"مجلد ٤ رقم ١٥ (تاريخي) من دراسات هيئة الأركان البحرية - العمليات البحرية في بلاد بلاد الرافدين والخليج الفارسي" [‎٥‎٩] (١٥٠/٧٤)

25:
59
to Nasiriya. 1 These reconnaissances established the fact that
the enemy was keeping a good look out on the approach by
water to Nasiriya ; and it was reported that the mines had been
placed in the Gurrnal Safha or Haqiqa Channel, 2 and that
steamers had been sunk between Nasiriya and Suk-as-Shayuk,
to block the fairway of the Euphrates.
Suk-as-Shayuk—" Market of the Shaikhs "—was a centre
of trade, small manufactures, and boat-building of the Arabs,
situated on the Lower Euphrates, at the Western end of the
marsh and lake country, some 63 miles from Qurna. It had a
floating population of about 12,000, and though there was no
Turkish garrison, detachments were quartered at various points
in the neighbourhood.
The work of reconnaissance was interrupted by the
operations against Amara, after the successful conclusion of
which Sir John Nixon raised the question of an advance to
Nasiriya, 3 which had been mooted six months previously.
The move was supported by Simla, who considered General
Nixon's force to be " quite sufficient for the success of the
operation and the maintenance of the new position." 4
In the view of the India Office the broken Turkish force at
Nasiriya was scarcely to be regarded as a menace to us, though
it might offer a rallying point to Turkish reinforcements from
Baghdad, in which case, Basra might possibly be again
threatened from the West. Moreover, we could not expect the
Arabs in the Euphrates to side with us so long as they had a
Turkish garrison in their midst. 5 On 22nd June General
Nixon was, therefore, informed that he had full liberty to
advance on Nasiriya. 6
44. Forces for the Euphrates Operations. —Before the
advance up the Euphrates could begin the vessels which trans
ported the troops to Amara had to be brought back down the
Tigris, no other river steamers being available. The prepara
tions were not completed until towards the end of June, and by
the evening of the 26th the force detailed for the operations was
concentrated on the Euphrates, about two miles to the Eastward
of Chabaish, the furthest point which the sloops and the Miner
could reach on account of the shallow water.
The Naval forces consisted of the Espiegle, Odin, Miner,
Sum ana, the stern-wheelers Shushan, Massoudieh, and Muzaffri
and two 4" 7-inch guns mounted in houseboats with Naval crews.
1 For details of these reconnaissances, see Oapt. Nunn's Report, pp. 116
et seq., and Letters of Proceedings of S.N.O.
2 g ee pi an 7.
3 G.O.O., I.E.F " D," to Chief of Gen. Staff, P. No. 303-3-0, 11th June
1915.
^ Yiceroy to Secretary of State, P. (P.S.Y.'s No. 643), 13th June 1915.
5 Mesopotamia Expedition, pp. 27-28.
6 Chief of General Staff to G.O.C., I.E.F. " D," P.S-12941, 22nd June
1915.