The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-06-11
'Gailantry and Fortitude That
viii Be Forever Mem0ra-
be," Says Minister.

NEW YORK. June lO.-Thc bclat-
cd details of the long siege and nnal
surrender OF Kut-cl-Amura, which
have Just been received from CORE
spondents OF both British and Amcri-
a newspaper and from the fuller.
later official reports. show that Cen
eral Charles VCrrc Ferrors Town
shend's defense OF this little mud"
town on a bend in the Tirrls, lO5
miles below Bagdad, adds to the long
list OF accomplishments Of English
armies another. which for grim de-
termination and resourccfulnoys will
rival any.
In this siege ]acroplancs were used
for the first time in history In an at
tempt to provision a bclcaEucrcd gar
rison. And though they failed to
avert eventual CapitulatIon TO starvu-
tlon, they were pu; to a use never
dreamed Of by the most magma
tive OF military writer's. and one that
actually enabled the mixed force Of
defending British and Indian troops
TO prolonG their resistance for sever
nj months.
The story of this unique incident
adds n chapter unsurpassed for pic
turesqncness n originality to mill
tary history. Early In January a
British force moving to the relief OF
Rut-el-Amara was making victorious
progress. Then. suddenly. came the
news that floods had made success of
the expedition impossible.
Found Hidden Grain.
Provisions In the h~elcaCuercd town
were well near exhaustion. General
Townshend ordered Il house to house
search for food. on January - the
searching parties discovered large
stores of grain hidden in cellars and
gubterancan passages. Then II soOn
transpircd that in Kut-el-Amara
there were no facilities for grinding
The grain. The old prim"yal methods
were far toe u"nproductiv, to supply
what vent for -four for q garrison
exceeding 10000 men and q civ,l
population in excess OF 5000.
Starvation and quick starvation,
faced the British,
The British commander had resort
TO his wireless, Over II h" sent an
account of his prodiCament to other
British forces in Mesopotamia. out
Of the air these picked his message.
No British relieving force could get
Through by land or water. But.
NuuhE4A lllt EhEllNll i'Il' llltAllfINs lll'
air was free.
Mill Wheels hy Air Route.
War acroplaro were request
toned. They were loaded with mill
wheels. with parts Of machinery.
With these they sped for Kut-"l
Amara. over this town OF mud hu,s
they circled. Forcrunners had gone
before them dropping messages OF
planned relief.
Thousands Of icct above the be
leaEuercd town the war planes cir
Cled. avoiding Are as best they might
OF the Turkish auti-air-craft guns.
With powerful glasses tn" ayiatOrE
picked the spots 10 drop the equip
ment Then. darling low. they swept
over the town while shells raiuet
around them. dropping m" par. Of
equipment so essential to Townsn"ud.
With the mill-whc"Is and the parts
Of machinery dropped by The aero
planes within the British lines the
British engineer officers wor" ablc TO
construct a mill and an .agtuc 10
turn the wheels. This engine was
fed by oil from a steamer I"it at ku'
and through this oNh. Dlit0U OF re
sourceful originality. fu" garrison
was enabled to protect i's defense
until April %, or rwcn'r-Ou"-iGys al
ter the last fUe. Tor 81. engine had
been used.
The war planes did other gallant
service. For instance. scUrvy attack
ed the garrison ~ early rs February
3. Again TCWn-#nUG w.r.iofs"G
news OF this TO the other British
forces in Nesopotam.a. and soon the
hum Of tn" British wal planes vas
heard again over Kut. and 10" war
avinrors threw down packages OF
medical supplies. onion green stun
and other remedies as they flew by.
In all d, IS E,prrr.t thar the Brit
iEh aeTop'a1rr dropped 5000 pack
ages OF all kinds INTO the town be
fore General Tovu..HT nd was forced
by starvation to Ho.s' the white iag
o! ~surrar'"-
Forever Memorable"
The r.-.g - 'H' s..r ,if shows
how well m-r.'cd was the high com.
phmen, paid the garrison by The
British war ministry 10 Irs official an
nounceUou' o.: ID. ur-.ra.r OF Ku'-
el-AnaTa, wl.ra ".- .Ara-.t .r rhos.
words:
after q rne ,a1co rrorrac'ed :or
l43 days and conducted with % gal
luuITH hil IffI.'#a. max VII. ." |UsF
ever memorable. Genera. Towrshand
has been compelled ay 'n, aaal ~
hRustion OF supplies to surrender"
The suffering Of o.. garrison.
~stoically and chccr:ul.y endured. is
perhaps best shown by 'hr following
brief statement OF fact.
Throughout practically he entire
siege the defenders lived on horse
and mule meat when they had meat
at all: for weeks bofor" April j.. a."
daily 'hour" ration had been reduced
to four ounces; on April $, when
fuel for the mill engine gave out.
there was ground not enough ''Hour
to last the garrison AZ this ration TOT
two weeks: capltulation came April
29-Which shows hat FOR practically
three weeks the British forces exist
cd on a -four ration Of two ounces a
dhV. OF meat during these last Two
Weeka there was none except q lit
tie mule meat dclcd out In particles
almost minute, Only six mules were
left when The I0Wp surrendered. Out