245:
160:
234:
175:
43:
222:
211:
200:
143:
113:
128:
599:. Younghusband's column made contact with the Ottomans on the morning of 6 January, 3.5 miles (5.6 km) east of Sheikh Sa'ad. British efforts to defeat the Ottomans were unsuccessful. British casualties were heavy amounting to 4,202, including 133 officers. Following this, the Ottoman forces voluntarily abandoned their position on 9 January for an unknown reason, and retired 10 miles (16 km) upstream to the Wadi.
706:
673:
Lacking proper maps, the leading
British column became lost. Seizing the opportunity, the Ottoman units began to wheel around from a north–south orientation to an east–west, to face the British flanking manoeuvre. The resulting frontal attack by the 28th Brigade was repulsed with heavy casualties.
521:
from Sheikh Sa'ad. The attack is generally considered as a failure, as although Aylmer managed to capture the Wadi, it cost him 1,600 men. The
British failure led to Townshend's surrender, along with 10,000 of his men, in the largest single surrender of British troops up to that time. However, the
688:
By this time, Aylmer's troops had gained control of the Wadi, but it was a small advance that was unworthy of the 1,600 men killed or wounded (including 40 British officers) in the attack and did little to bring relief closer to
Townshend's beleaguered forces at
1183:
1163:
658:
across the river—quickly lost the intended element of surprise, as the outnumbered
British forces on both sides of enemy lines struggled to assert themselves against a robust Ottoman defense.
1188:
681:
was still strongly held by the entrenched
Ottoman troops. Aylmer called off the attack by the end of the day and ferried most of his remaining troops to the right bank of the
306:
677:
By dusk, it became clear that the attempt had failed. British troops, attempting to manoeuvre around the
Ottoman flanks, failed to reach the river, and the mouth of the
1168:
615:. Their progress was hampered by the region's typical shortage of available roads and supply routes. Aylmer planned to outflank the Wadi position, capture the
1178:
1173:
221:
210:
199:
148:
635:
moved around the flank. However, the
British troops were hampered by having no accurate maps of the area, so much of the planning was left to chance.
904:
299:
1135:
1076:
805:
735:
was an important
Ottoman victory, greatly raising the morale of Ottoman soldiers and prestige for the Ottoman Army in the Middle East. The
654:
The attack, which began in the early afternoon of 13 January—postponed from the morning because of a persistent mist and a slow advance by
950:
292:
973:
666:, with the bulk of the British force, attempted a wide turning movement. The delay seriously affected the chances of success, as
750:
sixteen days later on 11 March 1917. The humiliation the
British faced due to the loss of Kut had been partially rectified. The
720:
The
British continued to attempt to break through the Ottoman lines over the coming months in order to rescue their brethren in
725:
557:
480:
731:
Through mistreatment and neglect leading to starvation, nearly 5,000 British prisoners died before the end of the war. The
1198:
709:
545:
238:
693:. The provision of adequate medical capacity and supplies had not improved significantly since the appalling debacle at
565:
498:
487:
1008:
728:
finally submitted, along with 10,000 of his men, in the largest single surrender of British troops up to that time.
471:, occurring on 13 January 1916, was an unsuccessful attempt by British forces fighting in Mesopotamia (present-day
370:
360:
385:
1193:
440:
435:
355:
42:
1098:
592:
76:
450:
375:
747:
523:
425:
415:
405:
335:
908:
624:
561:
445:
316:
30:
569:
410:
770:
663:
642:, set up new and firmer defensive positions—with some 20,000 troops—along the banks of the smaller
620:
588:
584:
430:
215:
877:
670:
and artillery fire from the alerted Ottoman forces began to halt the British infantry movements.
643:
506:
1131:
1072:
946:
942:
936:
801:
759:
455:
420:
400:
365:
345:
1147:
When God Made Hell: The British Invasion of Mesopotamia and the Creation of Iraq, 1914-1921
607:
Aylmer's troops were exhausted and demoralized as they continued to make their way up the
395:
350:
340:
871:
822:
774:
724:, all of which were unsuccessful. In April 1916, after nearly five months under siege,
713:
659:
628:
484:
244:
226:
165:
118:
977:
697:, so again many casualties suffered without treatment or evacuation for several days.
