THE SIEGE OF KUT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2772, 16 May 1916, Page 5

THE SIEGE OF KUT

STORY OF BRITISH PLUCK AND ENDURANCE HUNGRY DAYS AT THE LATTER END By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright (Kec. May 15, 8.10 p.m.) London, May 15. Mr v . Edmund Candler (the British war correspondent in Mesopotamia) Bends the first connected narrative of the siege of Kut-el-Amara. "When Genoral Townsliend arrived at Kut on December 3,". b'e writes, "four Turkish divisions and •omo thousand tribesmen were within teii miles of him. The British were holding a peninsula G2OO yard.? long by. 1700 wide, while two British battalions fortified the garrison, a liquorice factory, and a village on the right bank of the Tigris. The troops were worn out by their long spell of fighting in March. ■ "The. 'enemy . immediately commenced the investment, and by December. 7 a Turkish division' had moved around Townshend's flank, four miles- 'to the south, and.two divisions took up a position west of ICu-t. Townshond's refusal to surrender on December 9 was followed by a heavy bombardment, and .the enemy's attacks were pressed severely all day on December 10 and 11. We lost 120 on December 10 and 202 on December 11. Tho enemy dug up to within six ' hundred yards of our lines, strengthening his works with'sandbags and timber.. Our casualties dropped to G2 on December 15, and the Turks were becoming tired of these ineffectual attacks. They have lost at least a thousand men. "General Townshend throughout made repeated sorties. A small fcrce from thq liquorice factory drove the enemy out of their trenches, but increased boldness in an attack on December 24 indicated that tho enemy had been reinforced. Their famous ;52nd Division arrived from tho Caucasus, and our fort was heavily shelled. Largo breaches were' made in the wall, arid the garrison was driven out from its first line of defence. Though the enemy in reply were repulsed by our counter-attack, 'thev delivered another fierce attack at midnight.' The Turks carried our northern bastion, but were n<Kiia driven out. Our casualties totalled 315.■ ' • ' ' , "A Turkish prisoner said that our fort was a cemetery for the Turkish dead, The 52nd Division had been annihilated, and the enemy on December 29 asked foi an armistice'to bury their dead.. Oui casualties for the month were 1840 killet ond wounded, whife the enemy's totalled 4001). The failure of their Christina: Day attack and the approach of our lieving force introduced a new phase oi the siege, the enemy shelling the garrieor nightly with big guns. The' Pinch of Hunger. "General Townshend had to fight him ger. Horse meat was at first ,plentifui and large quantities of grain were dis covered on January 24. It was impossible to utilise the latter owing to the diffi culty of grinding it, but millstones wer dropped by aeroplanes. Scurvy set in on February 5, though tho vegetables which General Townsheud had had planted bore welcome fruit before the capitulation. The British soldiers by February 5 were receiving a twelve-ounce loaf, a pound ol meat, and a few groceries and dates, as their daily Tation, while the Indian rations cous'isted of a poind of flour, hah rations of tea, chillies, ginger, and dates. The rations lasted on this scale until March 5, when the British loaf and the Indians' flour were reduced to ten ounces. This ration was again reduced on March 31. On April 0 the British and Indians had onlv four ounces of flour, while during the 'last phase of the siege salt, flour, and tea were dropped by aeroplanes, which had previously dropped light articles, including rifle cleaners, spare parts, wireless, fishing nets, cigarettes, and tobacco. As it was impossible to supply luxuries for all, General Townshend refused further supplies of tobacco, and personally'shared every privation. "After April 20 many of the Arabs were feeling the pinch of hunger, and. attempted to escape by swimming. Two got through to the British at Sannaiyat, with the help of the current, one, supported bv skin "bladders, making the journey m the night in eight hours. Another came aboard a raft with a bullet in his leg. The Arabs emphasised the cheerfulness of the garrison. They aid that the men looked thin, but well. They expressed strong admiration for General 'lownshend, a feeling which amounted to superstition. They said that the cigarettes wero selling at Bd. each. _ , , . "The onlv member of the luit-el-Aniara garrison who has yet arrived at Basra vi Spot, General Townshend's fox-terrier.