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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 54
Communications Required in the Offensive Zone
Communications Required in the Offensive Zone.
For the successful prosecution of operations in the left or offensive
zone it has been shown that Erzerum and Van must be held in force with outposts thrown out to Keretchli dágh, Zewin, Alashgird, Pergri and beyond, and that timely reinforcements of men and material must be pushed up from Trebizond and Samsún.
For offensive operations, the Samsún-Mardin line and easterly branches are necessary.
A good military road (requires repair) already exists from Trebizond, viâ Baibourt to Erzerum, and as the distance is only 120 miles, it need not be supplemented. From Samsún a railway is required, viâ Tokat, Sivas, a line grain-producing district, Kharput, mining district, and Diarbekir, commercial centre, to join in with the Mediterranean line at Mardin. The advantages afforded by the double base, Mardin to the Black Sea and Mardin to the Mediterranean Sea, are very great; the former answers a double purpose, as it forms the secondary base for operations eastwards.
The branch military lines required are (see page 10)—
| (i) | Sivas, Erzitigham, Erzerum, |
| (ii) | Kharput, Mush, Bitlis, Van. |