Confidential
SPECIAL IDEA-KHAKI
On 11th December, the 2nd Division had received orders to concentrate at ATTOCK. The white force attacking at ATTOCK has been estimated at about 2 Divisions and the whole of our 1st Division and most of the Cavalry Brigade had been drawn into the engagement leaving few troops to watch the river to the north. The G.O.C., 1st Division was however confident that he could prevent the enemy crossing at ATTOCK.
The ABBOTTABAD Infantry Brigade (3 Nepalese battalions), of the 2nd Division, with one Mountain Battery, left ABBOTTABAD by road on 12th and on the morning of 13th the G.O.C., was ordered to oppose the advance of the enemy from TARBELA. the remainder of the 2nd Division was also ordered to HASAN ABDAL instead of to ATTOCK and had completed its concentration at HASAN ABDAL by the night of the 15th and 16th December. Two squadrons, 3rd Skinner's Horse had joined the ABBOTTABAD Brigade on the evening of the 14.
The situation at 5 p. m. on the 15th, as known to the G.O.C., 2nd Division is as follows:- Abbottabad Brigade and attacked troops having been forced to retire by a force estimated at about 4 battilions infantry, a brigade of mountain artillery and 4 squadrons of cavalry has taken up a position astride the HARIPUR road, south of the DOTAL nullah, with cavalry watching the KOT NAJIBULLAH-SARAI KALA road. The enemy, who had been roughly handled when crossing the KAHAL nullah, could be seen entrenching south of that river between SARAI GADAI and KOT NAJIBULLAH.
Spies reported that part of the bridge at TARABELA had been washed away on the 13th but that subsequently troops were being slowly ferried across ad efforts made to repair the bridge.