The siege of Kut el Amara in the British press (1915-1916)

Just before entering the First World War, the Ottoman Empire made a strategic mistake after the declaration of mobilization on August 2, 1914, and weakened the defense of this very important region by shifting its forces in Iraq to other regions. The Ottoman Empire did not expect a large and comprehensive offensive military operation against this region from Britain. The mistake made was understood, albeit late, when the Ottoman Empire entered the war in November 1914 and the British launched a comprehensive ground operation in the region in a short time. However, the price was heavy. British troops, mostly consisting of soldiers sent from India, captured Basra on November 22, 1914, and began to advance rapidly towards Baghdad in the northern direction of Iraq. On 9 December 1914, the town of Kurnah (Qurna) was also occupied by the British forces. The Turkish troops, who tried to stop the British, did not succeed despite their heroic resistance. Especially the defeat of the Turkish troops under the command of Süleyman Askeri Bey in Shaiba on 12-14 April 1915 further increased the confidence of the British in themselves. British troops under the command of General Townshend continued the operation towards Baghdad and captured the town of Amara on 3 June 1915 and Nasiriyah on 25 July. The British forces advancing towards Baghdad in Iraq occupied the town of Kut Al Amara, one of the most important strategic points, on September 29, 1915 and turned this place into a base. The British military command felt that there was no serious obstacle to the capture of Baghdad and wanted to start an offensive operation to seize Baghdad as soon as possible. Turkish troops, on the other hand, were stationed in the strong fortifications they had been preparing for a few months in Selman-ı Pak (Ctesiphon, the ancient name used by the British). The British 6th Division under the command of General Townshend took action on 22 November 1915 and attacked the Turkish defense positions in Selman-ı Pak (Ctesiphon). The British forces, which initially managed to make some progress, were defeated and began to retreat after two days of bloody battles against the Turkish troops under the command of Nurettin Pasha. The Turkish army, on the other hand, began to pursue British troops in an offensive situation. General Townshend and his 6th Division, who fled in panic and retreated, reached Kut Al Amara on 3 December 1915 and took a defensive position by deploying there. General Townshend decided to stay at Kut Al Amara and deploy there instead of retreating towards Basra. After the British had captured Kut Al Amara, they had made it a forward base, further strengthening the already existing fortifications. In addition, the town of Kut Al Amara, located in a long river curve, had a good defensive position. Townshend thought he could stop the Turkish forces following him here until the reinforcements arrived. Turkish forces under the command of Nurettin Pasha arrived in Kut Al Amara on 7 December 1915 and besieged the town. On the other hand, the British mobilized a serious support force called "the Tigris Corps" under the command of General Aylmer to break the siege in Kut Al Amara and save their troops there. However, as a result of the clashes that took place in the Sheikh Said region on 6-7 January 1916, he had to retreat with thousands of casualties. On the other hand, in January 1916, the Ottoman 9th Corps Commander Nurettin Pasha was dismissed and Halil Pasha was replaced. As a result of the clashes in the region in the following days, the British support forces were repulsed with thousands of dead and wounded. Support forces under the command of British General Aylmer attempted a comprehensive offensive around Felahiye on 8 March 1916. However, he retreated again, losing thousands of soldiers. Due to the defeat, General Aylmer was dismissed on 12 March 1916 and was replaced by General Gorringe. Attacks by General Gorringe in April were unsuccessful, and the British were unable to advance. On 24 April 1916, a British ship trying to bring supplies to Kut Al Amara failed and fell into the hands of Turkish forces, so this development brought the end of the resistance for the British garrison at Kut Al Amara. General Townshend, whose supplies were exhausted, surrendered to the Turkish forces under the command of Halil Pasha in Kut Al Amara with 5 generals, 551 officers and 13,300 soldiers on April 29, 1916. This study examines the process of the siege of Kut Al Amara with the period before and after (1915-1916), mainly in the light of the British press and sources.