eir right near the
Tigris, another battalion being held in reserve. When this attack had
gained ground a second force was to advance over the bare plain on the
west of the Dujail, and their right to gain touch with the left of the
Company of Punjabis on the Dujail bank. The objectives of the main
attack were the redoubt, and the two bridges which crossed the Dujail
immediately above it. A third force was held back in reserve.

The orders were thus very clear, and the plan simple; the main
difficulty was to ensure effective artillery co-operation, since to
come within effective range of the Redoubt our batteries would be
forced to move forward over very open ground, and counter-battery work
would be obviously hard to arrange.

The frontage of broken ground open to the Highlanders was but little
over 150 yards; the Commanding Officer therefore wisely determined to
attack on a narrow frontage of two platoons rather than expose his men
on the bare plain, and with the Dujail giving the direction to his
left, trust to the impetus of eight lines to force the enemy's
position.

Precisely at 5 a.m., the covering batteries opened fire on the enemy
outposts, the leading platoons charged forward and, without pausing to
fire, but advancing by a series of swift rushes drove back the Turkish
advanced troops about a thousand yards from our strong points. A few
Turks were bayonetted, a number more shot by the fire of a
well-placed Lewis gun, but the surprise of the attack and the rapidity
of its execution saved our men from any severe loss during this first
advance. But as our leading platoons drew near to the enemy main
positions, they came under an enfilade fire from the west bank of the
Dujail, and a number of men had to swing round to the left, and, from
the crest of the wall, reply to the enemy not two hundred yards
distant on the opposite bank. The succeeding lines, however, pressed
forward, section after section rushed on to the help of their
comrades, every rise and every knoll along the river was held by
snipers and the battle developed into a fierce contest between
skirmishers. But it was not of long duration. Shortly after 6 o'clock
nearly two miles of country had been cleared of the enemy, our men
were not to be denied, and the leading section of Highlanders made a
gallant charge and rushed the main redoubt, killing a certain number
of its defenders and driving out the remainder. The success of the
attack was greatly due