MARCH ON BAGDAD

New Zealand Times, Volume XLI, Issue 9258, 27 January 1916, Page 7

MARCH ON BAGDAD

FIRST FULL STORY FIGHTING 40 HOURS WITHOUT WATER. LONDON, November 12. The first detailed account of the British battle near Kut-el*Amara, on the Tigris, the list place of importance on the road to Bagdad, has lost reached England. By the morning of September 29th the Turkish army was in full retreat, the road to Kut was open, and the greater part of Lower Mesopotamia was held by the British, who had then only 100 miles to go by road to reach Bagdad, or about 200 miles by the winding Tigris. The account, which is'given in the “Tiroes of India,’’ says:— Examining the position after the fight, one could only wonder how human effort had been able to slaughter troops concealed in such perfect protection. A network of communication trenches ten feet deep ran to the rear of the captured Turkish position/ crossing each other in every direction. Villages of underground houses and coffee shops showed how the Turfcs had managed to exist in the blazing months during which they had occupied the Position.

Dawn on September 27th found our whole force in position. In a short time all the line was engaged by tue enemy’s long-range fire. The British troops on the right bank of the Tigris developed heavy artillery and infantry fire, driving in the advanced Turkish troops. General Fry (allotted a frontal Attack) meanwhile pushed an under heavy artillery fire and succeeded in getting within 2000 yards of the section (if defence to his front by 3 in the afternoon.' By noon on the 27th a bridge of boats was in position a short distance above where the troops had diseffiparkr ed from the boats.

A CRISIS OVERCOME. As Soon as light appeared Op the 28th General Delajnain deployed hi# force for attack. The position became critical, as the hnpihy in tbis whom .of one section were greatly superior in numbers to the small force left in front of thehi, had their heavy fire had air ready begun to tell on the troops. Nor thing hilt bold and resolute action could have Inot it,© Situation, fnu General Delainain was prompt in seizMahratios, and the 22nd Company ,pf Sappers and Miners were ordered to takd the trenches. All available artillery concentrated on a small portion of the position in front and thp infantry worked their way slowly forward. the remainder of the Dorset* were sent forward to strengthen the line, and as the Turkish fire slackened for a' moment the infantry ■ riiabed forward and captured the first line of trenches at the point of the bayonet. Here their work was by no m«an* finished, for a devastating hie sw’ept them from the rest of this section of the defence which was stall in the hands of the enemy. A wheel te the left in the maze of trenches brought them face to face'with very strong bodies of Turks, and after a gallant attempt to force their way forward they were compelled to await tliq leading troops of the flanking force which were now coming round the marsh.

Junction with these was effected at about half-past 16 in the morning. Coming in on the right they swept the whole of the Turkish defences be* tween the two marshes from left to right, only completing their task at 2 o’clock in the afternoon. This waa not accomplished without very severe fighting, as the .enemy preferred regaining in their underground defences to running the gauntlet of fire over the open plain, and a large number, of prisoners fell into th© hands of the British. THE POSITION W, At last the positiori was cleared and the units re-formed' to continue 'tile advance. ■■■

-The day (September 28th) had been very hot and both men and horses were suffering greatly for want ”Of water. As always, the marsh water was quite unfit to drink; so foul, indeed', that the men, exhausted as they were, had no desire for it. The force had been marching atd fighting' ’sihee the previous morning and had had nq •water ?ince the previous evening. Tfiey had Just 'carried put g, torped mgrdh of fir© hours round the marsh and fought a 'severe action, and a scorching wind, with dense clouds of dust, had swept the desert during the hitole day. They ‘ were failing for want of water, but by marching round the hack of the* ehemy’s position between the fiver and the marsh General Delamain hoped ip fpaipi tKj riv©r at one of its bendl before he was called upon to engage the enemy again. '

Iw this hope the column advanced, and at about 5 o’clock in tie afterr nocn_ had reached a pftint' behind the Turkish pdjSitich. abottt. a mile\aji4 i half from s£s rivgf.' figfe ' Gnieral Delamain, realising that they could apt reach Water by that route, determined to attack the Turkish position from the rear, and,changing the 'di;: petition of his column, ' marched straight towards the trenches, ' had the change been cAfjried put when the British colufim realised that they werp marching parallel ’ ttf a large force of the enemy’s infantry and guns at a distance of about a mile. ' There was to time for prepara r tioii pr orders fpf attack, her, indeed, was there any need for them. An order to “right furn’-’ brought (lie wearied British'infantry and ghoa face to fide’ with' tije Tufkisfi' fftree'. Without fifing a shot the troop* turned and advanced on the enemy. The Turk* had'realised she situation at the Same moment., but fortune favoured them, for the road along which’ they were passing lay along the edge el a disused sunken watercut, and they quickly slipped into this. The guns opened a rapid fire against the Turkish - artillery at a range' of SSOQO yards, and after a short duel silenced them completely—s<f completely th»t there w.4f found tp behardly a man alive .when the 104th "Wellesley’s Rifles reached thorn. From under the shelter pf their Watercut the Turks poured a murderous fire on the advancing'infantry,” and Tt is hardly too' much to'say that if the light had been better tip infantry cquld ever have crossed the ground Though suffering heavy losses the British pushed straight on, only j siisinc to return the fire before they cVted ■v’th the enemy. At 2® yards the ci'r der was given to fix bayonets, and al

the whole line surged forward to tb* final ay fault the Turk* fcrok* fra* their plselter aid led. Btl the British were not allowed to profit "by their rier tory, for darkness had already fallen. The troops had marched and fooght for 24 hours. The dire necessity for reaching water had been recognised, but instead they had been fated to fight an action skill more severe than the first against a fresh enemy. Human eftsrt could do np fiiore. Although it Ww expected that >1 possible the Turks would slip »Jb night, there wm- no weans m smmunicating nitti hff(dqu#rter*. for the Turkish positipp fgU Isy fepWMM General Delajnw? and MIWW iff* forces. The eshaiuted troop* «Mpt on the ground on which they had Throughout tho day H.M.ft. Comet and the armed launches with the Royal Navy (on the river Tigris) had been well ahead bp in the firing line and subjected to heavy artiUajr Ip*. During the nigh*. in a gaUapt ptwffpt to cut the wires of the obstruction fp the river, the Senior Nevsl o«e*r, Lieut. Commapder Coob»on, lost his life. ■ ' ' ' . . The Turks evacuated the whole position during the night. Toe Royal Naval ships pressed on at dawn add a force was embarked as toon pa possible for the pursuit. Wounded lag in all directions over the Aid# field, and in MseopotMnia it is f#l possible to abandon thoin to the tend«r wpjw p| tljp Ante. . wp# especially the ewe wjtV main’s force, ftor Wft be Collected and protected, .and it MU neon on the 3fitb heforw Aar reerhed tbe river, after a period withont water of 40 hours. , Qn morning of Septppseer Bwjh Rufiel-Ajaara way forin&iy occupied by the British.