IN MESOPOTAMIA.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 67, 18 March 1916, Page 11

IN MESOPOTAMIA.

EYE-WITNESS' ACCOUNT. (From "Times of Indra," February 9.)

1 A Delhi communique says: — The following message, dated 2nd February, 1916. has been received from use "eye-witness" in Mesopotamia:—The rainy spell has passed, the river is fall- ' ing and there are cle-.ir cold days, with dry wind, drying up mud and froet at night. Our column, advancing up t'?a Tigris, ie in good condition despite exposure and severe weather, and is encamped within twenty-five miles i>f Genera 4 Townsfaend's force at Kut-cl-Amara. The conditions of the western iront are repeated here with modifications. At Shaikh Saad. by throwing back their left flank enrenchments at Tight anglee to their front, the Turks turned our enveloping movement into 1 frontal attack; and again at L'm-al-Hanah on the 21et January a frontal attack wae forced upon us by the Suwaicba marsh, on which the Turks lested their left. The Turks' trenches at Shaikh Saad were of excellent design, being deep and narrow, and troops.couid move quickJy along them from point to point without exposing themselves. Sonic were held by Arab irregulars aii'l cavalry: others were connected by communication trenches with the reserve pasts in the rear. The position was tJm 'same on both banks of the river. Apart from these Turkish tactics, the counfy offers ite defenders three natural idvantages against enveloping move- ; ments by invading force proceeding i along the river. The first is absence nf j water inland. The second 13 presence in many places of impassable ewanipy ground extending to within a mile or two of the Tigris a3 at Al-Hannah marsh. The third is the uniform flatnes-s of the terrain, and the consequent enti.-J absence of natural cover to lh» attacker whether the movement be frontal or enveloping. In addition tj having to attack positions ekil fully prepared under German supervision. o'ir troops in Mesopotamia are lighting under disabilities peculiar to the country and have to advance under heavy fire over ground void of any cover upon the enemy's position. Turks are adept in trench work; tliey dig deep and narrow. Moreover, the mirage and flatness of ground help them often. First thing one sees of the enemy's position is glints of their bayonets. HcTe there are no protective hedge, villages, or banks, but only flat baked HlimitabV sand. Instead of quick bloody rue!', measured by seconds, over a distance of hurdle race, our infantry come under I rifle fire at two thousand yards, also in Khe moving battle they can have no com mun'rcation trenches to curtail the zoihof the fire. The climatic conditions too compare with the worst that was experienced in France in the winter of ISII4. In few campaigns has our army, British and Indian, been so hardly tried or so valiantly proved: now, owing to the recent halt, conditions are becoming more like France. Communication trenches have been cut and a second line transport is accessible. For the . morr.ent operations arc confined to desultory sniping and artillery fire. Later, on Tuesday, our cavalry successfully raided a hoetile Arab encampment, carrying off a quantity of sheep and cattle.