thirty-five miles southeast of Mama Khatun. There a
Russian detachment consisting of about 500 men, of which one-half was
cavalry and one-half infantry, found themselves suddenly surrounded by
the bayonets of a superior Turkish force. All, except a small number
who managed to escape, were cut to pieces.

As the Russians succeeded in pushing their advance westward, even if
only very slowly, they became again somewhat more active in the north
along the Black Sea. On May 10, 1916, they were reported advancing
both south and southwest of Platana, a small seaport about twelve
miles west of Trebizond. Throughout May 11, 1916, engagements of
lesser importance took place at various parts of the entire front.
During that night the Turks launched another strong night attack in
the Erzingan sector, without, however, being able to register any
marked success. The same was true of an attack made May 12, 1916, near
Mama Khatun. In the south, between Mush and Bitlis, an engagement
which was begun on May 10, 1916, concluded with the loss of one
Turkish gun, 2,000 rifles and considerable stores of ammunition. In
the Chorok sector the Turks succeeded on May 13, 1916, in driving the
Russian troops out of their positions on Mount Koph and in forcing
them back in an easterly direction for a distance of from four to five
miles. There, however, the Russians succeeded in making a stand,
though their attempt to regain their positions failed. May 14, 1916,
was comparatively uneventful. Some Russian reconnoitering parties
clashed with Turkish advance guards near Mama Khatun, and a small
force of Kurds was repulsed west of Bitlis. On May 16, 1916, the
Russians announced officially that they had occupied Mama Khatun, a
small town on the western Euphrates, about fifty miles west of Erzerum
and approximately the same distance from Erzingan. Throughout the
balance of May, 1916, fighting along the Caucasian front was
restricted almost entirely to clashes between outposts, which in some
instances brought slight local successes to the Russian arms, and at
other times yielded equally unimportant gains for the Turkish sides.
To a certain extent this slowing down undoubtedly was due to the
determined resistance on the part of the Turks. It is also quite
likely that part of the Russian forces in the north had been diverted
earlier in the month to the south in order to assist in the drive
against Bagdad and Moone, which was pushed with increased vigor just