File:The Times history of the war (1914) (14761452921).jpg

Identifier: timeshistoryofwa10lond (find matches)
Title: The Times history of the war
Year: 1914 (1910s)
Authors:
Subjects: Times history of the war Times history and encyclopaedia of the war World War, 1914-1918
Publisher: London
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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ades on the Canal ;two double companies of Sikhs from the Patiala ImperialService Regiment wore sent to replace losses in tlu)15th Sikhs, and every British and Indian officer whocould be spared was sent to replace casualties ; the30th Brigade, under Major-General C. J. Mollis, V.C,K.C.B., was sent to Basiiih ; the 28lh Brigade, underMajor-General Sir G. Youiighusband, K.C.I.E., C.B.,was sent first to Aden and then to Basrah ; the force wasfurther weakened by the exchange of tired units from theIndian divisionH in France with some of th(5 best bat-talions on the Canal. In these circumstances it was hiirdly possible effectively to organize the Canal Defence Forces for the offensive def(»nce. It should also bo remembered that during a large part of I9I.) hof>es were centred on the success of (lie Dar- danell«m adventtire, which woul<l hav(t rendered an offfinsive defence in Sinai unneeesHary, nor is tiiere any indication in (Jen. Maxwells despatelies that he contemplated anything
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368 THE TIMES HISTORY OF THE WAR. 369 more than the stationary defence of theSuez Canal. But the governing factor was thenumber of troops available, and in November,1915, Gen. Maxwell was hard put to find anadequate force to deal with the peril to Egyptcaused by the Senussi invasion on the west. Norwas it until the arrival of South African troopsfrom England that the decisive blow againstthe Senussi could be struck (March, 1916).* The physical features of the Sinai Peninsulaare described in Chapter L XXIII. Here it isnecessary to deal in any detail only with thenorthern third of the peninsula, that facingthe Mediterranean. This third is mainly asandy desert, with occasional areas of culti-vation and a sufficient number of wells toenable small bodies of travellers to cross with-out serious discomfort. The central section isa stony tableland girded by high hills ; thesouthern third is a mass of rugged mountains,in which military operations on a large scale arepractically impossible. The

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