e early morning of the
12th toward the south-southwest, and west of the British lines. For
three hours they were pressing forward, and then when the artillery
fire fell off began to dig themselves in. An attack from the south was
made in the afternoon, but was beaten off by the British before making
much progress. The Turks were busy during the night of the 12th
keeping up a spirited fire from rifles and machine guns, and by
morning were found to have occupied some houses on a rising ground to
the north of the British position. An Anglo-Indian force easily
dislodged them from this place, and a counterattack made by the Turks
from the west was repulsed with a loss to them of several hundred
prisoners. The British also captured eighteen officers and two guns.

The British had repulsed all attacks, but the most difficult part of
their task now lay before them, for the Turks were strongly intrenched
near Basra some four miles from the British lines. On April 14, 1915,
the Anglo-Indian force moved from camp toward Zobeir to the south, and
driving off the Turks from their advanced position found themselves in
front of their main lines. Some 15,000 Turkish soldiers and six big
guns occupied well-concealed trenches in a tamarisk wood. The
Anglo-Indian troops began their advance toward the enemy at 11.30 in
the morning, and continued for five hours across a bare plain under a
fierce sun and a pitiless heat. Not an enemy could be sighted, but a
continuous fire, too accurate to be pleasant to the advancing host,
came from the concealed trenches. At about 4.30 p. m. the 117th
Mahrattas and Dorsets had led the way into the trenches, and, the
whole line uniting in a great charge, the Turks were driven out at the
point of the bayonet and dispersed. The Anglo-Indian troops however
had purchased their victory dearly. There were some 700 casualties.
Lieutenant Colonel H. L. Rosher of the Dorsets, Lieutenant Colonel T.
A. Britten of the 110th Mahrattas, and Major J. C. M. Wheeler of the
Seventh Lancers were among the seventeen British officers killed.

The routed Turks had fled toward Nakaila, and were vigorously pursued
by the victors. They tried to escape by land and water. A dozen boat
loads of fugitives were overhauled or sunk. The Turks lost about
2,500, of whom 700 were prisoners in British hands. Great quantities
of stores, ammunition and guns were also captured. The region around
Basra was now cleared of Turkish soldiers for a di