Forcing the Khyber Pass: Difference between revisions

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[[Category:Battles|Khyber Pass, Forcing the]]
{{Battles_Infobox
{{Battles_Infobox
|partof=[[:Category:1st Afghan War|1st Afghan War]]
|partof=[[:Category:1st Afghan War|1st Afghan War 1839-42]]
|date=5 April 1842  
|date=5 April 1842  
|location=[[Khyber Pass]], Pakistan/Afghanistan
|location=[[Khyber Pass]], Pakistan/Afghanistan
Line 10: Line 9:
|combatant1=British & Indians
|combatant1=British & Indians
|combatant2=Various tribesmen  
|combatant2=Various tribesmen  
|commander1=[http://www.oxforddnb.com/index/101022478/ Maj Gen George Pollock]
|commander1=[[George Pollock|Maj Gen George Pollock]]
|commander2=  
|commander2=  
|strength1=
|strength1=
|strength2=
|strength2=
|casualties1=
|casualties1=14 killed<br>102 wounded<br>15 missing
|casualties2=
|casualties2=300 killed<br>700 wounded
}}
}}
== Pollock's Army ==
'''This was an event during the [[1st Afghan War]]'''<br>
'''For context see main article [[The Army of Retribution March to Kabul]]'''
== Synopsis ==
'''General George Pollock''' finally completed preparations and marched from [[Jamrud]] on 5 April. Negotiations to bribe the tribes to allow passage through the [[Khyber Pass]] had failed and there was no alternative but armed assault. The general detailed the left and right wings of his force to crown the heights on either side of the pass. This they did successfully preventing the Afridi tribesmen from attacking the main body of the army. Once the heights were won the main force was able to demolish the great barrier of mud, stones and tree branches which blocked the pass. The force moved forward to [[Ali Masjid]], which the enemy had evacuated, and camped the night. Little opposition was encountered from that point until [[Jalalabad]] was reached on 14 April.
 
== The Army of Retribution ==
'''Left Column (to crown the heights)'''<br>
'''Left Column (to crown the heights)'''<br>
Two Coys HM 9th Foot<br>
''Lieut-Col Moseley commanding''
Four Coys 26th Native Infantry<br>
*Two Coys HM [[9th Regiment of Foot]]
200 Jezailchees under Maj Huish, 26th NI<br>
*Four Coys [[26th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry|26th Bengal Native Infantry]]
Seven Coys 53rd Native Infantry under Maj Hoggan<br>
*200 Jezailchees under Maj Huish, 26th NI
Three Coys 60th Native Infantry under Capt Napleton<br>
*Seven Coys [[53rd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry|53rd Native Infantry]] under Maj Hoggan
Four & a half Coys 64th Native Infantry under Col Moseley<br>
*Three Coys [[60th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry|60th Native Infantry]] under Capt Napleton
One & a half Coys HM 9th Foot under Col Moseley<br>
*Four & a half Coys [[64th Bengal Native Infantry]]
Torabaz Khan’s auxiliaries<br>
*One & a half Coys HM [[9th Regiment of Foot]]
*Torabaz Khan’s auxiliaries<br>


'''Centre Column'''<br>
'''Centre Column'''<br>
''Advance Guard under Brigadier Wild''
*Grenadier Coy 9th Queen’s Regiment
*One Coy [[26th Bengal Native Infantry]]
*Three Coys [[30th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry|30th Native Infantry]]
*Two Coys [[4th Regiment of Rajput Infantry|33rd Native Infantry]] under Maj Barnewell, 9th<br>
''Main Body''<br>
*Sappers & Miners
*Horse Artillery 4 guns
*Mountain Train 2 guns
*Foot Artillery 3 guns
*Two Squadrons [[3rd (Prince of Wales') Dragoon Guards|3rd Dragoons]]
*Treasure & ammunition on camels
*One Squadron [[1st Bengal Light Cavalry|1st Native Cavalry]]
*Two Coys [[53rd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry|53rd Native Infantry]]
*Commissariat stores
*One Squadron [[1st Bengal Light Cavalry|1st Native Cavalry]]
*One Ressalah irregular Horse
*Baggage & camp followers
*Ammunition
*Litters & camel-panniers for the sick
*One Squadron [[1st Bengal Light Cavalry|1st Native Cavalry]]


''Advance Guard under Brigadier Wild''<br>
''Rear Guard''<br>
Grenadier Coy 9th Queen’s Regiment<br>
*Foot Artillery 3 guns
One Coy 26th Native Infantry<br>
*[[10th Bengal Light Cavalry|10th Light Cavalry]]
Three Coys 30th Native Infantry<br>
*Two Ressalahs Irregular Horse
Two Coys 33rd Native Infantry under Maj Barnewell, 9th<br>
*Two Squadrons [[3rd (Prince of Wales') Dragoon Guards|3rd Dragoons]]
*Horse Artillery 2 guns
*Three Coys [[60th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry|60th Native Infantry]]
*One Coy HM [[9th Regiment of Foot]]<br>


