"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية: العمليات في بلاد فارس ١٩١٤-١٩١٩" [ظ‎‎٨‎٩] (٥٦٦/١٨٣)

146
OPERATIONS IN PERSIA
East Persia; Information received by Colonel Wikeley in the first half of
Jan i 9 iZ J anuar y indicated that the Germans at Kerman were likely to
(See Map 2.) use either the Khabis-Neh line of advance or that via Naiband
to Birjand. Owing to the lack of water, however, both these
routes appeared to be unsuitable for the movement of large
bodies of men. A party of three Germans with a number of
Persian sowars was also reported to have reached Bam in the
second week of January and to be instigating Sarhaddis and
Baluchis in the neighbourhood to join in the Jahad and attack
the British.
On the 18th January Colonel Wikeley learnt that Seiler,
two Germans and sixteen armed followers had reached Deli
Salm, a village on the borders of the Kain highlands and the
Dasht-i-Lut; that they were being followed by a second party
of some strength; and that two other parties intended to attack
Birjand and move towards Robat respectively. The news of
the German arrival at Deh Salm had been brought into Neh
the previous day by one of the local British intelligence agents,
who had been taken prisoner by the German party at Deh
Salm on the 16th but had managed to escape the same evening,
Lieutenant J. Brownlow (28th Light Cavalry) at once set out
from Neh with fifty sabres and reached Deh Salm early on the
18th, while a party of infantry and levies followed him in sup
port. On approaching Deh Salm his cavalry made a detour
in the hope of cutting the enemy off, but found that they had
left the village and had taken up a position on a ridge to the
westward. Here Lieutenant Brownlow’s men made attempts
to surround them, but they retreated fighting further into the
hills and maintained their hold of the commanding heights till
dark with the loss of only one of their number, Lieutenant
Winkelmann, who was taken prisoner. The remainder with
their camels succeeded in effecting their escape after dark.
On the 18th Colonel Wikeley had also started off with the
bulk of the force at Nasratabad to march to Neh. But his
advance was delayed by difficulty in getting boats to cross the
Hamun which was in flood; and his column did not reach
Neh till the 24th, when he learnt that Seiler's party had returned
to Khabis. As Seiler was unlikely to attempt another advance
by the same route in the near future and as there was insuffi'
cient forage for animals at Neh, Colonel Wikeley left that
place on the 27th and moved back with the greater part o
his column to Seistan.
It appears from German accounts that over forty Germans
and Austrians were at Kerman at the beginning of January.