'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME II.'

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)

It is grouped into

'THE MIDDLE EAST.'

2 images

Ref: IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/2, f 3v

'MAP 10. TO ILLUSTRATE THE AFFAIR OF UMM AT TUBUL. Positions at dawn, 1st. December, 1915.'

2 images

Ref: IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/2, f 71

'MAP 12. THE FORT AT KUT: WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE TURKISH ATTACK ON 24TH. DECEMBER, 1915.'

4 images

Ref: IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/2, f 103

'MAP 18. To illustrate Tigris Corps Operation Order No. 26 dated 6th. March 1916'

4 images

Ref: IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/2, f 282

'LOWER MESOPOTAMIA'

2 images

Ref: IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/2, f 314

'MAP 8. THE TIGRIS FROM KUT AL AMARA TO BAGHDAD.'

2 images

Ref: IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/2, f 315

'MAP 9. TO ILLUSTRATE THE BATTLE OF CTESIPHON.'

2 images

Ref: IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/2, f 316

'MAP 11. TO ILLUSTRATE THE DEFENCE OF KUT AL AMARA: December 1915, to April 1916.'

2 images

Ref: IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/2, f 317

'MAP 13. RIVER TIGRIS BETWEEN ALI GHARBI AND SHUMRAN.'

2 images

Ref: IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/2, f 318

'MAP 14. MAP TO ILLUSTRATE THE ACTION OF SHAIKH SAAD. 6th. - 9th. January, 1916.'

2 images

Ref: IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/2, f 319

'MAP 15 MAP TO ILLUSTRATE THE ACTION OF THE WADI.'

2 images

Ref: IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/2, f 320

'MAP 16 MAP TO ILLUSTRATE THE FIRST ATTACK ON HANNA. 21st. January, 1916.'

2 images

Ref: IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/2, f 321

'MAP 17. MAP TO ILLUSTRATE THE ATTACK ON THE DUJAILA REDOUBT: 8TH. MARCH, 1916.'

2 images

Ref: IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/2, f 322

'MAP 19 MAP TO ILLUSTRATE OPERATIONS BETWEEN 10TH. MARCH & END OF APRIL 1916.'

2 images

Ref: IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/2, f 323

'MAP 20 MAP TO ILLUSTRATE THE ACTION OF BAIT ISA ON 17TH. & 18TH. APRIL 1916 AND THE ATTACK ON SANNAIYAT 22ND. APRIL 1916'

2 images

Ref: IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/2, f 324

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

Type

Archival file

Access & Reference

Original held at

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.

Access conditions

Unrestricted

Archive reference

IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/2

Former external reference(s)

H 66

History of this record

Date(s)

1924 (CE, Gregorian)

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'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME II.', 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_100025551852.0x000001> [accessed 18 January 2025]

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