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'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME I.' [174v] (353/454)
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
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322 HISTORY OF THE WAR : MESOPOTAMIA
General Delamain’s intention was to attack from the position
of deployment “ with a view to enveloping the left flank of
the hostile position and sweeping round southwards on to the
river.”* The envelopment was to be carried out by General
Hoghton, commanding 17th Brigade, with the four battalions
of his own brigade and two battalions (20th Punjabis and
104th Rifles) of the 16th Brigade, besides four guns of the
Maxim Battery. The frontal attack, under General Dela
main’s personal direction, was to be carried out by the remainder
of the column, i.e., the Dorsets, half the 117th Mahrattas, the
22nd Sapper Company, and two guns of the Maxim Battery,
supported by the 76th and 82nd Field and the l/5th Hants
Howitzer Batteries. The night march of the column was
organised accordingly. The cavalry were to operate on the
right, moving round between the Suwaikiya and Ataba marshes,
and were to secure the right and rear of the attack from surprise
and to be in readiness to pursue.
Only first line pack transport accompanied units beyond
Clery’s Post. Each infantry soldier carried two hundred
rounds of ammunition, and another hundred rounds per rifle
were carried in regimented and brigade reserve.
General Hoghton’s force headed the column. Preceded by a
small advanced guard of the 20th Punjabis, his six infantry
battalions moved in column of route—two battalions abreast at
close interval—with small left flank guards and the transport on
their right flank. No. 2 Field Ambulance and four guns of the
Maxim Battery then followed, and after them General Dela
main’s force in the following order :—Headquarters, Sappers,
Artillery, Ammunition reserves, No. 1 Field Ambulance, two
guns Maxim Battery, and half 117th Mahrattas, with the Dorsets
on the left as flank guard.
The going was fairly easy, though soft and spongy in places.
But the troops suffered considerably from the dust-laden
atmosphere, which was at the same time heavy, damp, and
close, causing the men to fall asleep immediately at every halt.
At 4.45 a.m. the advanced guard reported marsh on three
sides, whereupon the column was halted and it was soon
discovered that the force had been led with commendable
accuracy into an indentation of the Suwaikiya marsh, some
200 yards to the east of its south-western comer. The position
of deploymentf having thus been reached, the column deployed
* General Delamain’s operation order.
t The position of deployment, shown at " A ” in Map 7, is erroneously placed
about a mile too far northwards.
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
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'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME I.' [174v] (353/454), 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_100048172214.0x00009a> [accessed 16 April 2024]
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- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/1
- Title
- 'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME I.'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:3r, 4r:216v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence