MESOPOTAMIA CAMPAIGN.

Mataura Ensign, 13 January 1916, Page 4

MESOPOTAMIA CAMPAIGN.

TURKISH BATTALION DEFEATED. BRITISH FORCE ADVANCING. Received' .January HI, S.o a.m. LONDON, Jan. 12. Air C’andlier 'representative ol‘ the British press with tn o K-x juk! i tion :i ry Force in Mesopotamia > writes:— ‘‘Major-Oeueral Aylmer’s advance up tlin Tigris to join Majoi-Oeneral Towushend in t-r with stnhhorn resistance. Thorn was the heaviest Ji«;htin**; at Sheikh-Shad dialf-way to Knr-e!-Amarak ] *in■_!; nn t'm v hanks of tht' Tigris our cavalry came into contact with tiio Turkish advanced troops on the hank. The Turks, who were in considerahh' strength, were astride the river. Onr cavalry cot heliind on the enemy's extreme right Hank and defeated a whole battalion. Tht' British casualties among’ the infantry were heavy. Onr force came under, heavy rifle and maxint fire from the, Turkish trendies at a distanee of .1200 yards. The flatness and uniform mud rotor of the ground iiutf a hake added to ihe invisihiltiy of the ’Pnrks, whose trendies were remarkahly eoneealed. The Turks’ cavalry attempted to envelop our right, hut the artillery turned them. Their infantry were.too stroute to he dislodged, and we entrenched for the night in positions •JOB (t> 700 yards from the enemy. Not liino- could exceed the gallantry of our attack. Officers of wide experience say they were never under honor title fire at- the same ranee, in the French campaign. Many of onr casualties are alight wounds, mostly due to rilie (ire. The latest reports show that- our force is still advancing.” GERMAN ARTILLERY. Of )MT.V(; FROM CONST A VTI NOP I.E. Received Januarv 18. II turn. RO.MK, Jan. 12. The 'Trihuna’ states that enormous quantities of Oermau artillery are travelling’ from Constantinople towards ..Mesopota mia.