Samarra Offensive
| Samarra Offensive | ||
|---|---|---|
| Part of Mesopotamia Campaign | ||
| Date: | 13 March-23 April 1917 | |
| Location: | Samarra, Iraq | |
| Presidency: | not in British India | |
| Co-ordinates: | 34.198333°N 43.874167°E | |
| Result: | British victory | |
| Combatants | ||
| United Kingdom | Ottoman Empire | |
| Commanders | ||
| Lieut-Gen Sir Frederick Maude | Halil Pasha Ali Ishan Bey | |
| Strength | ||
| 45,000 troops | 10,000 Khalil Pasha troops 15,000 Ali Ishan Bey troops | |
| Casualties | ||
| 18,000 casualties 40,000 sick |
||
This event is part of the Mesopotamia Campaign in the First World War
Synopsis
After the fall of Baghdad, General Maude pursued Khalil Pasha's Ottoman forces to the north. He determined to prevent them being joined by the troops of Ali Ishan Bey which had retreated from the Russians in Persia. A key objective was control of Samarra on the Berlin-Baghdad Railway. A series of actions was fought:
- Falluja 19 March
- Jebel Hamlin 25 March
- Shiala 11 April
- Isabulat 21 April
Samarra was ceded by the Turks on 23 April 1917. A final action was fought on 30 April. At the Battle of the Boot Maude forced the Turkish trenches and took 300 prisoners but a sandstorm halted hostilities.
External links
Mesopotamian Campaign Wikipedia
Samarrah Offensive Wikipedia
Samarrah Offensive www.firstworldwar.com