THE BRITISH SUCCESS IN MESOPOTAMIA

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2741, 8 April 1916, Page 5

THE BRITISH SUCCESS IN MESOPOTAMIA

GOOD SCORE BY AYLMER'S SDCCESSOR

INITIAL VICTORY FOLLOWED UP AND

CONSOLIDATED

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright

London, April G. Sir Percy Lake reports that the Tigris Corps, under General Gorringe, General Aylmer's successor, attacked Umm-el-Henna at 6 o'clock in tho morniiig of April 5. Our trenches had been pushed forward by means of saps to within a hundred yards of the enemy's position. From these the leading battalions of the 13th Division rushed the enemy's first and second lines in quick succession! The third line was captured at 6 o'clock. Supported by concentrated artillery and machine-gun fire, the 13th Division continued the victorious advance, and an drove out the enemy from tho fourth and fifth lines. '

Aeroplane reconnaissances reported that the enemy was strongly Teinforcing the Falmhiyah and Sannayyat positions, respectively six thousand and' twelve thousand yards from the front trenches of TJmm-el-Honna. As these positions were only approachable over open ground, General Gorringe defencd further attack till the evening. Meanwhile, on the right bank, the third division, under General Cary, captured the enemy's trenches opposite Falmhiyah., The- enemy in the afternoon, on this bank strongly counter-attacked with infantry and cavalry, supported by guns. We successfully repulsed the attack, and consolidated the, position won. ■ , General Gorringe, at 8 o'clock in the evening, resumed the advance, and carried the Falmhiyah positions./ Reports state that the Umm-el-Hennan position was strongly entrenched, its left flank resting on the Khor-i-Suwekie marsh and its right on the rivetfront. The trenches were 9ft. deep, with a' system of ctxended, successive lines to a depth of 2500 yardsr GOOD NEWS AFTER ANXIOUS WAITING London, 'April 6. Newspapers give prominence to the news regarding K.ut-el-Amara. The report of General Sir Percy Lake's success coincides with the publication of General Nixon's dispatch. The absence of recent news from General Townshend caused increasing public anxiety; General Lake's success gives both the long-suffering force at ICut and the long-suffering public at Home a ray of hope. Though the main Turkish position remains to be attacked, General Lake has apparently been lucky; the inundations from the Armenian highlands have not made operations impossible, as many military experts had fearejl... Umm-cl-Henna' is on the left bank of the Tigris, and constitutes the first line of the enemy's formidable position. There was no room for manoeuvring, it having a front of only a mile and a half. We tried to force this bottle-neck on January 21, but General Aylmer was unable to hold the ground won. A DIVISION OF HEROES; (Rec. April 7, 11.10 p.m.) ' . London, April 7. The newspapers recall that the 13 fcli Division, which was mentioned in Sir Percy Lake's report, belongs to the New Army. It earned the title of the Iron Division at Gallipoli, and went through the fiercest of the fighting of August. Sir lan Hamilton mentioned that this division lost 6000 out of 10,500. WAS IT ANOTHER CHURCHILL BLUNDER ? , TOWNSHEND'S DASH FOR BAGDAD. ' The "Morning Post';, attacks the Government, General Nixon's advice it overruled the India Office, and directed General iownshend to make a dash for Bagaad, though General Townshend protested on- the ground of the inadequacy t of his force. Mr. Churchill's restless brain was responsible, his probable motive being to divert the Turks from Gallinoli and thus retrieve the ghastly bunder of the Dardanelles '