'Naval Staff monographs (historical) vol 4 no 15 - Naval operations in Mesopotamia and the Persian Gulf' [‎38] (49/150)

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Malamir and Salimi, carrying the troops, 1 arrived at 5.0 a.m. on
4th December, and the force proceeded up the river to Shaib,
3 miles below Qurna in the bend of the river, and out of
sight of the town. Here the Odin (manoeuvring with difficulty
on account of her damaged rudder) and the armed launches
anchored, the Espiegle and Lawrence anchoring about daylight
higher up the river in sight of the spit of Qurna, to cover the
landing of the troops, which was to be effected at Shaib on the
right bank of the river of that name, 2 which here joins the Tigris.
It is a river of considerable volume and depth, and would have
been difficult to bridge or transport the troops across.
Fire was opened on the ships at about <5.45 a.m. from the
guns on the left bank of the river and from Qurna ; and the
Espiegle, Odin and Lawrence replied. The enemy soon ceased
fire, and the landing of the troops was effected by 9 a.m. 3
At 9.40 a.m., however, the enemy guns at Mazara and Qurna
opened fire again on the Espiegle and Lawrence, hitting them
several times though without doing serious damage ; but by
now the Medjidieh and Blosse Lynch had landed their troops,
and they came up on the port quarter of the Espiegle, and joined
in shelling the enemy's guns and trenches, covering the advance
of our troops, which by now was in train.
The enemy were entrenched along the edge of the date
palms, 4 and also in Mazara Village, and some difficulty was
experienced by the ships in spotting their fall of shot, and
determining the location of our troops as they advanced, signal
communication with the troops while in movement being difficult
to establish.
By 1 p.m. the enemy had been driven out of their position
and retired across the Tigris to Qurna, abandoning their guns,
whence they engaged our troops who were entangled in the
thick groves of date trees, unable to cross the river in face of
the enemy, or to use their field guns. The enemy's position
was out of sight of the ships, and the sloops were unable to
move in the shallow river. The armed launches Miner, Shaitan
and Lewis Felly were, therefore, sent forward, and they pene
trated to within 800 yards of Qurna under heavy gun and rifle
fire from the enemy upon whom they themselves could bring no
effective fire to bear. The Miner was holed in the engine room
at the water line, 5 and was saved from sinking only by the
efforts of the Stoker Petty Officer and Stoker, both of whom
were wounded and remained at their posts, 6 and at 3.0 p.m. a
1 Two field guns, 1/2 Company Sappers and Miners, 1 Company Norfolk
Hegiment, 2 Indian Battalions under Colonel G. S. Eraser.
2 See Plan 3.
3 Captain Hayes-Sadler's Report. Captain Nunn's Report says 0920.
4 See Plan 3.
5 She was patched up during the night by Odin's staff.
6 Stoker P.O. A. Jones, R.N. (awarded C.Gr.M.), and Stoker D. Lacey,
R.N.R. (awarded D.S.M.).