"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية: العمليات في بلاد فارس ١٩١٤-١٩١٩" [ظ‎‎٢‎٥‎٥] (٥٦٦/٥١٧)

454
OPERATIONS IN PERSIA
Bushire Field After the new camel road over the Mallu pass had been com-
December pleted, the striking force (less the cavalry squadron and a section
1918 . of the machine gun company) concentrated on the 19th Decem
ber at Gharum, five miles from the Kamarij pass, to the summit
of which the track ascended steeply through a rocky and
precipitous defile. That afternoon, from a high hill which
commanded the summit of the pass from the west at a range of
4,500 yards, General Elsmie could see some 100 or 150 of the
enemy building sangars along the main ridges ; and he decided
to attack next morning. A direct attack was to be made by the
1 /55th Rifles, advancing under cover of fire from the mountain
guns on this high hill and of rifle and machine gun fire provided
by the 1/117th Mahrattas and a section of the machine gun
company posted on a ridge to the south-west of the pass ; and
the l/127th Baluchis were to advance up the main range well
to the left, so as to gain the crest about a mile to the north of
the pass and cut off the enemy's retreat to Rahdar.
The attack took place as arranged. Under an accurate and
effective covering fire the l/55th Rifles, under Lieutenant-
Colonel H. E. Herdon, went forward without a check and cleared
the summit at the cost of only three casualties. They then
pressed on and occupied Kamarij village. The casualties of
the enemy, who had fought well, are unknown ; but they do not
appear to have been heavy, the 127th Baluchis not having
reached the crest in time to take part in the action.
Kazerun, which was only about twenty miles from Kamarij,
could have been occupied without difficulty. But as the transport
and supply arrangements were incomplete, a pause was made in
the British advance; and General Elsmie's troops were employed
in carrying out reconnaissances and in improving the routes
leading from Charum into the Kazerun valley. At first the enemy
strove to interfere with the working parties by long range fire,
but after the 27th December, when he was attacked and driven
off the neighbouring hills, he attempted no further hostilities.
On the 23rd December General Douglas reported that
Wassmuss and Oertel, saying that they had received no orders
from their own Government and could not recognise our
authority, declined to come in. It is noteworthy, in this con
nection, that the armistice terms with Germany did not
specifically apply to Persia.
During December, the sphere of control of the Inspector of
Communications was extended to the Mallu Pass. Camels were
generally working from railhead at Borazjan to Dalaki, whence
onwards for the most part pack mules only were employed,