1157:
736:
573:
502:
233:
204:
180:
766:
732:
694:
678:
632:
616:
580:
549:
535:
518:
514:
491:
380:
68:
841:
740:
476:
330:
133:
80:
34:
667:
1101:. 'The War Illustrated' – 'a Pictorial Record of the Conflict of the Nations'
705:
655:
639:
541:
249:
505:
launched an attack against Ottoman defensive positions on the banks of the
1012:
751:
758:
and try to build up a new army to prevent the British from moving on to
284:
553:
583:) came on 6 January 1916. Aylmer's advance force, under Major-General
755:
682:
608:
596:
704:
631:
would attack the Wadi trenches frontally, while the rest of the
513:
was a steep valley of a stream that ran from the north into the
510:
472:
84:
72:
548:, surrounded an Anglo-Indian force of 25,000 men and began the
288:
1128:
The First Iraq War, 1914-1918: Britain's Mesopotamian Campaign
798:
Ottoman Army Effectiveness in World War I: A comparative study
746:
The British captured Kut in February 1917 on their way to the
721:
690:
612:
646:, through which the British would have to pass to reach Kut.
522:
British recaptured Kut in February 1917, on their way to the
638:
Meanwhile, the Ottoman army, under new regional commander
739:
on the other hand was forced to pour more resources into
540:
On 5 December 1915, Ottoman forces under the command of
1184:
Battles of World War I involving the United Kingdom
1164:
Battles of World War I involving the Ottoman Empire
792:
790:
1067:Tucker, Spencer; Priscilla Mary Roberts (2005).
23:
1189:Battles of World War I involving British India
712:– the victorious German commander leading the
517:, some 6 miles (9.7 km) upstream towards
497:Pushed by regional British Commander-in-Chief
754:was forced to end its military operations in
300:
47:A 1924 British map showing action at the Wadi
8:
572:of 19,000 men under Lieutenant General Sir
1040:
1038:
1036:
1034:
1032:
1030:
1003:
1001:
999:
997:
995:
307:
293:
285:
41:
20:
1062:
1060:
1058:
1056:
930:
928:
926:
905:"Battle of Wadi this day in history 1916"
899:
897:
895:
893:
891:
889:
887:
865:
863:
861:
859:
1092:
1090:
1088:
968:
966:
964:
962:
816:
814:
556:. Replying to pleas for help from Major
552:, a city 50 miles (80 km) south of
479:to relieve beleaguered forces under Sir
938:The First World War: A complete history
842:"Battles: The Battle of the Wadi, 1916"
836:
834:
786:
279:527 casualties unknown, estimated minor
579:The first attempt to relieve Kut (the
526:sixteen days later on 11 March 1917.
7:
1169:Battles of the Mesopotamian campaign
619:and surround the Ottoman force. The
1179:Sieges involving the Ottoman Empire
1174:Sieges involving the United Kingdom
576:to relieve the besieged garrison.
14:
1097:Fraser, Lovat (12 January 1918).
1045:Esposito, Vincent Joseph (1964).
1047:A Concise History of World War I
821:Barber, Major Charles H (1917).
243:
232:
220:
209:
198:
173:
158:
141:
126:
111:
1011:. 1914-1918.net. Archived from
777:for his actions at the battle.
941:. Henry Holt and Co. pp.
662:made a frontal advance, while
1:
907:. history.com. Archived from
876:. Baghdad: Cassell. pp.
710:Colmar Freiherr von der Goltz
1145:Townshend, Charles (2011).
824:Besieged in Kut – and After
603:Preparations for the battle
1215:
1130:. New York: Enigma Books.
1071:. ABC-CLIO. p. 1661.
976:. 19141918. Archived from
533:
71:, 3.5 miles (5.6 km)
1069:World War I: Encyclopedia
544:and the German commander
326:
268:
255:
191:
103:
51:
40:
28:
974:"Nixons Second Dispatch"
935:Gilbert, Martin (2004).
873:The Long Road to Baghdad
870:Candler, Edmund (1919).
627:under Brigadier General
595:along both banks of the
483:then under siege by the
1049:. Praeger. p. 414.
1126:Barker, A. J. (2009).
1099:"What happened at Kut"
717:
581:Battle of Sheikh Sa'ad
274:1,600 dead or wounded,
192:Commanders and leaders
1009:"The long long trail"
708:
625:7th (Meerut) Division
587:, moved forward from
550:Siege of Kut-Al Amara
318:Mesopotamian campaign
269:Casualties and losses
184:(military commanders)
31:Mesopotamian campaign
1199:1916 in Ottoman Iraq
1149:. Faber & Faber.
