LAND AND WATER 
January 20, 1916. 
surv'oyca m tiio desert of Et-tih—and we are 
already nearing the'end of January ! 1 
(6) THE MESOPOTAMIAN FRONT. 
The Mesopotamian front. liiough con- 
rerned with very small numbers, is of acute 
interest in this country, has a considerable political 
signilicance in the East, and therefore deserves a 
fairly full analysis. 
A British Expeditionary force, which may be 
called a division in strength, but which was sup- 
jiorted by auxiliaries, after advancing to the 
neighbourhood of Bagdad up the Tigris and 
lighting successfully at Ctesiphon, found itself in 
the presence of \ery large forces, and fell back a 
week's march down the Tigris to the point where 
the Shatt-al-Gharaf comes in to the main river. 
Thisjunction is called the" Kut,"or fort, of Amara. 
The British force here entrenched itself on the 
northern or left bank of the Tigris, controlling 
also the further southern bank. The Turks cut 
it 'off upstream (as along the line B on Sketch V) 
and downstream (as along the line C) and the 
original British Expeditionary Force against 
Bagdad was thus isolated. A relieving force was 
meanwhile coming up the river Tigris from the 
Sea. On the 7th of this montli it fought a success- 
fill action at the point of Sheik Sa-ad, between 
25 and 30 miles east of the beleagured position 
of Kut El-Amara, and, down stream, perhaps 
something under 50 miles. It must clearly be 
understood that the Turkish forces thus beaten 
and forced back along the Tigris by the relieving 
force were only screens thrown out (as along the 
lines I, 2, and 3 upon Sketch V.) to fall back to some 
main position where the real test would come. 
Their retirement has nothing decisive about it 
and is no definite point in our favour. The 
Turkish bodies hitherto met are, at such a distance 
from their main business (the containment of the 
British force at Kut) only bodies of observation. 
In the following week, that is, up to the last 
icw days, the relieving British force advanced 
along the river as far as the point G, which is 
marked b}' the ruins of Orah. There it dispersed 
yet another stand made by the Turkish army of 
observation, and it has in the last few days ad- 
vanced up to the Wady, or watercourse (a gully in 
the dry season, marked upon Sketch V by the 
letter F). Meanwhile the Turkish army of obser- 
vation, which in retirement lost prisoners and 
guns, has fallen back to the main position. 
jThere lies north of the river Tigris at this point, 
and. between it and the frontier mountains^ ot 
Persia, a vast expanse of salt marsh, impassable in 
this wet.seaijon, and in the dry season a huge flat 
of salt. It is in shape a wedge, the apex of 
which comes down to the Tigris. It is marked 
upon Sketch V with the letter E. 
Now here is a position. From the marsh 
there flows towards the Tigris a stream, its line is 
continued by the bend of the ri\'er. Beyond the 
river to the south are certain mounds. From the 
marsh, therefore, southward, there is a continuous 
line (marked upon sketch V with the letters DD D) 
which may be held against the force advancing 
from the east. This is that position upon which 
the main Turkish army has now retired, and there 
it is awaiting the advance of the British relieving 
force still advancing up river. The relieving force 
is a small one. It, has a numerically superior 
enemy in. front of it. It has the advantage that 
it comes up the river fully equipped, especially- with 
bridging, materials which the enemy lacks. Tlif 
British can operate. on either bank of the stream. 
The Turks arc under difficulties in crossing from 
the northern bank. The old l^ridgt? of boats 
which once existed at the point X on Sketch V has 
been removed by the British at Kut-el- Amara. 
The passage of the Tigris, rapid at this season a|Kl 
broad at this lower portion of its course, is. thus , a 
capital element in the situation, and the power 'of ' 
the British relieving force to .fight on either sjcl^ 
of th,e obstacle at will is an advantage. But t^ic 
advantage in numbers is, as I have said, upon tK^ 
other side. 
We shall be assured in the next few da,ys 
of the effort of this relieving force coming up the 
Tigris to force the main Turkish position along 
D DD and to relieve the original British force 
which lies cut off at A. 
H. Beli.cc. 
V 
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JFMies 
