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'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME I.' [‎118r] (240/454)

The record is made up of 1 volume (223 folios). It was created in 1923. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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THE TURKISH TRENCHES
213
from the Norfolks and 120th*. The Turkish trenches were
at an angle to the British line of advance and to save themselves
from enfilade fire some of the British troops on the right now
brought up their left shoulders.
The British were at a further disadvantage. The Turkish
first-line trenches faced upwards on a glacis-Y\ke, slope leading
down past them to Barjisiya wood and they opened a heavy
fire as soon as the British appeared on the skyline. This
checked the British firing line before they had reached the
edge of the slope, with the consequence that for a time they
could only see to fire by sitting, kneeling or, in some cases,
by standing ; and for the same reason the British artillery,
already hampered sufficiently by the mirage, could not fire
effectively on the Turkish trenches.
There was also a second line of Turkish trenches some
five or six hundred yards farther back, which were particularly
well sited and concealed from view among small shrubs and
with a favourable background. To these, owing to the shape
of the ground, the British firing line presented a very good
target, and the battalions of the 16th Brigade suffered some
what severely at this stage. On the other hand, the Turkish
first and second lines were not connected by communication
trenches with each other or with their reserves, so that rein
forcement would be difficult ; and the Turkish artillery, being
badly served, was having little effect.
By about 1 p.m., the Norfolks and 120th, on the right,
had managed to push slightly forward, but were kept from
a further advance by the well-maintained Turkish rifle and
machine-gun fire. The Dorsets and the 24th had also managed
by creeping forward to make a slight advance and could fire
on the enemy from a lying-down position. But there was
still a large gap between the 16th and 18th Brigades; and
General Melliss ordered General Delamain to fill this gap.
As his men were closely engaged, however, he considered
this impossible, and ordered half the 117th,f half the
119th and the 22nd Company of Sappers to move to the
right to close this interval and to get into touch with the
Norfolks. The 119th half battalion, however, missed its
direction, and, instead of moving into the gap, reinforced
* At this time there was a gap of some twelve hundred yards between the
16th and 18th Brigades.
t During the afternoon, a company of the 117th, withdrawn from the left
flank guard, reinforced the left of the Dorsets firing line. The exact time is
not given in the records.

About this item

Content

The volume is the first volume of an official government publication compiled at the request of the Government of India, and under the direction of the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence, by Brigadier-General Frederick James Moberly. The volume was printed and published at His Majesty's Stationery Office, London.

The contents provide a narrative of the operations of 1914-1918 in Mesopotamia, based mainly on official documents.

The volume is divided into two parts. The first part, entitled, 'Part I. Before the Outbreak of Hostilities', consists of the following five chapters:

  • General Description of the Country
  • The Turks in Mesopotamia
  • British Pre-War Policy
  • The Army in India and Pre-War Military Policy
  • Inception of the Operations

The second part, entitled, 'Part II. The Campaign in Lower Mesopotamia', consists of the following seven chapters:

  • The Landing in Mesopotamia of Force "D" and the Operations Leading to the Occupation of Basra
  • The Occupation of Basra and the Capture of Qurna
  • Commencement of the Turkish Counter-Offensive
  • Development and Defeat of the Turkish Counter-Offensive
  • Operations in Arabistan and the Capture of Amara
  • Operations on the Euphrates and the Occupation of Nasiriya
  • The battle of Kut and Occupation of Aziziya

The volume also includes nine maps, entitled:

  • The Middle East
  • Lower Mesopotamia
  • Map 1 - To illustrate operations described in Chapter VI
  • Map 2 - To illustrate fighting near Qurna
  • Map 3 - To illustrate fighting round Shaiba
  • Map 4 - To illustrate operations in Persian Arabistan
  • Map 5 - To illustrate operations in the Akaika Channel 27th June to 5th July 1915
  • Map 6 - To illustrate operations near Nasiriya 6th to 24th July 1915
  • Map 7 - To illustrate the Battle of Kut 28th September 1915
Extent and format
1 volume (223 folios)
Arrangement

The volume contains a page of errata (folio 5), a list of contents (folios 6-8), a list of maps and illustrations (folio 9), appendices (folios 185v-192), an index (folios 192v-214v), and eight maps in a pocket attached to the inside back cover (folios 217-224).

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 225; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.

Pagination: the volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.

Written in
English in Latin script
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'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME I.' [‎118r] (240/454), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100048172214.0x000029> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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