Siege of Kut
Part of the Mesopotamian Campaign (World War I)
Indian anti-aircraft machine gunners in action during the siege. The Mesopotamian campaign was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of the Great War fought between Allied Powers represented by the British Empire World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All
Date 7 December 1915 – 29 April 1916 Location Kut-al-Amara, Mesopotamia, present-day Iraq Result Decisive Ottoman victory
Belligerents
British Empire	Ottoman Empire
Commanders
Charles Townshend #	Colmar von der Goltz † Halil Pasha
Strength
31,000	31,000 - 41,000
Casualties and losses
23,000 dead or wounded, 8,000 captured	10,000 dead or wounded

The Siege of Kut was a major battle of World War I. Events 43 BC - Marcus Tullius Cicero assassinated 1696 - Connecticut Route 108, one of the oldest highways Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year For the town in Armenia see Kut Armenia. Al-Kūt ( BGN: Al Kūt; also spelled Kut-Al-Imara or Kut El Amara Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers" is an area geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers largely corresponding For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Major General Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend (21 February 1861 &ndash 18 May 1924 KCB was a British Indian Army officer who led the ultimately disastrous first British Surrender is when Soldiers, nations or other combatants stop fighting and become Prisoners of war, either as Wilhelm Leopold Colmar Freiherr von der Goltz ( August 12 1843 &ndash April 19 1916) also known as Goltz Pasha, was a Prussian Killed in action ( KIA or K I A) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces by other Halil Kut ( Halil Paşa) (1882-1957 was an Ottoman regional governor and military commander World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All It was part of the Mesopotamian Campaign (in what is now Iraq). The Mesopotamian campaign was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of the Great War fought between Allied Powers represented by the British Empire For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. The British Empire's Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force (MEF) was defeated by Ottoman forces. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish

Kut-al-Amara is a town on the Tigris, where it meets the ancient Shatt al-Hai canal. For the town in Armenia see Kut Armenia. Al-Kūt ( BGN: Al Kūt; also spelled Kut-Al-Imara or Kut El Amara The Tigris is the eastern member of the two great Rivers that define Mesopotamia, along with the Euphrates, which flows from the mountains of southeastern It is 350 km upstream from Basra and around 170 km from Baghdad. Basra ( BGN: AlBasrah also called Basorah Abillah and Uruk or IRAQ The name that British colony has adopted for Basra Baghdad (بغداد) is the Capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate, with which it is also coterminous In 1915, its population was around 6,500.

Prelude

Situation at Kut on September 28, 1915.

The 6th (Poona) Division of the Indian Army, under Major-General Charles Townshend, had fallen back to the town of Kut after retreating from Ctesiphon. The name Indian 6th Infantry Division was given to British Indian Army divisions formed during World War I and World War II. See Indian Army for the post-independence (and post- partition) army of the Republic of India. Major General Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend (21 February 1861 &ndash 18 May 1924 KCB was a British Indian Army officer who led the ultimately disastrous first British The Battle of Ctesiphon was fought in November 1915 by the British Empire and British India, against the Ottoman Empire, within the The British Empire forces arrived at Kut around December 3, 1915. Events 1800 - War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden, French Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year They had suffered significant losses and were down to around 11,000 soldiers (plus cavalry). General Townshend chose to stay and hold the position at Kut instead of continuing the march downriver towards Basra. Basra ( BGN: AlBasrah also called Basorah Abillah and Uruk or IRAQ The name that British colony has adopted for Basra Kut offered a good defensive position because it was contained within a long loop of the river. The problem was how to get supplies. Kut was a long way from Basra. In retrospect, Townshend's decision to stay at Kut was a disastrous one.

The siege

The pursuing Ottoman forces arrived on December 7, 1915. Events 43 BC - Marcus Tullius Cicero assassinated 1696 - Connecticut Route 108, one of the oldest highways Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Once it became clear the Turks had enough forces to lay siege to Kut, Townshend ordered his cavalry to escape south, which it did, led by Colonel Gerard Leachman. Brevet Lieut-Colonel Gerard Evelyn Leachman CIE DSO (1880 - August 12 1920 was a British Soldier and intelligence officer who travelled The Ottoman forces numbered around 11,000 men and were commanded by the respected but old German General and military historian Baron von der Goltz. Wilhelm Leopold Colmar Freiherr von der Goltz ( August 12 1843 &ndash April 19 1916) also known as Goltz Pasha, was a Prussian Goltz knew the Turkish army well as he had spent 12 years working on modernizing the Ottoman army from 1883 to 1895. After three attacks in December, Goltz directed the building of siege fortifications facing Kut. He also, like Caesar at Alisia, prepared for an attack from Basra, using the Tigris River, by building defensive positions further down the river. The Battle of Alesia or Siege of Alesia took place in September 52 BC around the Gallic Oppidum of Alesia, a major town centre and The Tigris is the eastern member of the two great Rivers that define Mesopotamia, along with the Euphrates, which flows from the mountains of southeastern

