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Show TURKS RETREAT IN MESOPOTAMIA British Reported Pursuing Moslems Heavy Fighting on Both Sides of the Tigris. PRISONERS CAPTURED New Commander to Succeed General Nixon Announced in House of Commons. London. Jan. 10, 3:53 p. m. The Turks in Mesopotamia were in full retreat re-treat on January 9 with the British pursuing them, it was announced in the house of commons today by J. Austen Chamberlain, secretary for India. In-dia. There had been heavy fighting on both banks of the Tigris on January 7, Mr. Chamberlain's announcement stated, until the British had taken two Turkish guns and 700 prisoners. In telling the commons the news of the British success on the Tigris, Mr Chamberlain said. 'General Alymer left Miam Alligar-bi, Alligar-bi, January 6 with troops marching to the relief of Kut-el-Amara. On the same day General Townsend at KuL reported that the previous night the enemy had opened a heavy fire on the northwest front and on the village opposite op-posite Kut, but had made no attack On the night of January 7, General Alymer had heavy firing on the south bank of the Tigris. "On the right bank General Campbell's Camp-bell's column carried the enemy's position, posi-tion, taking two guns and 700 prisoners prison-ers and then entrenched Meanwhile tho main attack on the left bank was retired by an enemy outflanking movement and General Alymer reported re-ported that he apparently was opposed oppos-ed by three Turkish divisions. 'On the evening of January S he rp-ported rp-ported that, owing to fatigue, th troops have been unable to make any progress that day. On the ninth he reported the enemy in retreat and that he was pursuing, but that heavy rains hindered tho pursuit. "From later telegrams It appears that the enemy lias reached Kharoa." Recent dispatches have indicated that the British expedition In Mesopotamia Meso-potamia was opposed by superior Turkish forces. The British repulsed several assaults on Kut-el-Amara It was in November, 1914. that an Anglo-Indian force starting from the Persian gulf, began marching north and west over tho desert, following tho TieriR nnd Funhrates rivers wher ever possible The fighting was slow but the British pushed northward steadily until they reached Ctesiphon. IS miles below Bagdad. Here the Turks defeated them and they fell back on Kut-el-Amara, 105 miles southeast south-east of Bagdad. Although the Berlin report of the British retreat in Mesopotamia appears ap-pears to beat variance with the British Brit-ish announcement that the Turks are falling back after heavy fighting. Mr. Chamberlain's statement to the house of commons does not disclose the point at which the engagement referred refer-red to occurred. It is possible that this action took place somewhere south of Kut-el-Amara between the Turks and the main body of the British. Brit-ish. New Commander Named. London, Jan. 10, 3:40 p m Sir Percy Lake has been appointed to command the British forces in Meso-1Otamia Meso-1Otamia in succession to General Sir John Eccles Nixon, who has been compelled com-pelled by ill health to return home. It was announced in the house of commons com-mons today by J. Austen Chamberlain, Chamber-lain, secretary for India. Lleutcnant-General Sir Percy Henry Noel Luke, who is 59 years-old and has had a long and brilliant army career, has been chief of the general staff in India since 1912 He served in the Afghan war of 1S7S-79 and was awarded a medal and was similarly honored for his services with the Soudan Sou-dan expedition in 1SS5 Much of his subsequent service was in connection with the Canadian militia mili-tia for which he served some time as quartermaster-general, afterwards as chief of the general staff of the militia and then Inspector-general, leaving the last named post to become a division commander in India in 1911. |