'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME I.' [‎157r] (318/454)

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REINFORCEMENTS REQUIRED 289
gallantry in a difficult situation. The 24th Punjabis had
suffered heavy casualties, the greater part of which had been
incurred in the final stages of their unsuccessful assault. Out
of a strength of 8 British officers and 428 Indian ranks, they had
lost 56 killed and 91 wounded ; and, as is usually the case in
such circumstances, their losses had been proportionately
greatest in British officers, of whom all but two had been killed.
Owing to the failure to capture the sandhills, General Gorringe
decided to postpone the attack he had contemplated on the left
bank. The Turks, however, had taken alarm at the threat to
their right flank and withdrew troops from the left bank and
their reserve to strengthen this part of their line; and
General Gorringe attributed much of his subsequent success
to this fact.
On the 14th, the Turkish troops were estimated to be five
to six thousand strong with ten guns, and it seemed clear that
they were still being reinforced. General Gorringe’s strength
in rifles had fallen to three thousand four hundred, owing chiefly
to sickness caused by the climate ; and all ranks were feeling
the effect of the continuous hard work in the excessive heat.
He, therefore, decided to ask for further reinforcements,
especially aeroplanes* and heavy guns. Meanwhile he would
postpone further attack, but would push forward his advanced
trenches to give the assaulting troops a covered position of
assembly nearer to the enemy. The next few days were
occupied in this way and in minor fighting of a persistent and
harassing nature, in which, however, the British riflemen,
much assisted by the fire of the 63rd Battery now in position
near the mouth of the Umm as Sabiyan, gradually established
fire superiority over the Turks.
On the 19th and 20th July, reinforcements arrived, consisting
of the 18th Infantry Brigade (2nd Norfolk, 110th Mahrattas
and 120th Infantry) the remaining half battalion West Kents,
the 17th Sapper Company, the Maxim gun battery, two 5-inch
guns of the 86th Heavy Battery, the remaining section of the
1 /5th Hampshire HowitzerBattery, a battery of four 15-pounders
manned by Madras Artillery Volunteers (recently arrived from
India) and some details. An aeroplane also arrived on the 19th
and was followed by a second—which had had to make a forced
landing en route —three days later.|
* The great heat had affected the aeroplanes, and both the British aeroplanes
had in consequence been out of action for some time previous to this.
fTwo "Caudron” aeroplanes had reached Basra on the 14th July, making
a total of four aeroplanes in the country.
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