After a month of siege, Townshend wanted to break-out and withdraw southwards but his Commander, Sir John Nixon saw value in tying down the Ottoman forces in a siege. Lieutenant-General Sir John Nixon (1857&ndash1921 was senior commander of the British Indian Army. However, when Townshend — inaccurately — reported only one month of food remained, a rescue force was hastily raised. It is not clear why Townshend reported he only had enough food for one month when he actually had food for more than four months (although at a reduced level).

Relief expeditions

The first relief expedition comprised some 19,000 men under General Aylmer and it headed up the river from Ali Gharbi in January 1916. Sir Fenton John Aylmer 13th Baronet VC KCB ( 5 April 1862, Hastings Sussex &ndash 3 September 1935 It was badly mauled in three clashes in January (Sheikh Sa'ad, Wadi and Hanna). At this point, Khalil Pasha (the Ottoman commander of the whole region) came to the battle, bringing with him a further 20,000 to 30,000 reinforcements. Halil Kut ( Halil Paşa) (1882-1957 was an Ottoman regional governor and military commander

Following the defeat of Aylmer's expedition, General Nixon was replaced as supreme commander by Percy Lake. General Sir Percy (Henry Noel Lake, KCB, KCMG ( 29 June 1855 - 17 November 1940) was a senior More forces were sent to bolster Aylmer's troops. He tried again, attacking the Dujaila redoubt on March 8. The Battle of Dujaila was fought on March 8, 1916, between British and Ottoman forces Events 1618 - Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion. This attack failed at a cost of 4,000 men. General Aylmer was dismissed and replaced with George Gorringe on March 12. Events 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving

The relief attempt by Gorringe is usually termed the First Battle of Kut. The Siege of Kut was a major battle of World War I. It was part of the Mesopotamian Campaign (in what is now Iraq) The British Empire forces numbered about 30,000 soldiers, roughly equal to the Ottomans. The battle began on April 5 and the British soon captured Fallahiyeh but with heavy losses, Bait Asia was taken on April 17. Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop Events 69 - After the First Battle of Bedriacum, Vitellius becomes Roman Emperor. The final effort was against Sannaiyat on April 22. Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. The Allies were unable to take Sannaiyat and suffered some 1,200 casualties in the process.

The relief efforts had all failed at a cost of around 23,000 Allied killed or wounded. Ottoman casualties are believed to be around 10,000. The Turks also lost the aid of Baron von der Goltz. He died on April 19 supposedly of typhoid but the rumor at the time was that he was poisoned by some of his Turkish officers. Events 1012 - Martyrdom of Alphege in Greenwich London. 1529 - At the Second Diet of Speyer Typhoid fever, also known as enteric fever, bilious fever, Yellow Jack or commonly just typhoid, is an illness caused by the Bacterium After Goltz's death, no German commander took his place in Mesopotamia for the rest of the war.

Surrender of the British army

This photograph shows an emaciated Indian army soldier who survived the siege of Kut following his release from Turkish captivity.

British leaders attempted to buy their troops out. Aubrey Herbert and T. E. Lawrence were part of a team of officers sent to negotiate a secret deal with the Turks. Aubrey Nigel Henry Molyneux Herbert, MP, (1880 &ndash September 26, 1923) was a British diplomat traveller and intelligence officer associated with The British offered £2 million and promised they would not fight the Turks again, in exchange for Townshend's troops. The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency Enver Pasha ordered that this offer be rejected. İsmail Enver ( Ottoman Turkish: اسماعيل انور ( November 22, 1881 in Constantinople - August 4 ^[1]

The British also asked for help from the Russians. General Baratov, with his largely Cossack force of 20,000 was in Persia at the time. Following the request he advanced towards Baghdad in April 1916 but turned back when news reached him of the surrender. ^[2]

General Townshend arranged a ceasefire on the 26th and, after failed negotiations, he simply surrendered on April 29, 1916 after a siege of 147 days. Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Around 13,000 Allied soldiers survived to be made prisoners. 70% of the British and 50% of the Indian troops died of disease or at the hands of the Turkish guards during captivity. Townshend himself was taken the island of Malki on the Sea of Marmara, to sit out the war in luxury. The Sea of Marmara ( Turkish: Marmara Denizi, Greek: Θάλασσα του Μαρμαρά or Προποντίς, Bulgarian

