'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME I.' [‎100v] (205/454)

178 HISTORY OF THE WAR : MESOPOTAMIA
On the 16th Sir Percy Cox reported that he had heard
from Ibn Sand of the death of Major Shakespear. This was
a great misfortune, as his knowledge of the Arabs and his
personal influence with them was an asset to us of considerable
value at this time. It transpired that while a spectator he
had been killed by a chance bullet in a battle between the
forces of Ibn Saud and Ibn Rashid. In this action Ibn Saud
claimed to have defeated Ibn Rashid ; but independent reports
said that both sides had lost heavily and both had retired to their
respective headquarters. Accounts, however, all agreed that
neither side was likely to indulge in further hostilities for some
time to come, and this proved to be correct. The last chance
of effective timely co-operation by Ibn Saud thus passed away.
During the latter half of February there was great uncer
tainty regarding the Turkish numbers and dispositions in
Mesopotamia. The Turkish screen, extending from Nukhaila
on their right to the Karkha river (north-west of Ahwaz) on
their left, was composed of units of the 35th Division, or of
gendarmerie, and it was found impossible to discover what
was behind them. Although it was practically certain that
the 36th and 3/th Turkish Divisions were on the Caucasus
front, the information from Egypt still pointed to there being
as many as seven divisions either in or on their way to Mesopo
tamia. At Nasiriya and Nukhaila the Turkish regulars were
said to amount to one thousand cavalry, eight infantry bat
talions and fourteen guns ; and there were persistent reports
that the Turks were taking advantage of the exceptionally
high water to send troops down the Shatt al Hai by steamer to
Shatrat Al Muntafik* (twenty-seven miles north of Nasiriya).
Near Shaiba the Arab and Kurdish cavalry were becoming
more enterprising, and on several occasions infantry and guns
had to move out from Shaiba to support our reconnoitring
cavalry. The situation here was so uncertain that, on the
24th, General Barrett ordered the reinforcement of Shaiba.
General Delamain was to take the 16th Infantry Brigade
(less the 117th Mahrattas at Kurmat Ali), and they were to
be followed by the 76th R.F.A. Battery and the 6th Cavalry
Brigade.f
Below this the Shatt al Hai spread into the Hammar marshes and was
not passable for steamers. v >>
t Orders to organise this brigade were sent from India on the 21st. It
was to consist of S Battery R.H.A., 7th Lancers (to leave India on the
2oth for Basra), 16th Cavalry and 33rd Cavalry, under command of Brigadier-
Oenerai H. Kennedy. The 7th Lancers and 16th Cavalry had only three
squadrons each, so General Barrett took the fourth squadron of the 33rd
Cavalry to act as divisional squadron.