796:Edward J. Erickson,
570:British Tigris Corps
562:Mesopotamian Theatre
239:Colmar von der Goltz
800:, Routledge, 2007,
771:9th Bhopal Infantry
621:28th Indian Brigade
585:George Younghusband
546:Baron von der Goltz
216:George Younghusband
844:. 27 February 2002
752:Ottoman government
748:capture of Baghdad
737:British government
718:
524:capture of Baghdad
1137:978-1-929631-86-5
1078:978-1-85109-420-2
1015:on 11 August 2007
806:978-0-415-77099-6
558:Charles Townshend
481:Charles Townshend
464:
463:
421:Samarra offensive
283:
282:
276:numerous captured
99:
98:
1206:
1150:
1141:
1111:
1110:
1108:
1106:
1094:
1083:
1082:
1064:
1051:
1050:
1042:
1025:
1024:
1022:
1020:
1005:
990:
989:
987:
985:
970:
957:
956:
932:
921:
920:
918:
916:
901:
882:
881:
867:
854:
853:
851:
849:
838:
829:
828:
818:
809:
794:
773:was awarded the
760:capture of Mosul
321:
319:
309:
302:
295:
286:
248:
247:
237:
236:
225:
224:
214:
213:
203:
202:
185:
179:
177:
176:
164:
162:
161:
151:
147:
145:
144:
136:
132:
130:
129:
117:
115:
114:
53:
52:
45:
21:
1214:
1213:
1209:
1208:
1207:
1205:
1204:
1203:
1194:Battles in 1916
1154:
1153:
1144:
1138:
1125:
1122:
1120:Further reading
1115:
1114:
1104:
1102:
1096:
1095:
1086:
1079:
1066:
1065:
1054:
1044:
1043:
1028:
1018:
1016:
1007:
1006:
993:
983:
981:
972:
971:
960:
953:
934:
933:
924:
914:
912:
911:on 6 March 2009
903:
902:
885:
869:
868:
857:
847:
845:
840:
839:
832:
820:
819:
812:
795:
788:
783:
703:
652:
605:
568:dispatched the
538:
532:
465:
460:
322:
317:
315:
313:
275:
242:
241:
231:
219:
218:
208:
207:
197:
183:
174:
172:
168:
159:
157:
142:
140:
139:
127:
125:
124:
112:
110:
95:Ottoman victory
87:
59:13 January 1916
46:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1212:
1210:
1202:
1201:
1196:
1191:
1186:
1181:
1176:
1171:
1166:
1156:
1155:
1152:
1151:
1142:
1136:
1121:
1118:
1113:
1112:
1084:
1077:
1052:
1026:
991:
980:on 31 May 2008
958:
951:
922:
883:
855:
830:
810:
785:
784:
782:
779:
775:Victoria Cross
702:
699:
651:
650:Battle of Wadi
648:
629:George Kemball
604:
601:
564:commander Sir
534:Main article:
531:
528:
499:Sir John Nixon
469:Battle of Wadi
462:
461:
459:
458:
453:
448:
443:
438:
433:
428:
423:
418:
413:
408:
403:
398:
393:
388:
383:
378:
373:
368:
363:
358:
353:
348:
343:
338:
333:
327:
324:
323:
314:
312:
311:
304:
297:
289:
281:
280:
277:
271:
270:
266:
265:
262:
258:
257:
253:
252:
229:
227:George Kemball
194:
193:
189:
188:
187:
186:
166:Ottoman Empire
154:
153:
152:
149:United Kingdom
137:
119:British Empire
106:
105:
101:
100:
97:
96:
93:
89:
88:
83:, present-day
67:
65:
61:
60:
57:
49:
48:
38:
37:
26:
25:
24:Battle of Wadi
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1211:
1200:
1197:
1195:
1192:
1190:
1187:
1185:
1182:
1180:
1177:
1175:
1172:
1170:
1167:
1165:
1162:
1161:
1159:
1148:
1143:
1139:
1133:
1129:
1124:
1123:
1119:
1117:
1100:
1093:
1091:
1089:
1085:
1080:
1074:
1070:
1063:
1061:
1059:
1057:
1053:
1048:
1041:
1039:
1037:
1035:
1033:
1031:
1027:
1014:
1010:
1004:
1002:
1000:
998:
996:
992:
979:
975:
969:
967:
965:
963:
959:
954:
952:0-8050-7617-4
948:
944:
940:
939:
931:
929:
927:
923:
910:
906:
900:
898:
896:
894:
892:
890:
888:
884:
879:
875:
874:
866:
864:
862:
860:
856:
843:
837:
835:
831:
826:
825:
817:
815:
811:
807:
803:
799:
793:
791:
787:
780:
778:
776:
772:
768:
763:
761:
757:
753:
749:
744:
742:
738:
734:
729:
727:
723:
715:
