ain where
he is at present, and will even be able to rest some of the tired XXIXth
Division, while the arrival of the Australian Brigade will give General
Birdwood a similar chance of resting some of his troops.

"General Birdwood meanwhile is to make a further advance to-morrow on
the left flank, to gain possession of important tactical feature, which
will eventually help an advance when the time arrives. Byng is getting
everything in order and has infected all around him with his own energy
and cheeriness and has quickly grasped the whole situation.

"In communication with Maxwell I find I can have seven Territorial Force
units and the Scottish Horse, and now I have your welcome news of
Younghusband's Brigade. Please believe I am the last man in the world to
give up anything we have gained except under direct necessity, which I
trust may now never arise. The Navy is supporting me to its full
capacity. The guns of the four ships in Suvla Bay take on the Turkish
positions you mention almost as well as and certainly more safely than
if they were landed and placed where you suggest. Moreover, Navy cannot
lend those guns unless I supply the detachments to work them from the
Naval Division, and the latter is fully employed at present and cannot
spare the men. We are constantly sending ships round to Aja Liman to
fire at enemy positions from there, but I know you realize that one must
not rely too much upon effective fire on land targets from ships which
are not moored, as is the case in Suvla Bay.

"I have not consulted the French General about the situation in the
North as he is at the Southern end and on the right of the line there.
He thinks more of Asia than of these operations in which he has no
troops engaged, but I discussed the matter with him only last night.
Before I sent my No. M.F. 578 I discussed every point closely for two
hours with the Corps Commanders."

In the evening my A.G. brought me the promised details of the 47,000
drafts and reinforcements. He has gone into the detail in proper A.G.
spirit, namely, as an arithmetician rather than a tactician. The result
has given us a shock! 10,000 men of the 54th Division and 4,000 drafts
are shown in the War Office cable as being still due to come to me as
reinforcements whereas they had actually landed on the Peninsula; had,
indeed, been shown in my total fighting strength of 68,000 in my
original cable, M.F. 578 of 23rd August, and are, too many of them, alas