"مجلد ٤ رقم ١٥ (تاريخي) من دراسات هيئة الأركان البحرية - العمليات البحرية في بلاد بلاد الرافدين والخليج الفارسي" [‎٦‎٩] (١٥٠/٨٦)

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tion consisted of the Juno, 1 Pyramus? Dalhousie, and Lawrence,
and a landing party of 100 men ; and the landing operations
were in charge of Captain D. St. A. Wake, Royal Navy.
53. The Operations at Dilwar.— On the evening of the
j August the troops were embarked on board the Lawrence
and Dalhousie at Bushire. The Squadron sailed at 4 a m on
10th and anchored off Dilwar the same morning. The weather
mteifeied with the immediate prosecution of operations, and it
was not until 13th August that the landing was possible.
The Land Force consisted of 170 rifles, 96th Infantry, with
Signallers, Medical personnel, and entrenching tools, and a
covering party of 50 Royal Marine Light Infantry under Captain
G. Carpenter, R.M.LI. A base party of 20 men under
Commander Viscount Kelburn was detailed to take charge of
embarking and disembarking operations ; and for demolition
of the enemy s fort a strong party of native infantry with
Maxims was told off, and was commanded by Commander
Bloomfield. The landing was to take place on an open beach
commanded by sand dunes on which the enemy had constructed
sangars. Dilwar Fort was some 2,000 yards from the shore.
The landing commenced at 11 a.m., covered by the fire of
the Juno, Pijramus and Lawrence. The boats left in three
lines towed by steamboats, under the general command of the
Captain of the Pyramus. For a short time they were under a
very heavy fire from the shore, which was replied to by four of
the boats, in which maxims had been mounted. The deciding
factor, however, in keeping down the enemy's fire was the
manner in which the Juno's salvoes were worked along the
beach in a systematic manner with a lateral spread for the
6-inch guns of about 400 yards. 3 Owing to her draught,
the Juno had been forced to anchor 9^000 yards off, and her
fire was directed from the Lawrence (3,500 yards from shore).
The enemy could be seen leaving their hangars as the salvoes
approached.
The boats grounded 100 yards from the shore; as the
covering party landed the enemy finally evacuated his hangars;
the^ landing was effected without further opposition, and the
position chosen for the base was consolidated. At 3.30 a.m.
next day (14th August) the troops advanced to Dilwar village,
captured the palm groves, and commenced to destroy them. 4
The enemy shortly afterwards attacked in force, and our troops
had to withdraw to camp with some casualties, including
Commander Bloomfield, who had been shot through the body
and died shortly after.
1 Oapt. D. St. A. Wake, S.N.O.
2 Oommdr. Yiscount Kelburn.
3 Report of S.N.O., 16.8.15.
4 300 axes had been taken for the purpose.