The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-30
GALLANT DEFENSE OF KUT-EL-AMARA ENDED
 BY SHORTAGE OF FOOD
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 Tigris river, made it impossible to send supplies by air, as there was no landing place for aeroplanes
 While a supply ship, the loss of which was reported in an official British dis patch several days ago, got beyond the Turkish main defensive lines at Essinn, it was a forlorn hope, as the Turks in- vesting the city, advised of her coming, could easily sink her from shore even should she escape the artificial barriers.
 As for the forces which attempted to relieve General Townshend, they met with almost continual misfortunes. On several occasions just when it was believed they were on the point of success, rising waters made further progress impossible. After penetrating Turkish positions they were compelled to retire or remain sta- tionary owing to the imposslbility of at- tacking the position at Sannayyat, which was surrounded by water. The British troops did actually attack the prepared position there after wading through mud and water waist deep, but only to find when they did meet with some success that failure at some other point made their sacrifice futile.
 The British public never lost faith in General Townshend and even now that he has been forced to capitulate after de- stroyng everything at Kut-El-Amara that might be valuable to the Turks, they look back upon his campaign as 8 bril- liant one.
 General Townshend probably was driven to surrender to avoid starvation for him. self and force. A recent Turkish com munication said that the position of the British at Kut-el-Amara was critical and that they were expecting to receive small supplies of food by aeroplane. An off, cial statement received yesterday from London showed that q last effort to send supplies to the garrison had failed. It was announced that ship laden with supplies had been sent up the Tigris; that it had been grounded about four miles. east of the city.
 Less than score of miles away on the banks of the Tigris, below the city, is a relief army which for months had been attempting to reach the besieged forces. A few weeks ago several victories were announced and hope ran high in Eng land that the mission would succeed.
 AIDED BY FLOODS
 Of late, however, the Turks resistance has increased, and aided by floods, they have been able to hold the British in check. esss
 No official figures have been given out as to the number of troops which set forth from the Persian gulf in Novem- Der of 1914 on the expedition which now has ended in surrender
 Unofficially the number has been esti- mated as high as 5O000. but 1t was prob ably considerably smaller than this. This force has suffered heavy losses in several battles with the Turks.
 It was early last December that Gen. eral Townshend's army, beaten in battle at Ctesiphon, IS miles below Bagdad, re- treated to Kut- El-Amara. Since that time it has been besieged by large army of Turks, cut off from all communi- cation with the outside world except by wireless. l4 M l
 During the long siege the British beat down many attacks by the Turks. They defended themselves so stoutly in en- counters about the city that the Turks at great length desisted from their eff forts to storm the place. and decided 10 starve out the British. From time to time General Townshend sent reports that all was well, but it had been known of late that the situation was becoming desperate. For sometime after the Townshend expedition started out rom the Persian gulf, it was steadily success full. It pushed up the Tgris and Euph- rates until in September, 1915, it defeated the Turks decisvely in an encounter at Kut- El-Amara, which later was to be the scene of the British surrender. Then the invaders pushed on to within few miles of Bagdad, their goal They de- feated Turks at Ctesiphon, but later the Turks, reinforced, compelled them to re- tire hastily to Kut- -El-Amara.
 BATTLE AT CTESIPHON
 The battle at Ctesiphon was one of the fiercest of the many hard struggles in which the expeditionary force was en- gagged. The British were said to have been outnumbered six to one by the Ot- toman troops Four times General Townshend rallied his men and led them in their charges. Hardly less desperate an adventure was the retreat to Kut-El- Amara, which accomplished, under ex- traordinary disadvantages, was hailed in England as a remarkable accomplishment. Not only did General Townshend ward
 off the pursuing Turks with compara- lively small losses. but he succeeded in taking with him all his wounded
 few weeks after it became evident that his army at Kut-el-Amara would be unable to fight it's way out. a relief ex- petition was dispatched. As this force drew nearer Kut-el-Amara it was op- posed by formidable bodies of Turks be- low the invested town. Several striking victories for the relief force were an- nounced, but their last effort was so ef-