''Main Body''<br>
'''Right Column (to crown the heights)'''
Sappers & Miners<br>
''Lieut-Col Taylor, 9th Foot commanding''
Horse Artillery 4 guns<br>
*Two Coys [[9th Regiment of Foot]]
Mountain Train 2 guns<br>
*Four Coys [[26th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry|26th Native Infantry]]
Foot Artillery 3 guns<br>
*400 Jezailchees under Co Taylor, 9th Foot
Two Squadrons 3rd Dragoons<br>
*Seven Coys [[30th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry|30th Native Infantry]] under Maj Payne
Treasure & ammunition on camels<br>
*Three Coys  [[60th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry|60th Native Infantry]] under Capt Riddle
One Squadron 1st Native Cavalry<br>
*Four Coys [[64th Bengal Native Infantry]] under Maj Anderson
*Details of Broadfoot’s Sappers
*One & a half Coys HM [[9th Regiment of Foot]] under Maj Davis
*Torabaz Khan’s auxiliaries


Two Coys 53rd Native Infantry<br>
== Biographies ==
Commissariat stores<br>
Entries in the Dictionary of Indian Biography 1906:<br>
One Squadron 1st Native Cavalry<br>
[http://www.archive.org/stream/dictionaryofindi00buckuoft#page/339/mode/1up George Pollock (1786-1872)]<br>


One Ressalah irregular Horse<br>
== External Links ==
Baggage & camp followers<br>
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Anglo-Afghan_War 1st Afghan  War] Wikipedia
Ammunition<br>
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khyber_Pass Khyber Pass, Afghanistan] Wikipedia
Litters & camel-panniers for the sick<br>
One Squadron 1st Native Cavalry<br>


''Rear Guard''<br>
== Historical books on-line ==
Foot Artillery 3 guns<br>
*[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=KdQWAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA84&dq=Pollock+Afghanistan&as_brr=3&ei=QXmlSe_kGpD4MercrIQO#PPA84,M1 Forcing the Pass] Google Books<br>
10th Light Cavalry<br>
*[http://books.google.com/books?id=XiEPAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA204&dq=Khyber&ei=lk5_SMYxp_SLAfWnnPoK#PPA204,M1 Gen Pollock's Despatch] Google Books<br>
Two Ressalahs Irregular Horse<br>
*[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=XiEPAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA203&dq=Memorials+of+Affghanistan:+From+causes+to+this+moment+unexplained,&cd=1#v=onepage&q&f=false ''Memorials of Affghanistan'' - Forcing the Khyber Pass] by J H Stocqueler 1863 (Google Books)<br>
Two Squadrons 3rd Dragoons<br>
*[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=KdQWAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA88&dq=History+of+the+War+in+Afghanistan+Early+on+the+morning+of+the+5th+April,+General&cd=1#v=onepage&q&f=false ''History of the War in Afghanistan Vol III (1841-1842)'' - The Forcing of the Khybur] by John William Kaye Revised Edition (1858)
Horse Artillery 2 guns<br>
Three Coys 60th Native Infantry<br>
One Coy HM 9th Foot<br>


== External Links ==
[[Category:1st Afghan War|Khyber Pass, Forcing the]]
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Anglo-Afghan_War Wikipedia - 1st Afghan  War]<br>[http://www.somerset.gov.uk/archives/sli/1afghan.htm Somerset Record Office - 1st Afghan War]<br>[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=KdQWAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA84&dq=Pollock+Afghanistan&as_brr=3&ei=QXmlSe_kGpD4MercrIQO#PPA84,M1 Google Books - Forcing the Pass]<br>[http://books.google.com/books?id=XiEPAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA204&dq=Khyber&ei=lk5_SMYxp_SLAfWnnPoK#PPA204,M1 Google Books - Gen Pollock's Despatch]<br>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khyber_Pass Wkipedia - Khyber Pass, Afghanistan]
[[Category:The Army of Retribution March to Kabul|Khyber Pass, Forcing the]]
[[Category:1st Afghan War|Khyber Pass, Battle of]]
[[Category:Battles|Khyber Pass, Forcing the]]

Latest revision as of 18:21, 28 May 2014

Forcing the Khyber Pass
Part of 1st Afghan War 1839-42
Date: 5 April 1842
Location: Khyber Pass, Pakistan/Afghanistan
Presidency: Bengal
Co-ordinates: 34.102179°N 71.121968°E
Result: British victory
Combatants
British & Indians Various tribesmen
Commanders
Maj Gen George Pollock
Strength
Casualties
14 killed
102 wounded
15 missing
300 killed
700 wounded

This was an event during the 1st Afghan War
For context see main article The Army of Retribution March to Kabul

Synopsis

General George Pollock finally completed preparations and marched from Jamrud on 5 April. Negotiations to bribe the tribes to allow passage through the Khyber Pass had failed and there was no alternative but armed assault. The general detailed the left and right wings of his force to crown the heights on either side of the pass. This they did successfully preventing the Afridi tribesmen from attacking the main body of the army. Once the heights were won the main force was able to demolish the great barrier of mud, stones and tree branches which blocked the pass. The force moved forward to Ali Masjid, which the enemy had evacuated, and camped the night. Little opposition was encountered from that point until Jalalabad was reached on 14 April.

The Army of Retribution

Left Column (to crown the heights)
Lieut-Col Moseley commanding

Centre Column
Advance Guard under Brigadier Wild

Main Body

Rear Guard

Right Column (to crown the heights) Lieut-Col Taylor, 9th Foot commanding

Biographies

Entries in the Dictionary of Indian Biography 1906:
George Pollock (1786-1872)

External Links

Historical books on-line