The Relief of ChitralYounghusband, G. J. (George John)
History
The Relief of Chitral
Younghusband, G. J. (George John)
India -- History -- Chitral Campaign, 1895
of his regiment, after a quarter of a century of distinguished service
with it.
It was in crossing this open ground that the extraordinary bravery
of the enemy became more brilliantly evident. Standard-bearers with
reckless gallantry could be seen rushing to certain destruction,
falling perhaps within ten yards of the invincible line of the Guides.
Nay, sometimes men, devoid of all fear, and having used up the whole
of their ammunition, rushed forward with large rocks and hurled these
at the soldiers, courting instant death. They were like hounds on
their prey. Nothing could damp their ardour or check the fury of their
assaults. Even after the Guides had crossed the Jandul stream, and
the enemy were under a severe flank fire from the Gordon Highlanders
and the King's Own Scottish Borderers, they dashed into the stream,
where each one stood out as clear as a bull's eye on a target, and
attempted to close again. But not a man got across, so steady and
well directed was the flank fire of the British regiments. The fight
was now practically over for the day; fire slackened all round, and
the entrenched position was rapidly occupied, and strengthened where
necessary. During the day the enemy, who numbered 5,000, lost from 500
to 600 men; the Guides' total loss was only about twenty, a result due
to the skilful manner in which the retirement was effected, as well as
to the fine cover afforded by the broken ground on the mountain side.
It was now evening, and preparations had to be made to meet a night
attack, for the enemy, several thousand strong, were still close round
hidden behind the low hills. As a reinforcement a couple of companies
of the 4th Sikhs and some extra British officers were sent across
on rafts, also a Maxim gun; whilst the near bank, which commanded
the bridge head entrenchment at 800 yards' range, was occupied by a
mountain battery, and the troops of the 2nd Brigade. The position of
the enemy being such as it was, the night was one of some anxiety, for
a determined rush might be expected at any moment. Such an attack was
planned and on the eve of being executed, when the unexpected, and as
it seemed to the enemy, magical, appearance of a star shell completely
dumfounded the hitherto dauntless foe, and the attack was not
delivered. From the information of spies it appeared afterwards that
2,000 chosen warriors, sword in hand, lay concealed in the standing
corn just outside the picquets, merely awaiting the signal for assault,
when this happy contrivance of civilisation staved off a fight, which
could only have been attended with enormous loss on both sides. Before
the enemy finally drew off, however, the force sustained a serious
loss in the death of Captain Peebles, in charge of the Maxim gun. This
officer's services had proved invaluable from his intimate knowledge of
the working of the Maxim, a gun which in inexpert hands is apt, like
other pieces of mechanism, to get out of order. The working of Captain
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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