Enemy aeroplanes also put in frequent appearances, but in only one case did their bombs cause any damage. Several schemes for sorties were prepared and the Battalion actually paraded for some, but they did not eventually take place. Great difficulty was met with in getting the men to eat horsemeat and they did not do so until very near the end of the siege; they did, however, find many kinds of edible weeds and grass to cook and supplement the scanty ration. The casualties in Kut up to the end of February totalled 3,000. [Sidenote: March.] On March 8th and 9th the Battalion, with others, was held in readiness to cross the river, and co-operate with the relief force, and great was the disappointment when its failure was made known. On the 10th rations were reduced to 10 ounces of barley and 4 ounces for parching, and all surplus animals were killed. On the 15th the enemy was again flooded out of his trenches. For some time past the whole British garrison had been employed daily in making bricks and collecting materials, and nightly in completing the flood bund. The flood arrived on the 16th and continued rising until on the 27th Kut was an island. On the 28th rations were reduced to 8 ounces, and the same day a new problem appeared in the percolation of water through the ground into the trenches from the flood outside. This gave serious anxiety and much hard work to counteract, nearly to the end of the siege. The men now began to become very weak and emaciated, but retained their spirits, in which all were much helped by the constant and distinctly heard bombardments of the enemy trenches by the relieving force, whose flashes and bursts could be easily seen at night. Casualties of the 76th from the commencement of the siege to the end of March:—Officers: British—Died of wounds, 1; wounded, 2. Indian—Killed, 1; wounded, 4. Rank and File—Killed, 32; died of wounds, 17; wounded, 90; missing, 2; died of disease, 16. Followers—Killed, 2; died of wounds, 1; wounded, 3; total, 171. [Sidenote: April.] On April 9th rations were reduced to 7 ounces, on the 10th to 5 ounces, and on the 11th to 4 ounces, when the men at last overcame their prejudices and commenced eating horsemeat. Our aeroplanes were now dropping supplies daily, but were unable to carry sufficient to feed the garrison. On the 24th the gallant attempt of the _Julnur_ was made to run up river with supplies, and great was the disappointment to see her ashore at Magasis the next morning. Surrender now appeared inevitable, the reserve ration had been eaten and men were actually dying of starvation. Sentries could no longer stand at their posts, but sat down, and for about three weeks the Battalions in the trenches had not been relieved as the men were too weak to move their equipment, bedding and stores. It was indeed a pitiful sight to see the men weak and emaciated, but one was proud that the men of the Battalion kept up their morale and did their utmost to carry out any order given.