IN MESOPOTAMIA

Grey River Argus, 12 April 1916, Page 5

IN MESOPOTAMIA

TURKS STILL CONFIDENT.

GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF BRI-

TISH ADVANCE

(Reed.. 8.40 pan.)

CONSTANTINOPLE, April 10.

Telegrams from the Turks express confidence in the situation in Mesopotamia.

They have concentrated over one hundred thousand at Mosul, ton miles from Baghdad, .and are feverishly constructing defence work.

They believe they can thus with stand the combined British and Russians.'

Mr Candler, writing from the British Headquarters, describes the storming of Umm el Hannah and Felahie on Wednesday and Thursday. *

The preparations for the attack were most thorough, nothing being left to chance.

Trains checked the advance, of El Hanah on the 21st January, when we\adyanced in the open. Since then we have been tinuaUy sapping up to the enemy's posrfioh. •

After the completion of sixteen miles of. complicated sap work the British firing line was within a hundred yards of the TurfcV first line. " \ B6mbers t cheering, crept over the parapet at dawn. ; A few seconds of rifle and machine gun fire snowed the enemys trenches, whereof the entanglements Were broken down by /the bombardment. ,The first line was captured by ■a quick^rash.

Th^i artillery then opened on the third line, but there was no serious resistance until we searched the Felahie position, two and a half miles behiiid the Turkish front.

Here the communication trench es were wide and deep andadai>tto pack transport.

The position was two miles in length, with a flanking trench thrown out north and south. . .

! Tbe attacking brigade came in i?or heavy rifle and machine gun fire.: -

Advancing over uncompromising ground we assaulted and carried trendies on the right of the river. r

The rest of the trenches were rushed aSter dark, the Turks 'being cleared out with the bayonet.

Our casualties were not heavy, considering the stubborn resistance and the nature of the ground