previous to and right after the capitulation of the Anglo-Indian
forces at Kut-el-Amara in Mesopotamia.

PART VII--CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA AND PERSIA

CHAPTER XXXIX

RENEWED ATTEMPT TO RELIEVE KUT-EL-AMARA

As far as the Turko-English struggle in the Tigris Valley is
concerned, the preceding volume carried us to the beginning of March,
1916. On March 8, 1916, an official English communique was published
which raised high hopes among the Allied nations that the day of
delivery for General Townshend's force was rapidly approaching. That
day was the ninety-first day of the memorable siege of Kut-el-Amara.
On it the English relief force under General Aylmer had reached the
second Turkish line at Es-Sinn, only eight miles from Kut-el-Amara.
After an all night march the English forces, approaching in three
columns against the Dujailar Redoubt, attacked immediately after
daybreak. Both flanks of the Turkish line were subjected to heavy
artillery fire. But, although this resulted quickly in a wild stampede
of horses, camels and other transport animals and also inflicted heavy
losses in the ranks of the Turkish reenforcements, which immediately
came up in close order across the open ground in back of the Turkish
position, the English troops could not make any decisive impression on
the strongly fortified position. Throughout the entire day, March 8,
1916, the attacks were kept up, but the superior Turkish forces and
the strong fortifications that had been thrown up would not yield.
Lack of water--all of which had to be brought up from the main
camp--made it impossible for the English troops to maintain these
attacks beyond the end of that day. In spite of the fact that they
could see the flash of the guns of their besieged compatriots who were
attacking the rear of the Turkish line from Kut, they were forced to
give up their attempt to raise the siege. During the night of March 8,
1916, they returned to the main camp, which was located about
twenty-three miles from Kut-el-Amara.

The unusual conditions and the immense difficulties which confronted
the English relief force may be more easily understood from the
following very graphic description of this undertaking rendered by the
official representative of the British press with the Tigris Corps:

"The assembly was at the Pools of Siloam, a spot where we used to
water our horses, two miles southwest of Thorny Nullah. We left camp
at seven, just as it was get