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 1839-42]]
|partof=[[:Category:1st Afghan War|1st Afghan War 1839-42]]
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 of Retribution ==
'''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 Regiment of Foot]]<br>
''Lieut-Col Moseley commanding''
Four Coys [[26th Bengal 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 Bengal 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 Regiment of 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>


''Advance Guard under Brigadier Wild''<br>
''Main Body''<br>
Grenadier Coy 9th Queen’s Regiment<br>
*Sappers & Miners
One Coy [[26th Bengal Native Infantry]]<br>
*Horse Artillery 4 guns
Three Coys 30th Native Infantry<br>
*Mountain Train 2 guns
Two Coys 33rd Native Infantry under Maj Barnewell, 9th<br>
*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]]


''Main Body''<br>
''Rear Guard''<br>
Sappers & Miners<br>
*Foot Artillery 3 guns
Horse Artillery 4 guns<br>
*[[10th Bengal Light Cavalry|10th Light Cavalry]]
Mountain Train 2 guns<br>
*Two Ressalahs Irregular Horse
Foot Artillery 3 guns<br>
*Two Squadrons [[3rd (Prince of Wales') Dragoon Guards|3rd Dragoons]]
Two Squadrons 3rd Dragoons<br>
*Horse Artillery 2 guns
Treasure & ammunition on camels<br>
*Three Coys  [[60th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry|60th Native Infantry]]
One Squadron 1st Native Cavalry<br>
*One Coy HM [[9th Regiment of Foot]]<br>


Two Coys 53rd Native Infantry<br>
'''Right Column (to crown the heights)'''
Commissariat stores<br>
''Lieut-Col Taylor, 9th Foot commanding''
One Squadron 1st Native Cavalry<br>
*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


One Ressalah irregular Horse<br>
== Biographies ==
Baggage & camp followers<br>
Entries in the Dictionary of Indian Biography 1906:<br>
Ammunition<br>
[http://www.archive.org/stream/dictionaryofindi00buckuoft#page/339/mode/1up George Pollock (1786-1872)]<br>
Litters & camel-panniers for the sick<br>
One Squadron 1st Native Cavalry<br>


''Rear Guard''<br>
== External Links ==
Foot Artillery 3 guns<br>
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Anglo-Afghan_War 1st Afghan  War] Wikipedia
10th Light Cavalry<br>
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khyber_Pass Khyber Pass, Afghanistan] Wikipedia
Two Ressalahs Irregular Horse<br>
Two Squadrons 3rd Dragoons<br>
Horse Artillery 2 guns<br>
Three Coys 60th Native Infantry<br>
One Coy HM [[9th Regiment of Foot]]<br>


== External Links ==
== Historical books on-line ==
[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 Wikipedia - Khyber Pass, Afghanistan]
*[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)


[[Category:1st Afghan War|Khyber Pass, Battle of]]
[[Category:1st Afghan War|Khyber Pass, Forcing the]]
[[Category:The Army of Retribution March to Kabul|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