Samarra Offensive

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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:

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