Mesopotamia News Reported 20 February 1917

[James Russell]

Dear forum community,

The following column of news appeared in The Lancashire Daily Post, on Tuesday, 20 February 1917. I have transcribed it from photocopies of microfiche (and while I'm confident I've done a good job, flaws are possible) and have attempted to stay within the style-guide I presume was used at the Daily Post at the time.

This summer, I was in England collecting information about 17 February 1917 in Mesopotamia. If you have any reflections on these news reports or any information on the action at Dahra Bend to share I would be most grateful.

CHECK ON TIGRIS.

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ASSAULT ON THE SANNA-I-YAT POSITION.

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TRENCHES WON AND LOST.

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FURTHER PROGRESS WEST OF THE SHUMRUM BEND.

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The British have made some further progress in enveloping on the south bank the second bend of the Tigris west of Kut. Fifteen miles east of Kut an attack on Saturday found the Turks still holding strongly the Sanna-i-Yat position, which for a year has blocked advance on the north bank. The position was penetrated on two small frontages and the ground afterwards lost to counter-attacks.

The Secretary of the War Office last night issued the following:-

On the afternoon of February 17th (Saturday) an assault was made on the Sanna-i-Yat

position on the left (north) bank of the Tigris, and the enemy's two front lines were occupied on a frontage of 350 and 540 yards respectively.

Two heavy Turkish counter-attacks were launched, the first one hour and the second one and a half hours after we had obtained possession of these trenches. The former was repulsed, but the letter was partially successful and forced our right back to the original line. Our left, however, held on till dark, when it was withdrawn under cover of an artillery barrage.

On the south bank of the Tigris, west of the Shumran bend, further progress has been made.

TURKS’ REPORT.

The following official report was issued in Constantinople yesterday :--

Tigris Front.—On February 17th (Saturday), after an intense artillery preparation, the enemy attacked our Fellahie position with a force of the strength at least of an infantry

brigade. The enemy succeeded temporarily in penetrating our positions, but was driven out again by means of bayonet charges and attacks with hand grenades, so that eventually we reoccupied our positions entirely. We made prisoners one officer and 60 men, and captured a machine gun and some automatic rifles, Our loses were quite insignificant.

Note.—What the Turks call the Fellahie position is what the British call the Sanna-i-Yat position, 15 miles east of Kut, between the river and a big swamp.)

The attack described above represents an attempt to carry the northern section of the now famous Sanna-i-Yat position, which with the Es Sinn position last year successfully arrested General Gorringe's march to the relief of Kut. General Gorringe secured the southern section of Sanna-i-Yat, but could not follow up his success, and General Maude turned the southern section of Es Sinn when the present phase of the campaign began. Sanna-i-Yat is fifteen miles east of Kut and Es Sinn midway between to two places.

The Turk position on the north bank is an extraordinary one. The enemy face us from across the river on it front of 22 miles, or nearly double that taking into account the convolutions of the river, and hold at the extreme easterly end the Sanna-i-Yat defences, which are at right angles with the river, and which can be taken in the rear by our artillery fire. A crossing of the river, if possible, would turn the whole position,

M. Marcel Hutin, writing to the "Echo de Paris" says, Where British tenacity is showing self in accordance with national tradition is towards Kut-el-Amara, where the Turkish position has been literally broken in on the southern bank of the Tigris. I would not be surprised if we shortly hear of the surrender of the Ottoman and German troops who have not been able to escape the net in which they have been more and more enmeshed by the British forces. Such a victory would have an extraordinary importance throughout the whole of Asia Minor.

BATTLE FOR BAGDAD

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GERMAN CRITIC PREDICTS A GREAT STRUGGLE

ZURICH (Received To-Day).

The military critic of the “Frankfurter Zeitung” predicts that the coming spring will witness a great struggle in Mesopotamia.

“It is easy to foresee,” he says, “that an important offensive movement in the direction of Bagdad is coming in the near future. Kut-el-Amara is already seriously menaced by the British, although the place is still in Turkish hands. The British have constructed behind their lines a railway to facilitate their operations. They have gathered reinforcements, and they are attempting to develop prudently the tactical successes recently gained by them in the sector of the sixth Turkish army. The great battle for Bagdad is the logical consequence of the British military policy. – Central New.