The Thirteenth Hussars in the Great WarDurand, H. Mortimer (Henry Mortimer)
History
The Thirteenth Hussars in the Great War
Durand, H. Mortimer (Henry Mortimer)
Great Britain. Army. Hussars, 13th; World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories -- Great Britain
“Well, the original objective was the reduction of the Fathah
position--a very strong natural position formed by the passage of the
Tigris through the range of hills known on the left bank as the Jebel
Hamrin and on the right bank as Jebel Makhul--about thirty miles N. of
Tekrit, held on both banks by some 3000 rifles and 40 guns. Two Cavalry
Bgds., ours and Cassels’, had made a long turning movement over the
Hamrin, and were in position to the N. and N.E. of the Turkish position
by dawn of day, and our feelings were rather mixed when we learnt
about 8 A.M. that Johnny Turk had evacuated the position a
day or two earlier, and retired mostly along the main road to Mosul
on the right bank, which ran through a series of strong natural
defensive positions against which the Infantry could make only slow
progress against the Turk, who is a past-master in the art of rearguard
fighting: so obstinate was he in holding on to a position opposite the
confluence of the Lesser Zab river with the Tigris that we were hurried
one night to the Fathah Gorge, which we bridged with a pontoon, to go
up the right bank and create a diversion in favour of our Infantry; on
arriving at Fathah, however, the position had changed--the Turk had
retired, and we were no longer required on the right bank; but in the
meantime Cassels’ Bgde. had crossed the Tigris some twenty-five miles
north of the Lesser Zab, and had taken up a position astride the line
of retreat of the Turks, and reinforcements to the latter were said to
be closing on Cassels’ rear, so after a few hours’ halt we were hurried
back to the Zab and beyond it to the ford, which we reached at dusk
on the 28th, having covered 40 miles since 1 A.M. that day.
The ford was deep and unmarked; I was riding my biggest horse, and the
water was over my knees; on many men it was up to the waist, and we
were unfortunate in losing three men, of whom no trace could be found
in the dark.
“The events of the 29th I have described in the attached account. The
Bgde. that night (29th) bivouacked on its fighting ground, and next
morning moved S.W. to a position on Cassels’ right, where about 10 a.m.
we learnt that the Turks caught between the Infantry and Cassels had
surrendered: we therefore turned our heads northward, and about 2.30
P.M. came up with the Turkish rearguard, who surrendered after
a few rounds from the battery, and the 13th Lancers pursuing brought
back a lot more, making the total captures of the Bgde. up to about
2500 for the two days.
“Next day we continued our advance northward toward Mosul, but about 11
A.M. met Turkish envoys in a car, who came to tell us that an
armistice had been signed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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