'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME I.' [‎94v] (193/454)

166 HISTORY OF THE WAR : MESOPOTAMIA
and Mohammerah. A Turkish cavalry regiment and a battalion
of infantry with Shaikh Ghazban of the Bani Lam* and a
large number of Arabs were moving eastward from Amara to
Bisaitin. The Bani Turuff had joined them in response to the
call of Jahad, and their primary objective was probably a
raid on Ahwaz or the oil-fields. At the same time, it was
reported that two thousand Turkish troops with five guns,
accompanied by Ajaimi and fifteen thousand Arabs, intended
to advance at once across the desert and attack Basra from
the west. Ghazban was, it was also reported, to attack Basra
simultaneously from the east. The Turkish force about
Ezra’s Tomb, now reported as increased to thirteen battalions
and eleven guns, would presumably co-operate with these
flank attacks by an advance on Qurna. The Government
of India at once made arrangements for the 12th Infantry
Brigade (2nd Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment, 4th
Rajputs, 44th Merwara Infantry, and 90th Punjabis), under
Major-General K. Davison, C.B., to leave India for Basra
by the 1st February.
The Shaikh of Mohammerah required a few days to mobilize
his tribes to deal with the threat towards Ahwaz. In the
meantime, General Barrett decided to send the Comet with a
small British infantry detachment on board to prevent the
raiders crossing the river ; and, for the reassurance of the
Shaikh and people, to send half a battalion of infantry to
Mohammerah. The possibility of a Turkish attack on Quma
rendered it undesirable to reduce its garrison ; but General
Barrett took the precaution of holding a field battery and two
infantry battalions there in readiness to reinforce Basra, in
case it should be attacked before the arrival of the 12th Infantry
Brigade from India.
As a matter of fact, the only attack made on Quma was a
very minor affair, carried out by two to three hundred Turks
on the night of the 29th-30th, against the Muzaira’a lines.
It had been expected and was beaten off without difficulty,
with a loss to the enemy of forty-six prisoners, besides a few
killed and wounded. The only apparent reason for such an
attack was to satisfy the Arabs, who had urged the Turks to
attack us, being tired of their own ineffective activities.
At this period the rising of the waters made it necessary
to improvise some method of penetrating the numerous minor
Semi-nomads on the left bank of the Tigris between Amara and Kut
al Amara and also in Arabistan. Mostly Shiahs.
t Semi-nomads between the Karun and the Tigris—noted as turbulent
robbers. Shiahs.