In British Army battle honours, the siege of Kut is named as "Defence of Kut Al Amara". A battle honour is a military tradition practised in the Commonwealth countries of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand

Aftermath

James Morris, a British historian, described the loss of Kut as "the most abject capitulation in Britain’s military history. " After this humilitating loss, General Lake and General Gorringe were removed from command. The new commander was General Maude, who trained and organised his army and then launched a successful campaign which captured Baghdad on March 11, 1917. Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Stanley Maude KCB, CMG, DSO ( 24 June, 1864 - 18 November, 1917 On March 11, 1917, the British Army fighting the Ottoman Turks in the First World War after a series of defeats captured Baghdad in a two year campaign Events 1425 BC - Thutmose III, Pharaoh of Egypt, dies (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th Dynasty Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year With Baghdad captured, the British administration undertook vital reconstruction of the war-torn country and Kut was slowly rebuilt. ^[3].

Some of the Indian prisoners of war (P. O. W) from Kut later came to join the Turkish Indian Volunteer Corps under the influence of Deobandis of Tehrek e Reshmi Rumal and with the encouragement of the German High Command. The Deobandi ( Urdu: دیو بندی devbandī) is a Sunni Islamic revivalist movement which started in India and has more recently The Silk Letter Conspiracy (Tehrek-e-Reshmi Rumal refers to a conspiracy by Deobandi leaders to attempt to begin a pan-islamic insurrection in British India during These soldiers, along with those recruited from the prisoners from the European Battlefields fought alongside Turkish forces in a number of fronts. ^[4] The Indians were led by Amba Prasad Sufi, who during the war was joined by Kedar Nath Sondhi, Rishikesh Letha and Amin Chaudhry. These Indian troops were involved in the capture of the frontier city of Karman and the detention of the British consul there, and also successfully harassed Percy Sykes' Persian campaign against the Baluchi and Persian tribal chiefs who were aided by the Germans. Karman is a surname and may refer to Harvey Karman (20th century inventor of the Karman cannula Janice Karman (born 1950 American Brigadier-General Sir Percy Molesworth Sykes KCIE, CB, CMG ( 28 February 1867 - 11 June 1945) was a soldier diplomat ^[5][6]

References

1. ^ David Fromkin, A Peace to End all Peace, p. 201
2. ^ Cyril Falls, The Great War, p. 249
3. ^ Howell, Georgina. Daughter of the Desert: The Remarkable Life of Gertrude Bell. London: Macmillan, 2006. p. 311
4. ^ Qureshi 1999, p.  78
5. ^ Sykes 1921, p.  101
6. ^ Herbert 2003

Sources and further reading

• Barber, Major Charles H. Besieged in Kut - and After Blackwood, 1917
• Braddon, Russell The Siege Cape, 1969 / Viking Adult, 1970 ISBN 0-670-64386-6
• Dixon, Dr. Norman F. On the Psychology of Military Incompetence Jonathan Cape Ltd 1976 / Pimlico 1994 pp95–109
• Harvey, Lt & Q-Mr. F. A. The Sufferings of the Kut Garrison During Their March Into Turkey as Prisoners of War 1916–1917 Ludgershall, Wilts: The Adjutants's Press, 1922
• Herbert, Edwin (2003), Small Wars and Skirmishes 1902-1918: Early Twentieth-century Colonial Campaigns in Africa, Asia and the Americas, Nottingham, Foundry Books Publications.
• Keegan, John (1998). The First World War. Random House Press.
• Long, P. W. Other Ranks of Kut Williams & Norgate, 1938
• Mouseley, Capt. E. O. The Secrets of a Kuttite: An Authentic Story of Kut, Adventures in Captivity & Stamboul Intrigue Bodley Head, 1921
• Qureshi, M Naeem (1999), Pan-Islam in British Indian Politics: A Study of the Khilafat Movement, 1918-1924. , Brill Academic Publishers, ISBN 9004113711.
• Sandes, Major E. W. C. In Kut & Captivity with the Sixth Indian Division Murray, 1919
• Strachan, Hew (2003). The First World War, pp 125. Viking (published by the Penguin Group).
• Sykes, Peter (1921), South Persia and the Great War. The Geographical Journal, Vol. 58, No. 2 (Aug. , 1921), pp. 101-116, Blackwell Publishing on behalf of The Royal Geographical Society, ISSN: 00167398.
• Wilcox, Ron (2006) Battles on the Tigris. Pen and Sword Military.
• Mons, Anzac & Kut by Aubrey Herbert

External links

• The siege of Kut-al-Amara, to 29 April 1915 — from the website The Long, Long Trail, downloaded January 2006.