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'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME I.' [‎68v] (141/454)

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. .

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116 HISTORY OF THE WAR: MESOPOTAMIA
gap between the Dorsets and the 104th, while the remainder
of the 20th and the 23rd Battery remained in reserve under
General Delamain. A general advance was now made against
the enemy's second position, supported by the well-directed
fire of both batteries. This position was entrenched and,
though held by the Turks with determination, was gallantly
rushed by the Dorsets about 9.30 a.m., the enemy after some
further close fighting making off northwards through the
plantations.
In the meantime, the 104th, finding progress difficult in the
plantations owing to the thick scrub and the numerous water
channels, had met with some opposition. At a fortified village
the Turks, with a gun and a machine gun, attempted a serious
counter-stroke ; and the officer commanding 104th, unable to
get into signalling communication with brigade headquarters
owing to the mirage, had been obliged to ask the 20th Punjabis
on his left for assistance to reinforce his right. Thus reinforced,
the 104th and 20th advanced steadily but slowly till they
reached the line held by the Dorsets and the rest of the 20th,
when the whole line advanced and captured the Turkish camp.
The Dorsets now swung round to their right, preparatory to
a further advance, but it was about 10.30 a.m. and the arrival
of Turkish reinforcements might be expected at any moment.
Our force had done considerable damage to rifles, ammunition,
stores, etc., found in the Turkish camp and had forced the
enemy to retire. General Delamain therefore decided, in view
of his instructions not to get too seriously engaged, that he
would withdraw to camp. The retirement was ordered to
commence at 10.45, but touch had been lost with the right of
the line in the plantations and the force did not begin to retire
till about an hour later. It returned to camp unmolested.
The Odin —joined later in the morning by the Espiegle —had
steamed up the river parallel to the troops and had endeavoured
to co-operate in the fight, but, owing to the impossibility of
observing and directing fire through and over the belt of date
plantations, the assistance she could render was not very great.
General Delamain estimated the enemy’s strength at about
twelve hundred, with four mountain and three machine guns,
but the examination of prisoners showed it to be much stronger;
and it was subsequently ascertained to be about 3,100,* with
* 700 of 112th Regiment, 1,400 of 113th Regiment, 800 of new levy (or
26th Regiment), and 200 gunners. Information from Turkish sources, how
ever, gives the strength as 2,000 regular infantry. (See Appendix VI, p. 352 )

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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
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'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME I.' [‎68v] (141/454), 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_100048172213.0x00008e> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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