!['HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME I.' [‎181r] (366/454)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100025551844.0x000001/IOR_L_MIL_17_15_66_1_0368.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME I.' [‎181r] (366/454)")
'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME I.' [181r] (366/454)
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.
NAVAL ATTEMPT TO CUT BOOM
335
Townshend was convinced that the Turks would retreat; so
he was anxious to organise his pursuit as soon as possible.
Lieutenant-Commander Cookson decided to make the
attempt, and started to do so as soon as it got dark. With
all lights out, the three armed tugs crept upstream followed
by a motor boat. But they were detected as they neared the
obstruction and immediately came under a very heavy rifle
and machine-gun fire from both banks of the river. It was
found that the obstruction consisted of a mahaila and two iron
lighters joined together by wire hawsers, and the only satis
factory
An East India Company trading post.
method of clearing a way was to cut the moorings by
which the craft were held together and thus release the mahaila
—which was in the middle—to float down stream with the
current.
Lieutenant-Commander Cookson ordered the Comet* to place
herself alongside the mahaila. This having been done, under
a hail of bullets at point-blank range, Lieutenant-Commander
Cookson “ found that he could not send a man over the ship’s
side to cut away the obstruction because it meant certain
death, so he took an axe and went himself.”t He fell between
the Comet and the mahaila absolutely riddled with bullets ; and
he died ten minutes after some of his crew had extricated him.
It may fitly be said of Commander Cookson, as it was of one
of Wellington’s Peninsular heroes : “no man died that night
with more glory.”
Fourteen of the small crew of the Comet had been wounded
in this operation, and the commander decided that the
very heavy fire of the enemy rendered it impossible to
attempt more. He, therefore, retired and the flotilla moved
downstream and anchored for the night near Nukhailat.
During the battle the majority of the Turkish mounted
troops had been absent on a raid against the British com
munications. General Townshend heard on the 27th from his
post at Sannaiyat that they were threatened with an attack
from a Turco-Arab mounted force with at least four guns ; and
he also heard that the enemy had captured a telegraph launch
and sunk fifteen mahailas (carrying oil and coal for his steamers) h
between Sannaiyat and Shaikh Sa’ad. Early in the afternoon
the Comet was sent to Sannaiyat with a detachment of the
48th Pioneers, but they returned again in the evening as the
post had not been attacked. Throughout the 28th, General
* Lieutenant-Commander Cookson was himself on board the Comet.
f General Townshend’s special despatch on this exploit.
Lieutenant-Commander Cookson was awarded the V.C. (posthumously).
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
'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME I.' [181r] (366/454), 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_100048172214.0x0000a7> [accessed 19 April 2024]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100048172214.0x0000a7
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_100048172214.0x0000a7">'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME I.' [‎181r] (366/454)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100048172214.0x0000a7"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100025551844.0x000001/IOR_L_MIL_17_15_66_1_0368.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
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
Copyright: How to use this content
- 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