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'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME II.' [190r] (388/660)
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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TOWNSHEND’S ARRANGEMENTS 345
As this report appeared to General Aylmer to show that the
T,rks had not withdrawn, he decided to retire ; and at 10.45
m General Kemball received instructions that the main body
a ; uld star t at 10.15. He was much disappointed, as he was
rersonally convinced that the enemy had evacuated most of
their trenches during the night and were preparing to retire
from the position. Next day he received apparent confirmation
of this view from Major Leachman of the Political Department
who had heard from Arabs that the Turks, having retired from
their trenches during the night, had moved back towards
their bridgehead and ferry in expectation of a further attack.
The German accounts of Gleich and Riesling throw no light on
the point; but the Turkish General Staff say that they were
not only not preparing to retire, but were arranging for a
counter-attack ; and they comment on the passive attitude
adopted during the action by General Townshend.
We will now turn to the action, during these operations, of
General Townshend’s troops in Rut and of the force under
General Younghusband in front of the Hanna position.
In his book General Townshend says that on the night
4th/5th March three of his Arab boatmen deserted and
evidently informed the enemy of the rafts and flying bridges
being prepared ; as, on the morning of the 5th, the Turks
could be seen reinforcing their trenches on the right bank of
the Tigris to oppose any attempt at crossing.
As mentioned before, it appeared probable to General
Townshend that when the Turks saw General Aylmer’s advance
they would attack Rut to prevent the garrison co-operating
with General Aylmer. General Townshend accordingly detailed
small forces under Generals Delamain and Hoghton to hold his
north-western and north-eastern fronts, while he kept tw T o
infantry brigades (30th under General Melliss and a provisional
brigade under Colonel Evans composed of Norfolks, Oxfords,
22nd Punjabis and 48th Pioneers) at a central position south
east of the town in readiness either to reinforce his northern
fronts or to cross the river. He also concentrated guns to fire
to the south-east and east, with the heavier guns arranged for
action towards the Hai bridge and the enemy camps near
Es Sinn, though he feared that both these localities were well
out of range.
General Townshend says that from 5.30 a.m. on the 8 th
March he held the force intended for co-operation in constant
readiness. The first sound of gunfire in the direction of Es
Sinn was heard at 7.10 a.m., but beyond flocks of sheep and
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.' [190r] (388/660), 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_100045738549.0x0000bd> [accessed 30 April 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