Siege of Kut
| 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