Iran -- Description and travel; World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Iran
On July 20th the Jungalis made a determined attack on Resht, which
they occupied. They, however, failed to drive back the British
troops camped on the south-west outskirts of the town. Both the
armoured cars of the Brigade and those of the 6th L.A.M. Battery took
a prominent part in the fighting, {257} and later in the relief of
isolated parties cut off in the town. The street fighting was heavy
and difficult. Trenches were dug across the road and barricades
erected, but the armoured cars thoroughly proved their suitability
for street fighting. Their moral effect materially assisted in
clearing the enemy out of the town a few days later. Captain G. N.
Gawler was wounded during the fighting.
On July 28th, to relieve the pressure at Resht, and to make troops
available to assist in the defence of Baku, the Brigade offered to
organize a motor machine-gun company from the personnel of "B" and
"C" Squadrons then training at Hamadan, awaiting the arrival of their
cars from England. The offer was accepted, and the company,
consisting of sixteen machine-guns (with crews), left Hamadan on July
30th. The machine-guns and ammunition were carried in sixteen Ford
vans, and the personnel in the Brigade Peerless lorries. It was
decided that half the company should remain at Resht until the
situation there improved, the other half proceeding to Enzeli to be
in readiness to embark for Baku should the situation there permit.
OPERATIONS WITH GENERAL BICHERAKOFF'S FORCES
IN THE CAUCASUS.
General Bicherakoff.s troops embarked at Enzeli on July 3rd. No. 2
Battery, "A" Squadron, was ordered to accompany them. In order to
avoid {258} possible trouble with the Bolsheviks, they wore Russian
uniform, but later were ordered to discard it. The force landed at
Aliyat, south of Baku, on July 4th, and proceeded by rail to
Kurdamir, which was reached at midnight, July 7-8th. The cars were
immediately detrained, and by 4 a.m. two cars were in action on the
Russian right, near Kara Sakal, and remained in action all day
against the Turkish advanced troops.
Two reconnaissances were successfully carried out in this area under
cover of darkness, during the night, July 8-9th, and the Turkish
outposts engaged. A reconnaissance at dawn, 3.40 a.m., on July 9th,
met with heavy machine-gun and rifle fire.
The Turks attacked the village of Kara Sakal at 5 a.m. Their advance
was greatly hampered by fire from the cars which covered throughout
the day the withdrawal of the Russian troops in this sector to
Kurdamir. On two occasions, the Turks having deployed in the
proximity to the road, the cars ran right up into the opposing lines
of infantry, which they enfiladed, forcing the Turks to withdraw.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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