'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME I.' [‎103v] (211/454)

184 HISTORY OF THE WAR : MESOPOTAMIA
distance, along the British left. The right flank guard, com
posed of two companies of the 7th Rajputs, became so heavily
engaged that it became necessary to support them with the
mountain battery section and the third company of the 7th.
About 7.15 General Robinson decided to order a retirement
as the enemy were threatening to outflank him. The 7th
began retiring in good order from their left, but almost at once
an order reached their right and their supports to retire at once.
How this mistake arose is not explained, but it resulted in
isolating the centre of the 7th, who were also obliged to retire
by the outflanking advance of the Arabs. This simultaneous
retirement of the whole of the infantry nearest to the enemy
resulted naturally in some confusion, and at this period,
to add to the confusion, Lieutenant-Colonel Parr, commanding
the 7th, was severely wounded. The accounts of what followed
are not at all clear. Apparently the 4th Rajputs were not as
yet ready to cover the retirement; certainly they were thrown
into confusion. The regularity of the movement was completely
broken, and individual officers had to do the best they could
by collecting the men nearest them to oppose the Arabs, who
were now all round the force. The horses of one of the field
guns and the mules of a mountain gun w’ere shot, with the
result that the field gun and part of a mountain gun had to
be abandoned. The fighting was continuous and close, the
enemy following up within five hundred yards and closing in
rom the flanks to shoot within fifty yards, in spite of the
endeavours of the guns and cavalry to keep them at a distance.
The situation was critical in the extreme, and General
o mson reported that if it had not been for the great resolu
tion and courage displayed by parts of the force—he specially
commended the cavalry, the gunners, and the Dorsets—a
disaster would have occurred. When about five miles from
camp, the enemy were found on the last remaining intervening
n ge and were taking up positions there in rapidly increasing
numbers. The only thing to do was to attack them at once.
e cavalry dashed round to the south of this ridge, and the
a vanced British troops, headed by some of the Dorsets,
attacked and drove the Arabs out at the point of the bayonet,
rom this point onwards the hostile attacks decreased in
General Robinson was able to signal to the
ntish camp to send out troops to cover the rest of the retire-
^ s t a ge the enemy opened fire for the first time
wi three guns, which were evidently directed by trained
gunners and which caused us some loss.