MESOPOTAMIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 May 1916, Page 5

MESOPOTAMIA.

SURRENDER OF KUT. GARRISON ON SMALL RATIONS, GENERAL townshuxt goes to CONSTANTINOPLE. London, May 9. Mr. Chandler, war correspondent, slates that before surrendering General Towiishend 'lestroyed the wireless. Klialid Pasha, when receiving Parlenientaires, intimated that he was anxious that the garrison should be well rationed, and General Towns'hend especially, for whom ho expressed profound admiration, would receive every possible comfort. It is understood that General Townshend is proceeding to Constantinople with an aide-de-camp. The Kut garrison, from April 16, were subsisting on a four-ounce ration of flour daily, with a ration jf horse flesh. General Townshend was noaring the end of his resources in January, when considerable stores >f grain were found in the houses, mostly underground. This was commandeered and paid for, and furnished the garrison with three months' food, on a gradually reduced scale, while the <SOO Arab inhabitants, who were previously self-supporting, received the same rations as the soldiers. COMFORT OF THE PRISONERS. AMERICA TO INQUIRE. London, May 9. Sir E. Grey has asked America to obtain from the American Embassy at Constantinople information of the present situation and Mreumstajices of General Townshend's force, and the means whereby medical stores, etc., may be dispatched to them.

DEFENCE OF KUT. A GALLANT RESISTANCE. DESPATCH PROM GENERAL NIXON. Received May 10, H. 30 p.m. London, May 10. General Nixon's despatch, up to the middle of January, details tlie earlier stages of tlie siege of Kut. General Townshend, arriving at Kut on December 3, organised its jfence, Bonding away the prisoners and sick and wounded. The investment was complete on December 7, and next day, after a bombardment from three sides, the Turkish general, Nurredin Pasha -ummoned General Townshend to surrender. Several days' ontinuous bombardment and many infantry attacks followed. The. enemy lost heavily, especially on j December 12, when they lost a thousand men. j Thereafter, operations were conducted |on regular siege lines. The British '■sortied successfully on the nights of the 14th and 17th of December. The i Turks, on Christmas Day, twice stormed the parapets, but were driven out, and thereafter there were no serious enemy attacks. General Nixon pays high tribute to General' Townshend, who was very severely tried at Ctesiphon and during the retirement. He was untiring and resourceful, and became more cheerful as the outlook became darker. The earlier pages of tlie despatch show how the losses at Ctesiphon on November 21 precluded a renewal of the, offensive, although the strong first line of positions had been captured. Air recon.naisa.nces on November 23 disclosed large Turkish columns which threatened to outflank the British right, wnile hostile cavalry threatened to cut off the retreat. [A portion of this message is missing, and had not come through at time of going to press.] THE BRITISH RETIREMENT. Received May 11, 12.55 a.m. London, May 10. The critical stage was reached on the 13th of November at Uin-mal-tubal, where the British main body was forced to halt until the accompanying flotilla cleared the shoals, this enabling the entire Turkish force to catch up with the British. A fierce fight ensued on the Ist of December, but the cavalry counter-at-tacked and enabled the British to retire by echelons of brigades in perfect order. Thus the enemy were shaken off. BRILLIANT NAVAL WORK. A new despatch records a brilliant episode in the Um-mal-Tubal battle. The war vessels Firefly and Comet were heavily shelled. The Firefly was disabled and the Comet towed her, but soon both grounded. The Comet refused to refloat, and the war vessel Sunmana came up. She vainly endeavored to move the Comet, despite the fact that the ships were being battered by fieldguns at short range, and were surrounded by infantry fifty yards distant. The Comet and Firefly caught fire and were abandoned. The Sunmana rescued the crews and escaped. Rear-Admiral Pierce warmly praised Captain Wilfred Nunn for his work in withdrawing the naval forces. 1