Siege of Kut

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Siege of Kut
Part of Mesopotamia Campaign
Date: 7 December 1915- 29 April 1916
Location: Kut-Al-Amara, Iraq
Presidency: not in British India
Co-ordinates: 32.514722°N 45.818891°E
Result: British surrender
Combatants
United Kingdom Ottoman Empire
Commanders
Major General Charles Townshend Colonel Nureddin
Baron von der Goltz
Strength
15,137 garrison 31,000-41,000 troops
Casualties
1,025 killed
803 died of disease or missing
13,309 captured

This event is part of the Mesopotamia Campaign in the First World War

Synopsis

Defeated at Ctesiphon, the British were forced to retreat to Kut which General Townshend was ordered to hold. Several attempts were made to relieve him but, when negotiations failed, unconditional surrender was the final outcome.

The British suffered 23,000 casualties trying to relieve Kut. The 200-odd captured officers were sent to Baghdad by boat. The other ranks were made to walk. 2,592 British enlisted men were captured of whom only 837 survived. 10,486 Indian enlisted men were captured of whom 7,423 survived.

External links

Mesopotamian Campaign Wikipedia
Siege of Kut Wikipedia
Siege of Kut www.firstworldwar.com
Garrison numbers Google Books
The fate of the prisoners Google Books
What really happened at Kut www.greatwardifferent.com