The Battle of Nasiriyeh
June 27th-July 24th, 1915
Just like the War being fought around Europe, WWI was also being fought in the middle east due to the Ottoman Empire ( which is located in now modern day Turkey) who joined the war on the Central Powers' side. So the British were not only fighting against the Germans on the Western Front, but also against the Ottomans on the Mesopotamian Front.
The battle of Nasiriyeh was the second part of the summer 1915 offensive by regional British Commander-in-Chief Sir John Nixon. Having already secured Amara (an Ottoman (Turk)
administrative base), Nixon was now focused on extending British influence over the whole southern Mesopotamia region by knocking out the Turks at Nasiriyeh. The British involvement in the
Mesopotamia campaign proved to be quite impressive. But due to the rapid progress, the status of the Britsh weakening positions had been over looked. Even with these conditions along with also being ill-equipped and low on medical supplies, Nixon along with Sir Charles Townshend belived that more success could be made even under these circumstances. They also say the Ottomans as being "worth opponinates."
Along with that, Nixon ordered George Gorringe and the 30th Brigade to press on and capture the main Turkish supply base at Nasiriyeh on the water covered bank of the River Euphrates. On June 27th, a combined Indian and Anglo force began their assult on the Turkish base Nasiriyeh in 115 degrees Fahrenheit heat while also being attack by mosquitoes. Gorringe's objective was to carry artillery and equipment in shallow draft boats or on land if needed. While working under heave accurate Turkish field gun fire, the British first knock down a Turkish built earthwork built across the Hakika Channel. The operation took 36 hours to complete.
With this completed and after clearing the Turkish field guns from the river banks, Gorringe and his men continued their way up stream. Soon the river port of Suk-es-Sheyukh hastly surrendered to the British without one bullet being shot while 10km from Nasiriyeh an Ottoman force was in wait for Gorringe and his troops. Unable to continue up stream, Gorringe and his men continued on foot on both sides of the river were the eventually dig in to wait for infantry support 3k away from the waiting Ottomans.
Gorringe tried to quickly attack a Turkish outpost on the left bank before withdrawling his troops due to an iminent Budhoos ambush. (The Budhoos were tribe of native hostile to both the British and the Ottomans who lived in a flooded plain 110km west of Qurna Nasiriyeh.) He then waited for support while his men were suffering due to the heat and disease. The true main attack on the Turkish positions began on July 24th followed by a bombardment. With help from the Royal Navy the British stormed and captured the Ottoman positions. Also help from more infantry along with gunboat support stop Turkish resistance. Nasiriyeh would be then captured by the British forcing the Turks to retreat to Kut.
The British suffered 500 casualities due to exhaustion and disease during the battle with the Ottomans suffered 1,500 casualities with 1,000 more Turkish troops being taken as POWs.
The battle of Nasiriyeh was the second part of the summer 1915 offensive by regional British Commander-in-Chief Sir John Nixon. Having already secured Amara (an Ottoman (Turk)
administrative base), Nixon was now focused on extending British influence over the whole southern Mesopotamia region by knocking out the Turks at Nasiriyeh. The British involvement in the
Mesopotamia campaign proved to be quite impressive. But due to the rapid progress, the status of the Britsh weakening positions had been over looked. Even with these conditions along with also being ill-equipped and low on medical supplies, Nixon along with Sir Charles Townshend belived that more success could be made even under these circumstances. They also say the Ottomans as being "worth opponinates."
Along with that, Nixon ordered George Gorringe and the 30th Brigade to press on and capture the main Turkish supply base at Nasiriyeh on the water covered bank of the River Euphrates. On June 27th, a combined Indian and Anglo force began their assult on the Turkish base Nasiriyeh in 115 degrees Fahrenheit heat while also being attack by mosquitoes. Gorringe's objective was to carry artillery and equipment in shallow draft boats or on land if needed. While working under heave accurate Turkish field gun fire, the British first knock down a Turkish built earthwork built across the Hakika Channel. The operation took 36 hours to complete.
With this completed and after clearing the Turkish field guns from the river banks, Gorringe and his men continued their way up stream. Soon the river port of Suk-es-Sheyukh hastly surrendered to the British without one bullet being shot while 10km from Nasiriyeh an Ottoman force was in wait for Gorringe and his troops. Unable to continue up stream, Gorringe and his men continued on foot on both sides of the river were the eventually dig in to wait for infantry support 3k away from the waiting Ottomans.
Gorringe tried to quickly attack a Turkish outpost on the left bank before withdrawling his troops due to an iminent Budhoos ambush. (The Budhoos were tribe of native hostile to both the British and the Ottomans who lived in a flooded plain 110km west of Qurna Nasiriyeh.) He then waited for support while his men were suffering due to the heat and disease. The true main attack on the Turkish positions began on July 24th followed by a bombardment. With help from the Royal Navy the British stormed and captured the Ottoman positions. Also help from more infantry along with gunboat support stop Turkish resistance. Nasiriyeh would be then captured by the British forcing the Turks to retreat to Kut.
The British suffered 500 casualities due to exhaustion and disease during the battle with the Ottomans suffered 1,500 casualities with 1,000 more Turkish troops being taken as POWs.