The Samarra offensive (March 13 – April 23, 1917) was launched by the British against the Ottomans as part of the
Mesopotamian Campaign
The Mesopotamian campaign or Mesopotamian front () was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the British Empire, with troops from United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Britain, Australia and the vast major ...
in
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.
After
Baghdad
Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
fell to the British on March 11, 1917, there were still 10,000 Ottoman troops north of the city, led by
Khalil Pasha, who could represent a threat to Anglo-Indian forces.
Furthermore, another 15,000 Ottomans under
Ali Ihsan Bey were being driven out of
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
by the Russians, and were attempting at joining Khalil's forces in northern Iraq.
The British commander,
Frederick Stanley Maude
Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom), Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Stanley Maude Order of the Bath, KCB Order of St Michael and St George, CMG Distinguished Service Order, DSO (24 June 1864 – 18 November 1917) was a British Army officer. He ...
, decided that, in order to avert these threats, he had to take control of the
Samarrah
Samarra (, ') is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Saladin Governorate, north of Baghdad. The modern city of Samarra was founded in 836 by the Abbasid Caliphate, Abbasid caliph al-Mu'tasim as a new administrativ ...
railroad, running north of Baghdad.
Operations began on March 13, carried forth by 45,000 British troops. On March 19, they conquered
Fallujah
Fallujah ( ) is a city in Al Anbar Governorate, Iraq. Situated on the Euphrates, Euphrates River, it is located roughly to the west of the capital city of Baghdad and from the neighboring city of Ramadi. The city is located in the region ...
, a crucial step toward the offensive's goal. The British continued their attacks until April 23, when the town of
Samarrah
Samarra (, ') is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Saladin Governorate, north of Baghdad. The modern city of Samarra was founded in 836 by the Abbasid Caliphate, Abbasid caliph al-Mu'tasim as a new administrativ ...
and its railroad fell into their hands.
Although it achieved its aims, the Samarrah offensive cost the British about 18,000 casualties, a considerable price (plus another 38,000 who were taken ill).
Further reading
*Barker, A. J. ''The Bastard War: The Mesopotamian Campaign of 1914–1918''. New York: Dial Press, 1967.
*
References
External links
Samarrah Offensive, 1917
{{DEFAULTSORT:Samarrah
Battles of the Mesopotamian campaign
Battles of World War I involving the Ottoman Empire
Battles of World War I involving the United Kingdom
Battles of World War I involving British India
1917 in Ottoman Iraq
March 1917 in Asia
April 1917 in Asia
Military history of Samarra