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'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME II.' [62v] (131/660)
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
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100 HISTORY OF THE WAR : MESOPOTAMIA
By 9 a.m. the whole of General Townshend’s force, with the
exception of the Cavalry Brigade and General Hoghton’s
troops, were collected in the vicinity of High Wall. General
Townshend had moved his headquarters there some time earlier
and had informed General Kemball, whom he met there on
arrival, that he did not intend to retire a moment before it
became necessary. This area (High Wall) was shelled
intermittently from about 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. by the Turkisli
heavy guns on the right bank of the Tigris, but although their
fire was accurate it caused surprisingly little loss.
Meanwhile the evacuation of the wounded from “V.P."
was proceeding. It was not an easy task, but in spite of some
sniping and intermittent shelling on the enemy’s part and a
dust storm, it was completed in the afternoon.
About 4 p.m. General Delamain moved out from High
Wall with a mixed force to cover General Hoghton’s with
drawal from “ V. P.” This commenced about 5 p.m. and was
carried out without incident. By about 6 p.m. the whole o(
General Townshend’s force, including the cavalry, was con
centrated in the High Wall area. The morning move
northward of the Cavalry Brigade, followed by General Dela-
main’s afternoon advance and the withdrawal to High Wall
after dark had, as will be seen later, a considerable effect upon
the enemy’s movements.
Throughout the 24th November General Townshend, who
found himself in a very difficult position, anxiously con
sidered his future plans. He was in constant telegraphic
communication with General Nixon, who received from him
the following report at 11.30 a.m. :—
“ The result of yesterday’s afternoon and all nigh-
battle wherein Turks, who have been largely reinforced,
assumed offensive, was that our wearied men hung on with
utmost tenacity and repulsed Turks at all points. Be
Turks fell back into their second line entrenchments,
where they are digging in still. I have concentrated my
troops on river bank at High Wall. Hoghton still at
‘ V.P.,’ which he is holding on to in order to evacuate
wounded. He will concentrate on me this afternoon,
after which I shall retire to Lajj reach to where my ships
are and await events. Every sound military reason points
to necessity of a retirement. If I went on and had to
fight another battle, with my three brigades now reduced
to 900 men, 700 men and 1,000 men respectively,^
* These figures of General Townshend’s are not easy to reconcile wU
those that should have been present after deducting casualties.
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.' [62v] (131/660), 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_100045738548.0x000084> [accessed 28 September 2024]
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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