"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية: العمليات في بلاد فارس ١٩١٤-١٩١٩" [و‎‎١‎٠‎٠] (٥٦٦/٢٠٤)

165
FAILURE OF SEISTANI LEVIES
Galugan, Captain Wise (28th Light Cavalry) with one troop
28th Light Cavalry and some Seistam levies moved out west-
from the Robat-Seistan road and Captain Bennett (1
Puniabis) with the 100 rifles 19th Punjabis and 117 Seistam
camelry levies garrisoning Nasratabad Sipi moved eastwar .
On the 11th April, leaving fifteen rifles to hold Deham Baghi Affair of
Captain Bennett marched twelve miles to the south-eastward i3th April
to Garagheh and on the 12th, getting news of the raiders, to I9l6 .
Lirudik. Here on the morning of the 13th the raiders were
sighted, some seven miles to the north of the camp, moving
in a south-westerly direction across a wide valley towards a
range of hills to the east of Garagheh.. Sending off the Seistam
camelry, under command of Major Heron, to get
between the raiders and the hills, Captain Bennett moved o
westward after them with his infantry and the baggage. But
as the raiders then made off in a north-easterly direction Captain
Bennett also changed direction and followed them, sending a
request to Major Heron for the levies to leave the hills and move
directly against the raiders. The levies, however, evidently
disliking the idea of coming to close quarters, refused to obey
this order and made a wide detour to the west, losing touch
with Captain Bennett.
The raiders, about six hundred strong, now made tor an
isolated hill in the centre of the valley with the plundered
animals, and, detaching about two hundred of their number
to hold an advanced position rather over a mile to their front,
awaited Captain Bennett’s attack. This started at about
10 30 a.m. and the Punjabis gradually drove the enemy’s
advanced parties back for about a mile till, reinforced from the
hill, they stood fast. Putting all his seventy available rifles*
into the firing line, Captain Bennett advanced over the flat and
open ground till he got within about two hundred yards of the
enemy’s position. The raiders still held fast, however, and
Captain Bennett, whose men had suffered five casualties, decided
to avoid further and heavier losses by delaying his assault till
dusk. At the same time he sent another message asking
Major Heron to bring the levies up behind the Punjabis. But
the levies were scattered, out of control and in no mood to risk
close fighting. In fact, about 5 p.m. they fled altogether, in the
direction of Garagheh, before a demonstration by the raiders.
About the same time the thin line of the Punjabis was suddenly
and unexpectedly charged by about four hundred of the enemy
* Fifteen rifles had been posted to guard the baggage.