‘Report for the Army Council on Mesopotamia. By Sir John P Hewett, GCSI, KBE’ [‎25v] (55/119)

28
the facilities of the port. These improvements were in progress during the whole of 1916.
We have been informed that delays to steamers were at first occasioned, not so much by in
ability to get cargo out and placed in lighters or mahailas, as by inability or unwillingness of
the military departments ashore to receive it with sufficient rapidity. It is clear that manage
ment of the traffic of a port and discharge of cargo was not work to which officers of the Royal
Indian Marine had previously been accustomed. They found themselves at Basra with a
task on hand of which they had had no experience, with an inadequate and inexperienced
staff, shortage of labour, a port where the facilities ashore were of the most meagre description,
and where traffic was constantly increasing and congestion becoming greater. We are told
that at one time there were 40 steamers waiting to discharge, and that they lay in a line 8 miles
long up and down the river. Small wonder that arrangements broke down, despite the willing
efforts of the officer in charge. Much of the difficulty could have been avoided, in our opinion,
if, from the first, someone accustomed to traffic management of a commercial port, and the
handling of cargoes, had been appointed to assist. Men with these qualifications were known
to be employed in one or other of the great Indian and Burmese river ports. Their advice
was not asked for ; and their assistance was not utilised until more than a year after the landing
of the Expedition in Mesopotamia when conditions at Basra had become serious.”
56. These conditions continued until June, 1916, when the construction of wharves was begun
on the river front of Magil. The first wharf was completed in 1916, and the second during April 1917.
Very great progress has since been effected. A map is appended [Appendix /F.] which will elucidate
the following description. At Upper Magil there are now six deep sea wharves with a continuous frontage
on the river of 3,000 feet, and two detached deep sea wharves with a frontage of 650 feet. These wharves
are built entirely of teak and, owing to the conditions of the river and the absence of boring insects
should last for at least thirty years. There are also two other detached deep sea wharves—one for the
Royal Engineers Field Park, near Khora creek, and the other for the Inland Water Transport Depot at
Magil, but these are lightly built, and designed for only temporary purposes.
57. The following wharves for river craft have also been constructed :—
Feet.
Inland Water Transport stores depot, Magil .. .. .. .. .. 200
Berth No. 9 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 350
Berth No. 10 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 400
Pontoon landing stage between berths Nos. 7 and 8 80
Pontoon landing stage between berths Nos. 9 and 10 80
Two pontoon landing stages on Coal Island .. .. .. .. .. 160
Ordnance Barge wharf between berths No. 10 and 11 130
Total .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,400 lineal feet.
The first three of the river craft wharves, with a frontage of 950 feet, are constructed of Oregon
pine and the remainder of teak. The wharves constructed of Oregon pine will, if proper attention is
given to them, have a life of from 5 to 10 years.
58. The following figures show the dead weight tonnage handled at Basrah from the 1st of January
to the 31st December, 1918 :—
—
Tonnage
discharged.
Tonnage
loaded.
Tonnage
handled.
January
131,838
2,903
134,741
February
130,202
1,107
131,309
March
146,006
2,695
148,701
April
135,846
7,764
143,610
May
128,531
5,157
133,688
June ...
125,642
2,606
128,248
July
135,002
1,592
136,594
August
114,082
1,288
115,370
September ...
116,030
2,507
118,537
October
118,135
2,986
121,121
November
98,022
7,225
105,247
December
98,268
4,219
102,487
Total 1,517,173 tons.
As illustrating the strain upon the capacity of the port at different periods and the success with
which it has been met, the following facts are of interest:—
During April, 1918, the daily average of ships in the port, excluding hospital ships,
ambulance, transports and tankers, was 19*8 ; the maximum on any day being 26.
During March, 1918, the daily average of 4,700 tons of dead weight was discharged ; the
maximum on any one day being 6,843 tons.