Bagdad, marzo de 1917 (II)

Seguimos recordando la campaña británica en Irak en marzo de 1917. Ahora. echamos mano del diario The Times:

British troops occupied Baghdad early yesterday morning at the end of a brilliant 100 miles march up the Tigris.

So heavily were the Turks beaten on February 23, when British troops crossed to the north bank of the Tigris near Kut, and in succeeding days, that they were unable to rally until they reached positions within a few miles of the City of the Caliphs.

Abandoning their strong defences at the ruins of Ctesiphon, the furthest point reached by General Townshend's troops in Novemeber of 1915, the Turks fell back to the line of the River Diala, which enters the Tigris from the east eight miles below Baghdad. This position was reconnoitres by our cavalry on March 7.

On the following day the Tigris was bridged to the south of the confluence, and troops marched on Baghdad from the southwest. The passage of the Diala was forced in a night attack on March 9, and then from each side of the Tigris we pressed towards the city. Opposition was finally broken on Saturday, when battles were fought in a blinding dust-storm and violent gale.

Along the Teheran-Baghdad road Turkish columns which have harried Western Persia since last August, are hurrying back to Mesopotamia with Russian troops at their heels. Their main column is about 200 miles from Baghdad.

Fuente: The Times, Lunes 12 de marzo de 1917. Página 8.