Skip to item: of 454
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME I.' [‎139r] (282/454)

The record is made up of 1 volume (223 folios). It was created in 1923. 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.

Apply page layout

SECOND ACTION OF QURNA
253
Soon after 1 a.m. the “ Turning Attack ” under Lieutenant-
Colonel Blois-Johnson, consisting of a section of the 30th
Mountain Battery, 22nd Punjabis, some Sirmur Sappers and a
field ambulance section, pushed forward in their heliums
towards One Tree Hill. The helium for mine destroying,
manned by Sirmur Sappers, in accordance with its instructions,
had proceeded to search along the left bank of the Tigris till
opposite Fort Snipe, where it was due by 6 a.m. After going
a short distance, the ?2nd Punjabis and the mountain battery
section found the water so shallow they had to get out of
the boats and rafts and push them. It was very hard work
to get along, and the mountain battery section, finding
progress impossible, had to return to Qurna. The 22nd Punjabis
managed to continue and before 5 a.m. had deployed at the
pre-arranged point and had advanced to about fifteen hundred
yards east-south-east of One Tree Hill. Here they awaited
the commencement of the artillery bombardment.
At 5 a.m., the warships and the howitzers and heavy guns
at Qurna commenced their bombardment of Norfolk, Gun,
One Tower, and One Tree Hills. The enemy guns did not
reply for some twenty minutes, when they opened fire on the
Fort Snipe area ; directed apparently against our war-ships
and artillery. The Espiegle and Clio had now passed through
the boat bridge and, taking up position near Fort Snipe,
engaged the Turkish guns on Gun Hill.
Meanwhile the advanced guard group under Lieutenant-
Colonel Climo had formed up west of Fort Snipe, unmolested by
the Turkish artillery, and had started their advance before 6 a.m.
The boats and rafts advanced in the following formation:—
On* Co 9 1/9*
L*f( Flank
Guard
<- 300j& tt-lOOjtktt 300yds
+ J
200yds
|< 400yds ----- »t_
/Oi’d
wtm
Sirmur .SKM.
/oor*
-Machms _ Oxfords Machine
Guns(/O3"0
300yds
(Oxford^
*3irmur.$dM.
P a'-H.Q.
(03 r< * MahraCCas
? '/OaF <S Bucks L./.
200yds
pfcl British. f. fi.
£ &
Indian. F. fi.

About this item

Content

The volume is the first 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 divided into two parts. The first part, entitled, 'Part I. Before the Outbreak of Hostilities', consists of the following five chapters:

  • General Description of the Country
  • The Turks in Mesopotamia
  • British Pre-War Policy
  • The Army in India and Pre-War Military Policy
  • Inception of the Operations

The second part, entitled, 'Part II. The Campaign in Lower Mesopotamia', consists of the following seven chapters:

  • The Landing in Mesopotamia of Force "D" and the Operations Leading to the Occupation of Basra
  • The Occupation of Basra and the Capture of Qurna
  • Commencement of the Turkish Counter-Offensive
  • Development and Defeat of the Turkish Counter-Offensive
  • Operations in Arabistan and the Capture of Amara
  • Operations on the Euphrates and the Occupation of Nasiriya
  • The battle of Kut and Occupation of Aziziya

The volume also includes nine maps, entitled:

  • The Middle East
  • Lower Mesopotamia
  • Map 1 - To illustrate operations described in Chapter VI
  • Map 2 - To illustrate fighting near Qurna
  • Map 3 - To illustrate fighting round Shaiba
  • Map 4 - To illustrate operations in Persian Arabistan
  • Map 5 - To illustrate operations in the Akaika Channel 27th June to 5th July 1915
  • Map 6 - To illustrate operations near Nasiriya 6th to 24th July 1915
  • Map 7 - To illustrate the Battle of Kut 28th September 1915
Extent and format
1 volume (223 folios)
Arrangement

The volume contains a page of errata (folio 5), a list of contents (folios 6-8), a list of maps and illustrations (folio 9), appendices (folios 185v-192), an index (folios 192v-214v), and eight maps in a pocket attached to the inside back cover (folios 217-224).

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 225; 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

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME I.' [‎139r] (282/454), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100048172214.0x000053> [accessed 19 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100048172214.0x000053">'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME I.' [&lrm;139r] (282/454)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100048172214.0x000053">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100025551844.0x000001/IOR_L_MIL_17_15_66_1_0284.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100025551844.0x000001/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image