MESOPOTAMIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 January 1919, Page 5

MESOPOTAMIA.

f ' : iJMVfifG THE TURKS.-' " v f , ii SUMMARY OF GENERAL MARSHALL'S DISPATCH. The-following is a summary of n dispatch received from Lieutenant-C. -h.tal Marshall, who took over comuiund of tlio Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force after the death of General Maude in November, 1917. General Marshall first deals with tho perl&d When General Maude was still in command.

' The latter's Jasfc dispatch had carried the story of the events down' to the fall of Ramiuli. "At the commencement of the period of ilift present dispatch this force was opposed on the northeast bv Turks who wero 'holding the hills known as -letel Hamrin, while up the Tigris they were entrenched in front of Daur and the left wing was se* cure at Raciadi. At the beginning of Ocibber it was decided to clear the Turk from the left bank of the Diala and occupy the Jebel Hamrin." These operations were successful, though the Turks fcsfikped anhihililtloii by flight. "All our objectives were gained and a position astride the Diala Gorge, protecting the headwork of the canals was seized and eonsolidated»" General Marshall alludes to the great amount of work neoeSßSfy to ensure a perffect system of cOtatftufikation • in this fOtwafd area. Six canals had to be bridged. "Seventy-five bridges were built in this area alone, and tho Jebel Hamrin, which prior to oitr occupation was a roadless tangle of hills, was gradually plercsd by it vefy complete Hid ctttitett' ient number of roads."

"While these operations were in progress the 18th Turkish Army Corps on the Tigris undertook a counter-demon-tratiou against our troops on than line, and in the middle of Octobef atlv&he&a

•s far as El Huwealat, eight miles north of Safnafa," General Maude decided to attack thfifli ibeforS they could dig in. This was done and the Turks began to retreat at once, but suffered severely during the course of their retifemelttt. The Sth and 28th Infantry Brigade and the Cavalry Brigade drtiVe them back to Tekrii with a losa Of 2000 men and large quantities of ammunition and stores. After the conclusion of these successful operations tile bulk of our troops withdrew to Samara. "On NoVeibber 19th, the army in Mesopotamia received the ftetoa of the death from cholera of our beloved and revered chief. Lieutenant-Genera! Gir Stanley Maude, His geniuß had altered the whole face of affairs in Mesopotamia: he had taken over an army whose moral had been severely tried by tlie jv failure to effect the relief of Kut, whose health had been sapped by a very ti'yihg climate, but in a few months iby his hard work and great gifts of organisation, clear-sightedness, determination, and above all by hid intehse sympathy with and love for Ills soldiers, a vary different state of affairs came into being. When he considrted that all was perfectly ready and not before, he moved, and from that time the force never looked back. When, therefore, S had the honor of being appointed as hia successor the moral of the army was magnificent."

"Towards the end of November 1 decided to attack that part of the Turkish army which was holding the Diala river above MansurH'a, the passtea over the Jebel Httmrift and Kara Tepe. These opcratidiiS Were entrusted to Lientenant-GenSra.l Sir li. Egertoti, while, an independent force of Cavnli'y under Major-General L. C. Jone3 was Ordered to demonstrate up the Adliaim river and prevent strong reinforcements being brought down against oiir attacking force from the line Tuz Kcr-raotli-Kirkuk." Valuable assistance was also given by a Russian detachment urtder Lieutenant-Colonel Bicharakhov. These operations, which included the farces of the passages Of two rivers and two passes,, wefe completely successful. ' The Sakaltutan and Abu Zenabil passes were held and a bridgehead established at Kizil Robat." The advanced iroopS, which had driven the Turks headlong tlftough Kifri, capturing prisoners and fhuch material, were as usual withdrawn. "On December 9, Khanakin >vas oocupiedi and the communications in that area improved."

General Marshall then turns to events On the Euphrates. "Rfimadi had Deed captured in September, and the months from. October to December were occupied in consolidating the formost positions and in establishing a aenae of security amongst the surrounding tribes." Several bridges were thrown across the river. "During Decetaber and January it Wan evident that the Turks were being reinforced, the bulk of their troops being near Hit, and as their strength grew their patrols Wefe pushed downstream as far as Uqbah sttid Xafata. I accordingly issued orders to MajorGeneral Sif H. T. Bfdoking, commanding the troops on the Euphrates front, to capture Hit and its garrison as soon as hie arrangements were completed and the state of the ground permitted," The advance began Mi February 10th. The Turkish main position was found to be jiist aboVa Hit, behind a depression knowft tts Bfoad Wadi, while two-thirds of his troops were fifteen miles further up stream at Salahlya. The Turks began to retreat, being badly mauled by Our aeroplanes in the prooess. "Hit was occupied on the 9th atid Salahiya on the 10th. I then issued orders to drive the enemy as far as possible from Hit and inflict all possible damage upon him. To assist in this object additional mobile, troops, including a Cfcvalry brigade and light armored rtiotor-cara, were ordered to Hit, with instructions to move bynight and conceal themselves by day, so that the enemy might thing that 110 further advance were intended. In many other ways efforts, apparently successful, ware made to deceive the Turks as to our intentions." "Ob the 26th tho plan Of operations wua to make sun attack in strength against the enemy'j left, and to send the «&V&!ry and armored oafs round his right flank." The Turks were, however, discovered to bo retiring from Khan fiftghdadi. Meantime the cavalry after a long a<nd difficult march, gained th 9 Aleppo road shortly after 5 p.m., and. cut off the enemy's retreat by road tod five:'. About 11.30 p.m. the Turks teffliched * heavy attack "in tho hope of breaking through, but were completely fepulsado with, the lose of 1000 prisoner"

Vvith the ttfrfta! of the Infantry next moaning ike end com*. Many prisoners wafe tak«tf and the puttfait cftttied on fot 73 wiileii tip the riv&r, the Turks 'fteifeg worst out and demoralised. The eoiflfiiftMftr and the staff of the SOth Division vtefo captttred with 3000 men, bejt-uaty> Gemm, twelw guns swd great cjuatttlfcSad'O# «rtJ»aar msieoffal. ""Rki cofiipletti ed«M»t of this operation 1 attt/bute id the swat-erfy way Ift

Wfeaeral Sir EL T. Bfotekfog AM fafr fveiy complete preparatory axr&gu> .meats." [ This closes the rwtWd ef eirfens flfeirf* png in the period, though General Mmsftliall alludes to many minor : and other raids. General Marshall finishes with wfcrnt 'tributes to all the services under Ids command. "The high standard of e£S< diency displayed by all ranks of th« Medical Service lias been most gratify, ift.i; to liu'i and reflects great credit oil' Sergeant,-General BienkinsOn, my Ditec-' tor of Medical Services. The health oft, the troops has shown marked improve-' merit as conipared with the ing month of JBIO-17. The standard ow comfort and efficiency of the hospital*] , Is most satisfactory," *