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'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME II.' [219v] (447/660)
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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402 HISTORY OF THE WAR : MESOPOTAMIA
portion of them were obscured by scrub, although they appeared
to be only lightly held. At this part of the line the Turkish
and British trenches were about four hundred yards apart
though their piquets were only about seventy-five yards from
each other. A great part of the ground on the right bank
dried up during the day, and work on embankments and cause
ways was pushed on with all speed.
It has already been mentioned how General Lake’s scheme
for re-victualling Kut by sending a steamer to try and run the
gauntlet of the Turkish positions at night had been rejected*
General Lake, however, was not altogether satisfied that the
idea was impracticable and he took the opportunity of a visit
of inspection by Vice-Admiral Sir R. Wemyss,f who arrived
at the front on the 12th April, to discuss the question with
him. General Lake felt that the recent failures in the opera
tions had been due rather to bad weather and floods than to
the fighting powers of the Turks ; and he was, therefore,
of opinion that if he could gain more time for necessary prepara
tions, future attacks would stand a better chance of effecting
the relief of Kut. At this time floods had rendered the road
from Amara to the front quite impassable by troops marching;
all the available steamers were required to bring up supplies,
stores and ammunition for the troops already at the front; and,
in consequence, some reinforcements at Amara could not be
got up to join General Gorringe to replace his casualties. More
over, the extent and nature of the floods had made it evident
that, for any attack under these conditions, time for necessary
preparation was essential if success was to be ensured.
Admiral Wemyss at once went into the question. On the
13th he informed General Lake that he considered the chances
of success to be so small that, though he was prepared to
undertake the attempt as a last resource, he wished to be
assured that it would, if successful, add definitely to the chances
of relief. Otherwise, he did not consider it fair to call for
volunteers for the attempt, although he knew that he would
get them. General Lake gave him the required assurance and
asked him to select from the river steamers the one which he
considered most suitable for the purpose. The Julnar was
selected ; and on the 14th orders were issued for arrangements
to be made as secretly and expeditiously as possible to prepare
her for the attempt which the navy would make if other means
failed to effect the relief.
* See page 361.
t Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Squadron.
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.' [219v] (447/660), 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_100045738550.0x000030> [accessed 10 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