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'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME II.' [233r] (474/660)
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.
PlIllllllllJllllllllhMUII In
THE TURKISH POSITION
427
a one brigade front, it would be carried out by the 19th Brigade,
supported by the 28th Brigade. In this case the 21st Brigade
would remain in the position it then was, and would cover the
right flank of the assaulting brigade with rifle and machine gun
Patrols sent out during the night of the 21st/22nd, however,
reported that on the frontage allotted for the advance of the
21st Brigade the water seemed to be receding, while on the
19th Brigade frontage the ground was nearly free of water
and was only covered by a shallow layer of mud. A patrol of
the Highland Battalion reported at 11 p.m. that the Turkish
front trench seemed to be only weakly held.*
The Turkish position consisted of three main lines of trenches
roughly parallel to, and about a hundred yards apart from, one
another, while in rear of the centre of the third line was another
short line of trenches about three hundred yards long ; and
there were three main communication trenches leading from
their right, centre and left some distance back to their left rear.
The northern portion of this position was known to have been
flooded at times by the water of the Suwaikiya marsh, and it
seemed certain that many of the Turkish trenches were full of
water. Behind the Turkish position, however, the Suwaikiya
marsh bent back sharply to the north-west and consequently
the ground over which Turkish reinforcements for the position
would have to advance was very much drier than the ground
in rear of the British front line. Moreover, the wet ground in
the Turkish main position would tend to lessen the effect of
the shells from the British bombardment. So that, altogether,
the flood conditions were generally in favour of the defenders,
though this advantage would decrease if they attempted any
extended counter-offensive. In fact, the conditions would not
have justified an assault if time had not been of such import
ance, f
During the night of the 21st/22nd April all preparatory
arrangements ordered for the attack were carried out success
fully, and at 6 a.m. General Younghusband reported to Corps
headquarters that all was ready. The 21st Brigade was
* On receipt of this report the 19th Brigade commander suggested sending
strong patrols at about 3 a.m. to occupy the enemy’s front line trenches and
following with the remainder of his brigade as soon as the patrols were esta
blished ; but this was not approved. ,
t Edmund Candler, the official eye-witness, who was present near Crofton s
Post during the attack, says in “ The Long Road to Baghdad that it was
doubted if the Turks would put up a serious resistance. There is nothing
to confirm this in the official records.
fire
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.' [233r] (474/660), 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_100045738550.0x00004b> [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