Forcing the Khyber Pass: Difference between revisions

From FIBIwiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
← Older edit
Add summary
rem broken link, sort ext links
 
(6 intermediate revisions by one other user not shown)
Line 9: 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=
Line 16: Line 16:
|casualties2=300 killed<br>700 wounded
|casualties2=300 killed<br>700 wounded
}}
}}
'''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>
''Lieut-Col Moseley commanding''
*Two Coys HM [[9th Regiment of Foot]]
*Four Coys [[26th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry|26th Bengal Native Infantry]]
*200 Jezailchees under Maj Huish, 26th NI
*Seven Coys [[53rd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry|53rd Native Infantry]] under Maj Hoggan
*Three Coys [[60th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry|60th Native Infantry]] under Capt Napleton
*Four & a half Coys [[64th Bengal Native Infantry]]
*One & a half Coys HM [[9th Regiment of Foot]]
*Torabaz Khan’s auxiliaries<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]]


== Synopsis ==
''Rear Guard''<br>
'''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, camped the night. Little opposition was encountered from that point until [[Jellalabad]] was reached.
*Foot Artillery 3 guns
*[[10th Bengal Light Cavalry|10th Light Cavalry]]
*Two Ressalahs Irregular Horse
*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>


For details of the forces which took the pass see [[The Army of Retribution March to Kabul]].
'''Right Column (to crown the heights)'''
''Lieut-Col Taylor, 9th Foot commanding''
*Two Coys [[9th Regiment of Foot]]
*Four Coys [[26th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry|26th Native Infantry]]
*400 Jezailchees under Co Taylor, 9th Foot
*Seven Coys [[30th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry|30th Native Infantry]] under Maj Payne
*Three Coys  [[60th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry|60th Native Infantry]] under Capt Riddle
*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


== Biographies ==
== Biographies ==
Line 26: Line 82:
[http://www.archive.org/stream/dictionaryofindi00buckuoft#page/339/mode/1up George Pollock (1786-1872)]<br>
[http://www.archive.org/stream/dictionaryofindi00buckuoft#page/339/mode/1up George Pollock (1786-1872)]<br>


== External Links ==
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Anglo-Afghan_War 1st Afghan  War] Wikipedia
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khyber_Pass Khyber Pass, Afghanistan] Wikipedia


== Historical books on-line ==
*[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>
*[http://books.google.com/books?id=XiEPAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA204&dq=Khyber&ei=lk5_SMYxp_SLAfWnnPoK#PPA204,M1 Gen Pollock's Despatch] Google Books<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>
*[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)


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

Retrieved from "https://wiki.fibis.org/index.php?title=Forcing_the_Khyber_Pass&oldid=51625"