711:
707:
700:
698:
696:
692:
686:
684:
680:
675:
671:
669:
665:
661:
657:
649:
647:
645:
641:
636:
634:
630:
626:
622:
618:
614:
610:
602:
600:
598:
594:
590:
589:Ali Al-Gharbi
586:
582:
577:
575:
574:Fenton Aylmer
571:
567:
563:
559:
555:
551:
547:
543:
537:
529:
527:
525:
520:
516:
512:
508:
504:
503:Fenton Aylmer
500:
495:
493:
489:
486:
482:
478:
474:
470:
457:
454:
452:
451:Khan Baghdadi
449:
447:
444:
442:
439:
437:
434:
432:
429:
427:
424:
422:
419:
417:
414:
412:
409:
407:
404:
402:
399:
397:
394:
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389:
387:
384:
382:
379:
377:
374:
372:
369:
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364:
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359:
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344:
342:
339:
337:
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332:
329:
328:
325:
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310:
305:
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298:
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291:
290:
287:
278:
273:
272:
267:
263:
260:
259:
254:
251:
246:
240:
235:
230:
228:
223:
217:
212:
206:
205:Fenton Aylmer
201:
196:
195:
190:
182:
181:German Empire
171:
170:
169:
167:
155:
150:
138:
135:
123:
122:
121:
120:
108:
107:
102:
94:
91:
90:
86:
82:
78:
74:
70:
66:
63:
62:
58:
55:
54:
50:
44:
39:
36:
32:
27:
22:
19:
1146:
1127:
1116:
1105:17 September
1103:. Retrieved
1068:
1046:
1019:15 September
1017:. Retrieved
1013:the original
984:17 September
982:. Retrieved
978:the original
937:
915:15 September
913:. Retrieved
909:the original
872:
848:15 September
846:. Retrieved
827:. Blackwood.
823:
797:
767:Chatta Singh
764:
745:
733:Siege of Kut
730:
719:
695:Sheikh Sa'ad
687:
679:Hanna Defile
676:
672:
664:Younghusband
653:
637:
633:Tigris Corps
617:Hanna Defile
606:
593:Sheikh Sa'ad
578:
539:
536:Siege of Kut
519:Kut-al-Amara
515:River Tigris
496:
492:Kut-al-Amara
468:
466:
426:Jebel Hamlin
390:
386:Sheikh Sa'ad
376:Umm at Tubal
156:
109:
104:Belligerents
77:Sheikh Sa'ad
69:Hanna defile
29:Part of the
18:
741:Mesopotamia
640:Halil Pasha
477:World War I
331:Fao Landing
250:Halil Pasha
81:Mesopotamia
35:World War I
1158:Categories
781:References
668:small-arms
644:Wadi River
566:John Nixon
530:Background
507:Wadi River
501:, General
488:Sixth Army
441:2nd Ramadi
436:1st Ramadi
16:1916 siege
726:Townshend
701:Aftermath
656:artillery
542:Halil Kut
475:) during
431:Istabulat
371:Ctesiphon
361:Nasiriyah
808:, p. 93.
591:towards
256:Strength
64:Location
769:of the
714:Ottoman
660:Kemball
623:of the
611:toward
554:Baghdad
485:Ottoman
456:Sharqat
416:Baghdad
411:2nd Kut
401:Dujaila
381:1st Kut
366:Es Sinn
356:Karbala
1134:
1075:
949:
804:
765:Sepoy
756:Persia
716:troops
683:Tigris
609:Tigris
597:Tigris
509:. The
346:Shaiba
264:20,000
261:19,000
178:
163:
146:
131:
116:
92:Result
446:Najaf
406:Hilla
396:Hanna
351:Amara
341:Qurna
336:Basra
134:India
1132:ISBN
1107:2008
1073:ISBN
1021:2008
986:2008
947:ISBN
917:2008
850:2008
802:ISBN
511:Wadi
473:Iraq
467:The
391:Wadi
85:Iraq
73:east
56:Date
943:688
878:311
722:Kut
691:Kut
613:Kut
490:at
75:of
33:of
1160::
1087:^
1055:^
1029:^
994:^
961:^
945:.
925:^
886:^
858:^
833:^
813:^
789:^
762:.
743:.
685:.
560:,
494:.
79:,
1140:.
1109:.
1081:.
1023:.
988:.
955:.
919:.
880:.
852:.
308:e
301:t
294:v
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
