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'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME II.' [47r] (100/660)
The record is made up of 1 volume (323 folios). It was created in 1924. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
PLAN OF ATTACK
of separated forces so timed as to strike the enemy’s front and
flal ! k a u ' s ^ mi j} taneousl y» few, if any, reserves being retained
m hand by the Commander-in-Chief.” To carry this out he
divided his force into three portions :
The preparatory attack. Column “ C.”
The turning attack. Column “ B ” with the “ Flying
Column ” co-operating. 5
The decisive attack. Column “ A.”
General Townshend anticipated that the Turks would expect
him to repeat the plan he had carried out at the battle of
Kut, when he had divided his force into only two portions, and
that in consequence they would endeavour to meet his turning
attack with their reserve from Qusaiba. When this happened
3 J^d the Turkish reserve became fully engaged with his turning
attack, General Townshend hoped to effect a successful surprise
by the delivery of his decisive attack on “ V.P.”
General Hoghton s column (Column C) was to attack and
hold to its ground that wing of the enemy, on the left bank
of the river, which was furthest from his line of retreat. The
column was to move on the 21 st to a point about two miles
north-east of Bustan, preparatory to its advance next morning
at daylight.* This advance was to be directed against the part
of the Turkish trenches extending for about five hundred yards
on each side of the work known later as “ Water Redoubt.”
General Hoghton was instructed to work his way forward and
establish his line within long rifle-range of the enemy, if possible.
His role was not only, he was told, ” to pin the enemy down in
his position, but by making a great display and pretence of force
to induce the enemy to bring reserves to this menaced part
of his position.” He was further instructed not to make his
attack a decisive one until he saw General Delamain’s column
moving forward ; and then, having got into the enemy’s
position, he was to sweep southward to assist the naval flotilla
in its passage through the “cut.”
The Naval flotilla f (i.e., Firefly, Comet, Shaitan, Sumana,
four 4* 7-inch guns in horseboats towed by Shushan and
Mahsoudi and two 5-inch guns of the 86 th Battery in barges)
was to sweep with its fire the hostile position south-westward
of ” High Wall,” engaging hostile guns and infantry located in
that area, and to watch carefully for any hostile infantry
advance along the right bank directed towards the boat-bridge
at Lajj. As regards pursuit a free hand was left to the Senior
Naval Officer.
* Sunrise was at 6.30 a.m.
t Captain Nunn arrived on the 22nd and directed the naval operations.
About this item
- Content
The volume is the second volume of an official government publication compiled at the request of the Government of India, and under the direction of the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence, by Brigadier-General Frederick James Moberly. The volume was printed and published at His Majesty's Stationery Office, London.
The contents provide a narrative of the operations of 1914-1918 in Mesopotamia, based mainly on official documents.
The volume is in one part, entitled, 'Part III. The First Campaign for Baghdad', and consists of the following fourteen chapters:
- The Decision to Advance to Baghdad
- Commencement of the Advance Towards Baghdad
- The Battle of Ctesiphon - the First Day's Operations
- Battle of Ctesiphon (Continued) and the British Retirement to Kut
- The Decision to Hold Kut and British Policy Consequent on the Failure to Reach Baghdad
- The Siege of Kut: First Phase (December 1915)
- Commencement of the Relief Operations
- The Action of Shaikh Saad
- The Action of the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. and the First Attack on Hanna
- Operations up to the End of February, 1916
- The Second Attempt to Relieve Kut; the Attack on the Dujaila Redoubt
- The Third Attempt to Relieve Kut; the Successful Advance to and First and Second Attacks on Sannaiyat
- The Last Attempt at Relief; Bait Isa and Sannaiyat
- The Siege of Kut; the Last Stages
The volume also includes nine maps, entitled:
- The Middle East
- Lower Mesopotamia
- Map 8 - The Tigris from Kut al Amara to Baghdad
- Map 9 - The Battle of Ctesiphon
- Map 10 - The affair of Umm at Tubul
- Map 11 - The defence of Kut al Amara
- Map 12 - The fort at Kut; with special reference to the Turkish attack on 24th December 1915
- Map 13 - River Tigris between Ali Gharbi and Shumran
- Map 14 - The action at Shaikh Saad
- Map 15 - The action of the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows.
- Map 16 - The first attack on Hanna; 21st January 1916
- Map 17 - The attack on the Dujaila Redoubt, 8th March 1916
- Map 18 - To illustrate Tigris Corps Operation Order No. 26, dated 6th March 1916
- Map 19 - To illustrate operations between 10th March and end of April 1916
- Map 20 - The action of Bait Isa on 17th and 18th April 1916, and the attack on Sannaiyat 22nd April 1916
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (323 folios)
- Arrangement
The volume contains a list of contents (folios 6-10), a list of maps and illustrations (folio 11), appendices (folios 254-290), an index (folios 291-312), and eleven maps in a pocket attached to the inside back cover (folios 314-324).
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 325; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.
Pagination: the volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME II.' [47r] (100/660), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/2, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100045738548.0x000065> [accessed 5 February 2025]
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- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/2
- Title
- 'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME II.'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:3r, 3r, 4r:70v, 72r:79r, 160v, 80r:102v, 104r:160r, 161r, 313v, 161v:281v, 283r:313v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence