MESOPOTAMIAN OPERATIONS.

Marlborough Express, Volume L, Issue 82, 6 April 1916, Page 5

MESOPOTAMIAN OPERATIONS.

GENERAL. NIXON'S DESPATCH

DETAILS OF THE FIGHTING

,'(Received April 6, 6.^5 a.in,), • , • , :- !/r LONDON, April 5- .'•..; General Nixon's despatch regard--ing the 'Mesopbtamian opterati£n3 narrates that 'General. Gbrringe .was seven Hveeiis; in April and Mayclearing iPetsian i^i»abis^an> enabling . the biirfields to ; resume; operation^. Meanwhile General Townshend was collecting many long narrow boats called!, bellums, covered with iron plates; The troops' were trained in panting-, and guns were mounted on rafts and barges. The preparations were completed at the end, of May, wJien;the Turks entrenched north of Quar'nah v . on 'islands standing but oi the'inundations. ••■- The flotilla of;bellums advanced to tile attack on. May 31st, the irifaritry carrying the position with the '-bayonet-. After poliny the heliums for over a mile through the thick reeds, the troops landed waist deep in Describinrg 'General Townshend's first, advan-ce General Nixon says, that the Turkish position was seven miles ■> north-east of ICut-el-Amara. A formidable boom blocked the Tigris, and entrenchments linked up the gaps between that river and marshes. The defences were well designed. Behind were mites -'tif. trenches, providing covered outlets to the Tigris, where landing stages facilitated the transfer of Turks to and from the ships. General Townshend's victory on September 28th was due to a feint attack south of the river, followed by the construction pf a bridge by which troops were conveyed to the northern side under cover of night.- Victory was concluded %y a most gallant "bayonet attack. The enomy were only saved, from complete destruction by the fall of night. \