the bombardment. It was said to have
been his first visit to the place. The fort was occupied and the garrison
fled up to Baljamya where 3 of them were shot for abandoning their post
The 4 guns were dismounted and thrown into the river.
of ^ 1 , m , P ° rtanC ? t0 us of Fao w a s tiat it was the land terminal
of the Turkish telegraph line and that from here started the cable-a
Briteh cable connecting India and Persia with Mesopotamia. The
cable had been cut and the telegraph instruments destroyed The
system was repaid m a few days. On the 7th, the landing party was
re-embarked and the flotilla proceeded up-river till within sight of the
refinery at Abadan, 3 miles below the oil works. A suitable place for
disembarkation was found 2 miles above the oil works on the right
bank The troops began to disembark on the 8th and continued during
the 9th and 10th. This place was given the name of Sanniya, 9 miles south
of Mohammerah. The force settled down into a perimeter camp From
— - SI