| Regiment | 5th Wiltshire |
|---|---|
| Location | Mesopotamia, Moscow Trench |
| Entry | 2 Officers and 100 O.R's occupied Moscow Trench working on its improvement, intermittent firing by our artillery. Weather showery. The Field R.H. Haseldine Lt. Col. Comdg 5(S) Bn The Wiltshire Regt. Appendix to War Diary d/- Jan 31 1917 Report on section of Turkish Trenches captured by 5th Wiltshire Regt. January 25th 1917 These trenches were very strongly and well made and evidently intended for winter quarters. Baked Bricks as well as the usual mud ones have been freely used throughout their construction. The profusion in which timber has been used for roofing purposes is extraordinary. The trenches consist of a long well sloped parapet backed with bricks, a well constructed elbow rest, a deep trench with wide fire step, at the back a high parados which are a network of dug-outs, latrines etc. FIRE TRENCHES These fire trenches are exceedingly well made as the resistance they offer to our shell fire proves. Extraordinary little damage had been done. Rough sketch attached gives the dimensions of them. The fire step is usually about 5 ft below ground level, above this is a very good flat elbow rest 6 ins wide, and above this again the back of the parapet which is perfectly vertical and built of brick or in some places of mud plaster, but brick is the most common and has withstood our bombardment rather better than the mud. Through this parapet (which of course it is impossible to fire over from the step) are cut narrow loopholes. The loopholes are brick and slightly wider at the front than at the back. A few of these it is true faced directly to their front but the greater number by far are cut through at angle so as to give a cross fire, and at the same time protect the firer from fire coming directly from his front. When we first occupied our lines opposite the Turks these loopholes were closed at the top with large bricks and covered with earth. These covers had all been removed a few days previous to our attack, the only possible reason that can be thought of being that in the event of our attack which was almost certain to come the firer at the loophole not being able to see an enemy advancing directly on to him, would by unable to use his bayonet quickly enough if he had to withdraw it from the loophole and use it against a man standing on the parapet above him. Except for these reasons it is impossible to conceive why it was done as the most excellent cover which they afforded, both from view and fire was greatly if not entirely destroyed. The loopholes were constructed in size so that a sniperscope can be firmly wedged into them in this manner a fixed rifle is obtained. I tried one of the sniperscopes that were captured and found that if fitted perfectly, unfortunately all these instruments were broken. PARAPETS The parapet on the front has a very gradual slope and is very rough, making what is really a very high parapet almost unnoticeable against the parados. It is impossible to fire over the parapet; firing is carried out through a series of well cut loopholes or grooves. TRAVERSES These are very strong and strengthened with brick with recesses cut for SAA. They are well rounded so that passage round them is easy. It is behind the traverses that the communication trenches are cut leading to the network of dugouts, latrines etc. FIRE STEPS Well constructed and wide (usually 3 ft) strengthened with brick or sandbags, where needed. With regard to the sandbags they were small and appeared to have been filled with mud so that they had hardened practically into bricks. LATRINES Well constructed and deep, they are extraordinarily clean. They are well situated behind the parados entrance being obtained by a well constructed communication trench that gives most excellent cover and entirely hides from view anyone entering or leaving. They are certainly shrapnel and bullet proof. DUGOUTS These were found in great profusion, leading off from short communication trenches behind the traverses. They were deep well roofed and practically invisible from aeroplane reconnaissance. The roofs are constructed of good timber laid crossways and thatched with brushwood, on top of which is a layer of earth. Most of them had a fireplace cut in the side, with a niche running vertically above to carry off the smoke. Other dugouts are more simply made, a large niche being cut well down in the walls of the communication trenches leading to the better constructed dugouts. DRESSING STATIONS This was a mere shed, construction of the roof however was good. The floor was covered with brushwood and was in an exceedingly filthy condition. AMMUNITION A great quantity of SAA was found for use with Turkish rifles. The Turkish bullets are of two types, the long blunt nosed type and the short sharp pointed ones. It is worthy of note that I did not see or hear of any clips of reversed or soft nosed bullets being found. A fair amount of Trench Mortar Bombs for their two inch trench mortars (which proved so ineffective when used against our trenches) were found. A few hand grenades of the cricket ball type were also found. Nine large bombs, detonators, charges and friction tube were found in the trench Howitzer pit in their second line. ARMS Most of the rifles found were Mausers but there were others of an inferior make including one or two of the old hammer type. Bayonets were of various types. Many of the rifles showed that our snipers shooting on their loopholes had been excellent as they had evidently been damaged by rifle or machine gun bullets. Most of these rifles were in a bad condition and rapid fire with many that I tried, was impossible, little care could have been taken to keep them clean and in proper working order. One Very Light Pistol was found of an exceedingly good type, it has a much longer barrel than ours. Their cartridges are excellent, having a much longer flight than ours and the light given is infinitely superior to ours. Two trench mortars of a more or less crude type were captured, these are a two inch mortar and when made use of against us proved themselves to be of little or no value, with the type of bomb used. One trench howitzer of a large type was found in a well concealed pit, behind the second line practically on the river bank this is of German construction. Papers relating to its use in German and Turkish languages were found. This howitzer had been used from this pit as one of the cards to which the charge is attached was found by me still in the breach. I also found in the pit two safety plugs from its bombs, yet none of the bombs found were detonated. I'm looking through my reports I can find no trace of a report being given of so large a bomb bursting in our lines with one exception mentioned in my report No.2 25.1.17 pages 19/20 and this surely could not have been caused by this gun owing to the range. MACHINE GUNS One only was captured by us. I did not see it myself, it was reported to be a Nukienfeldt and is now in use with the Machine Gun Coy. SNIPERS POSTS A most excellent system was discovered. A long straight sap is run out about 70 yards long at right angles to their fire trench. At the head of this instead of the usual T Head is a half loop head with of course the flanks back. The sap is about four ft deep and roofed across in places. The head is slightly deeper and also roofed. The roof of the head is raised off the ground by the timber being laid on two bricks, and is constructed in exactly the same way as the dugout roofs ie with timber brushwood and earth. By this arrangement a sniper fires practically from ground level through loopholes built of brick. The sniper appears to fire direct to his front, but owing to the curved shape of the trench from which he is firing he actually obtains cross fire on our trenches and obtains enfilade fire on troops advancing across the open. Such a post has the advantage of being absolutely invisible and of being far enough away from the trench to be protected from strays. Other snipers posts were found as far as two hundred yards in advance of their lines, but these were merely hollows scooped in the ground in which a man could lie. They had been freely used, as proved by the number of empty cases found in them. These were I am certain only occupied at night as no remnants of food or empty tins were to be found near them. |
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