Attack on Perim

When the operation against Fort Turba was completed on 11 November, the 1/23rd Sikh Pioneers went to reinforce the Aden garrison.^[1] When a large Arab force re-occupied Cheikh Saïd two weeks after the operations, the Resident prophesied the imminence of an attack against the British garrison on Perim, which, if it materialized, would render the occupation of Cheikh Saïd by British forces "very necessary... for the sake of prestige".^[2]

Initially the Viceroy shared the Resident's apprehensions, and in addition to reinforcing Perim, he urged upon the India Office on 1 December 1914 the necessity for an immediate occupation of Cheikh Saïd: such measures would not only safeguard Perim but would also dishearten the enemy. Opinion too in the India Office was opposed to permitting the Arabs to reoccupy Cheikh Saïd on behalf of Turkey.^[2]

As intelligence was gathered, it became apparent that earlier fears were exaggerated: on 3 December the Viceroy had no difficulty in convincing the India Office of the impossibility for the Turks of transporting heavy guns by land to Cheikh Saïd.^[3] Moreover, it was arranged that the Red Sea Patrol would "frustrate boat attack in any strength" against Perim. The Patrol would also prevent the importation by sea of heavy guns. "In our view the reoccupation of Sheikh Said is therefore unnecessary and is not considered desirable" as it would "irritate" the tribes.^[4]

A few days later he argued that a further raid would not "result in any permanent advantage unless there are really heavy guns to be destroyed and we have every reason to believe that this is not the case".^[4]

On 29 November, No. 2 Company, under the command of Major Ottley, was sent to Perim to take over the defence of the island from the company of the Lancashire Fusiliers, which departed Perim on 9 December together with the detachment of the 108th Infantry.^[1] Following the departure of Captain Bannatyne on 16 December, Major Ottley, as the senior military officer on the island, was appointed Assistant Resident, as were many of his successors during the war.^[1] In mid-March 1915, No. 1 Company, commanded by Captain Hutchinson, relieved No. 2 Company at Perim.^[1] Captain Hutchinson was accompanied by his wife, child, and an Indian nurse.^[5][1]

On 29 May, there was a serious incident when the Subedar-major Balwant Singh and a Subedar Paritam Singh, the two most senior Indian officers in the Company, were shot and killed in their beds at 3 a.m. by a sepoy, Sapper Basakha Singh.^[1][6] An Indian NCO managed to disarm him, and he was taken under escort to Aden on 30 May. He was tried by Special General Court Martial at Aden on 2 June, found guilty, and was hanged at Aden Special Prison on the 7th.^[1]

Captain Hutchinson had a number of spies operating on the mainland, and these reported that the Turks were assembling a force at Cheikh Saïd with a view to first bombarding and then attacking Perim.^[1]

On 13 June 1915, unbeknownst to the British, the Turks—having succeeded in bringing large guns to Cheikh Saïd—took the initiative. At 6 p.m. they opened fire and began bombarding Perim from their positions at Cheikh Saïd.^[7] They opened with a mixed assortment of guns—estimated at the time to be one 4.7 or 4.1 inch naval gun with a range of 10,000 yards, one 12-pounder with a range of 7,000 yards, and one 3.5 inch howitzer.^[1][8]

These soon found the range, and a good many direct hits were made on the lighthouse and barracks.^[1] A total of 211, or as many as 300, shells were fired,^[b] but damage was slight, although the lighthouse was put out of action for one night. A direct hit broke 10 of the lantern’s glasses, cracked one of the full diamond glasses, and twisted the rib frame.^[1] In reply the Empress of Japan, the Perim guardship, shelled Turkish gun positions,^[9] having been provided at Perim with a map, but this failed to prevent the Turks from making attempts to land on the island on the two succeeding days.^[7] The Northbrook left Aden at 1 p.m. on the 13th for the defence of Perim but appears not to have taken any part in the action against the Turks on this occasion.^[7] After temporary repairs by the Perim Coal Company the lighthouse was back in working order for the night of the 14/15 June.^[1]

During that night,^[1] at about 1 a.m.,^[8] a Turkish force in twelve dhows, each carrying about twenty soldiers and approaching the north coast,^[5] attempted to land, and only three men^[10] actually got ashore despite being fired on by a piquet.^[1] One of the increased alert measures had been to move one of the two 15-pounders to its position on Gun Hill, where it was able to react quickly when the alarm was raised.^[1] The Gun Hill battery fired one star shell, which assisted the Empress of Japan in sinking two dhows off Khor Gorrera, the inlet northwest of Cheikh Saïd.^[5][1][9] Seeing that all hope of surprise was lost, those ashore re-embarked.^[1][8]

In the early hours of the morning, the Turks attempted a landing on the North coast of Perim Island.^[9] During their second attempt to land on the island, they were driven off by the 23rd Sikh Pioneers under Captain A. G. C. Hutchinson.^[7] The Empress of Japan sailed round from the harbour and set off in pursuit of the dhows but failed to catch them.^[1][7][9]