THE MESOPOTAMIAN CAMPAIGN: THE RE TREAT from CTESIPHON to KUT-EL-AMARA | The Illustrated First World War

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THE MESOPOTAMIAN CAMPAIGN: THE RE TREAT from CTESIPHON to KUT-EL-AMARA

THE MESOPOTAMIAN CAMPAIGN: THE RE TREAT from CTESIPHON to KUT-EL-AMARA

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The history of Ctesiphon has been long and varied. It was one of the cities which succeeded Babylon as the chief centre of power and population in Mesopotamia. The successors of Alexander the Great, who conquered Babylon, founded a new city at Seleucia, some twenty miles below modern Bagdad. This city remained a centre of Greek power until the coming of the Parthian kings, who… with the aid of their semi-civilised bands, esta blished themselves at Seleucia. For various reasons, however, the Parthians found it desirab’e to build a city on the opposite bank of the Tigris. This was Ctesiphon, Iwhich soon became ‘predominant, a development which marked the definite triumph of the East over Hellenism. The Parthians themselves, about A. D. 46, began to give way before the advance of Rome, and Ctesiphon was ruthlessly sacked by the Emperor Severus I. It rose from its ashes, however, and became the capital of the Sassanians, the rulers of the new Persian Empire, under whom Ctesiphon rose to greater glory than it had ever previously known. For four centuries it flourished exceedingly, and Khusru Anushirvan, who was a mighty builder, reconstructed the palace at Ctesiphon, the huge archway of which still remains to testify to the power and luxury of the kings who held their court beneath its mighty spanTHE MESOPOTAMIAN OPERATIONS July 4 November 30 Simultaneously with the advance on Amara a second column was sent up the Euphrates towards Nasiriyeh, to which place the force defeated at Shaiba had retreated. The column, under Major-General Gorringe, left Kurna at the end of June. It was first checked by the channel from the Euphrates into the Hammar Lake see map). This had been blocked by a dam, and its demolition and the passage through the gap of the steamers and barges caused considerable delay. The Turks were then discovered entrenched near Suk-est-Shuyukh. After some sharp fighting they were driven back, losing some guns and prisoners, upon Nnsiriyeh. On the 14th General Gorringe, having been now reinforced by the 12th Brigade, advanced against this position, but found its capture a difficult problem. The first attack failed owing to our left wing being surrounded by Arabs just as it was storming the Turkish entrenchments on the right. Operations had to he suspended until the 18th Brigade could be brought up from Kurna. On the 24th, after a heavy preparatory bombardment, the positions on the left bank were assailed by Dunlop’s Brigade, while Mellis’s assaulted those on the right. The fighting was of the sternest description, but at noon the whole Turkish position was in our hands, and our line swept on so vigorously as to prevent any effectual defence of the second Turkish entrenched position two miles in rear. Nasiriyeh was occupied early on the 25th. The Turks had lost nearly all their artillery and 700 prisoners, and left over 500 dead on the field. A Turkish Stand at Kut-ef-Amara wJth 20,000 Men The next Turkish stand was to be at Kut-el-Amara, a hun dred miles from Bagdad. Here they had prepared an entrenched position astride of the Tigris extending for several miles on each bank. The remains of the Turkish forces which had retreated from Nasiriyeh and Amara were collected here, and reinforcements, some of which had come from the west of the empire, were brought up, until by the middle of September there were some 20,000 men, regulars and irregulars, with about thirty-five guns, under Nur-ed-din Pasha. The British advance guard had for some time been concen trating near the Turkish position. It consisted of two infantry uNov 7 1914 Landing at Fao. June 3, 1 91 5 Amaca, captured by advance Nov. 17 Turks defeated at Sahll. from Kurna and Ahwaz. Nov. 22 Basra occupied by British. July 14 Battle at Naslriyeh. Doc g Mezera captured after a severe July24-25,, Naslriyeh captured by British. fl^ht. Sept. 29 Kut-el-Amara occupied. Mnr 3 1915 Fighting near Ahwaz against Nov. 22 Turks defeated at Cteslphon. 12,000 Turks and Arabs. but British forced to retreat Apr 11-14 Turkish attacks on Shaiba owlngto the arrival of strong and Birjislyeh near Basra. Turkish reinforcements. May 31 Turks defeated two miles Dec. 3 British force retires to Kut- north of Kurna. el-Amara.brigades (Generals Fry and Delamain) under General Townshend. He had a pontoon bridge on the river and was thus able to operate on both banks without fear of having his force cut in two. On September 27 a demonstration was made by Delamain’s brigade against the entrenchments on the right bank, while General Fry demonstrated against those on the left. Then in the evening Delamain crossed the bridge of boats, leaving only a detachment to keep up the demonstration. On the 28th the attack on the left was pressed home by the united division. There was very hard fighting, the Turks, as usual, standing their ground like men. By the evening, however, a serious impression had been made upon the Turkish position, and reinforcements brought up by Nur-ed- din failed to shake our hold. In the night the Turks aban doned their remaining positions and retreated on Bagdad, and the British cavalry occupied Kut-el-Amara next day. The Turks abandoned six guns in their entrenchments, and their losses had been heavy. Over 1,000 prisoners were taken. The Pause after the Kut-el-Amara Success As before, the occupation of Kut-el-Amara was followed by a considerable halt. The line of river to be guarded was now several hundreds of miles long, and absorbed numbers of troops in detach ments and garrisons. Meanwhile reinforcements from the west were arriving at Bagdad to preserve, if possible, that important city. In November Townshend’s division resumed its advance, and on November 22 found a large Turkish force entrenched at the ruins of Ctesiphon, some eighteen miles from Bagdad. In spite of their superiority in numbers he attacked and gained, at great cost, a victory, taking 1,600 prisoners and much material. But the success had no results, and was soon rendered nugatory by the appearance of heavy Turkish columns from Bagdad, amounting, it is said, to three or four divisions a Turkish division has nine or ten battalions only. Before this accumulation of force General Townshend was forced to retreat upon Kut-el-Amara, eighty miles distant, attacked and harassed all the way by overwhelming numbers. On the night of November 30-December 1 the pursuers made a final desperate attempt to overwhelm the retreating column. This was beaten ofi’, and the division gained Kut-el-Amara. Two little river gunboats have been sunk by the enemy’s fire, and the total losses are over 4,500 of all ranks. For the moment, there fore, the advance on Bagdad is suspended, but we are still within striking distance, and beyond doubt the forward movement will be renewed as soon as reinforcements are pushed up.

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< Prev ArticleTHE GREAT EUROPEAN WAR: WEEK BY WEEKNext Article >THE COMING OF WINTER IN THE BALKANS SCENES on the LINE of the SERBIAN RETREATYou are on page 270 of 2Issue 829. – Vol 63Dec, 11 1915Sphere

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