File:The Times history of the war (1914) (14577853548).jpg

Identifier: timeshistoryofwa10lond (find matches)
Title: The Times history of the war
Year: 1914 (1910s)
Authors:
Subjects: Times history of the war Times history and encyclopaedia of the war World War, 1914-1918
Publisher: London
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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the necessity of keeping within supporting distance of the naval flotilla and boats, which were constantly grounding in the loops and twists of the river, the retiring troops could not push on as rapidly as they might have done; and this gave the enemy time to overtake them. The position was one to cause grave anxiety. On November 29 the cavalry under Brigadier-General Roberts drove back some enemy horsemen who were attacking a stranded gunboat. The 14th Hussars and 7th Hariana Lancers made a successful charge, and killed or wounded 140 of them. But the Turks were still advancing, and on the following day, Genoral Townshend was forced to halt at Umm-el-Tubal because the shipping was in trouble owing to shoal water, the gunboat Shaitan having grounded. Her guns and stores were removed by the Firefly and Shushan under heavy sniping from both banks, but the Shaitan could not be refloated and had to be abandoned. The delay was considerable, and during the night of the 30th the whole Turkish force came up. At daylight on December 1 they attacked in great strength, and a hard fight ensued. The Turks lost heavily from the British artillery fire, and a successful attack made by the cavalry brigade against a column which tried to envelop the British right flank enabled General Townshend to break off the fight and retire. But the enemy's attacks were resolute, and he reported that only "the splendid steadiness of the troops and the excellence of his Brigadiers" had allowed him to extricate his force from its difficult position. It had been in serious danger, and though the Turks were shaken off for the time, their superiority in the field was now manifest. On December 3, without further fighting, the British force was installed at Kut, and the retreat was at an end. Though closely pressed, General Townshend had brought in with him the 1,650 prisoners taken at Ctesiphon, and there had never been anything approaching a rout. Nevertheless, the losses of the force during the battle and retreat had been severe.
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BRITISH TROOPS GETTING A GUN OVER A "BUND"
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