NEW ADVANCE ON KUT EL AMARA CAVALRY RAID SUCCESS

LIQUORICE FACTORY BOMBARDED

The Secretary of the War Office on Saturday night issued the following: The General Officer Commanding in Mesopotamia reports: The enemy positions gained in the advance of Feb. 5 have now been consolidated. During the process of consolidation several minor bombing operations have been carried out, and the artillery have on several occasions bombarded the liquorice factory, which is strongly held by the enemy. On Feb. 7 there was a successful cavalry raid, which resulted in the capture of a large quantity of grain. The offensive was resumed on the 9th inst., and under cover of a heavy bombardment a portion of the enemy’s new front line west of the Hai was secured and consolidated, in face of two counter-attacks and several bombing attacks. Farther westward the enemy trenches were penetrated, and by means of successful bombing were secured and consolidated on a frontage of 1,200 yards. During these operations, the cavalry operating on the western flank drove in enemy advanced troops south and west of the Shumran bend.

BOMBING ATTACKS

East night the Secretary of the War Office issued the following further statement: The General Officer commanding in Mesopotamia reports: During the night of Feb. 9-10 the Turks delivered four separate attacks on our right. These attacks were all repulsed. On our left we improved our position still further. Early on the morning of Feb. 10 bombing attacks were commenced, and our hold on the enemy trenches was rapidly extended. Later, after a heavy bombardment, assault was launched against enemy trenches west of the liquorice factory. This assault was successful, and possession was obtained of the enemy trenches on a front of 500 yards and of the liquorice factory. This building was held by General Townshend throughout the siege of Kut. Steady progress was made on the right during the day, and as a result of the operations on Feb. 9 and 10 a new line has been occupied on a frontage of over 6,000 yards, and the enemy has been pushed back to a depth varying from 800 to 1,200 yards. All evidence points to the fact that the Turks again suffered heavy casualties, one of our brigades having collected more enemy dead than the brigade suffered in total casualties. The liquorice factory is situated near the opposite side of the river bank to the south-west of Kut town.

ENEMY RETREATING

FROM EDMUND CANDLER. TIGRIS FRONT, FEB. 4. In yesterday’s fighting we took practically the whole of the Turkish position on the east bank of the Hai and three lines of his trench system on the west bank on a breadth of 650 and a depth of 400 yards, and, as a result of the operations, the enemy has been retiring steadily to-day into an inner line on the west bank. On the night of the 2nd-3rd a column of our infantry made a night march, threatening his right flank in an almost complete encircling movement. We have been making an enclosing triangle of trenches, which has its apex on the Hai and the two ends of its base on the Tigris. Yesterday the Turks put up a stubborn resistance on the west bank of toe Hai, but we flung them out of their three front lines, and five successive counter-attacks they subsequently made were all heavily repulsed. The enemy’s casualties have not been estimated yet, but it is doubtful if his losses have been so heavy since Beit Aeissa in April last. Our infantry entered the Turks’ first line at 10.40 a.m., after an intense bombardment, during which the enemy retired on their second line. This they held in strength, but we cleared it after ten minutes’ fighting. Many of our men lay outside and dropped bombs into a deep trench before they went in. We found the position filled with dead. Within a quarter of an hour the first, second, and third trenches were in our possession. Forty prisoners were taken. It has become a standing order with the Turks to deliver a counterattack soon after we have taken a new position. At 12.25 they were coming on in great numbers from the left of their position on the Hai, but the attack was completely held up by our rifle, machinegun, and artillery fire. At 1.30 a second counter-attack was checked before it developed. At 2.50 another large assembly, preparing for an attack, was scattered by our artillery. At 4.30 an intense bombardment of machine-gun fire and artillery swept the area over which Turkish reinforcements were advancing in support, probably causing heavy casualties. At the same time the Turks attempted a bombing attack on a flank, but this also was checked and driven back. At six p.m. the enemy made a more desperate counter-attack, closing in on both flanks, but this, too, was dispersed, with heavy losses. During the day, in spite of counter-attacks, we consolidated the ground gained, and extended the 400 yards front on which we attacked in the morning to 650 yards by bombing up the enemy’s trenches. On the east bank three artillery bombardments and the losing battle on the west bank decided the enemy’s retirement, and our infantry found the position evacuated after dark. Pontoons at the mouth of the river where it joins the Tigris were destroyed by our guns. The Turkish retreat here has left the whole of the right bank of the Tigris east of this point clear of the enemy.

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