486:
entrenched infantry positions. Further to the north were also the villages of Abu Aran, Muzaibila, and Ruta, which were garrisoned by
Ottoman and Arab troops. To counter this defense, Townshend equipped his troops with bellums (a type of small canoe used by Tigris natives, seating 5-10 men) and divided them into four groups distinguished by colored flags, with the intention of assaulting Ottoman positions on both the west and east sides of the river simultaneously. The amphibious attack would be supported by fire from a small flotilla of sloops, armed launches, and various other light vessels, as well as from 4-inch guns and machine guns mounted on barges and rafts.
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regiments, began to advance along the western side of the river at around 6:00. At the same time, the 22nd
Punjabis on the east bank assaulted the Ottoman line, capturing the fortified positions there and using them to support the western advance with machine gun and rifle fire. All of the fortified
540:
The
British ships began a bombardment of Abu Aran at 5:30 AM the next day, which was met with no response from the Ottoman artillery. Aerial reconnaissance soon reported that the Ottoman troops stationed in all three of the villages were retreating en masse and Townshend's gunboats quickly advanced
512:
began their advance through the marshes on the eastern side of the river, arriving at a position 1500 meters south of the
Ottoman emplacements at 4:30. At 5:30 the British gunboats and artillery began a bombardment of the front line, which the Ottomans responded to 20 minutes later with inaccurate
485:
The land between Qurna and Amara was largely composed of flooded marshes with several hills protruding from both the eastern and western banks of the river. The
Ottoman army had taken up defensive positions on these islands, with gun emplacements on the western side of the river supporting several
586:
s nine-man crew, who collected their arms and escorted them back to Amara. The crew held the town until the rest of the launches arrived and
Townshend's 41-man force accepted the surrender of Amara's civil governor and military commandant. Around 800 more Ottoman troops were taken prisoner and
581:
entered Amara on the morning of June 3, sinking a steamer carrying
Ottoman troops and passing through the town without drawing any fire. Half a mile north of the town around 300 Ottoman troops emerged from the forested banks of the river and surrendered to
611:
remaining behind. General Nixon praised
Townshend's efficiency and speed in his report and commended the level of cooperation achieved between the Army and Navy forces during the battle. The crew of the
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to advance north from its position at Qurna and capture the city of Amara. Nixon hoped that by doing so, he would force the
Ottomans to withdraw their forces from the
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islands along the
Ottoman front had been captured with minimal resistance by 11:30 AM, prompting Townshend to call a halt to the first phase of the attack.
555:. The river was too shallow at this point for large vessels to continue any further without difficulty, so Townshend transferred command to the armed tug
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The success of the British at Amara convinced Nixon to continue the advance up the Tigris, leading to the
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Townshend remained in Amara until the next day, when a steamer carrying the 2nd Brigade of the
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After the capture of Amara, Townshend's flotilla returned to the British headquarters at
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and resulted in the British capture of Amara and rout of Ottoman forces in the area.
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in pursuit, reaching the villages by around 3:00 PM. Led by the armed launch
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422:(May 31 - June 3, 1915), was a military engagement between the forces of the
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31:
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and several small boats and barges loaded with troops and supplies near
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438:. The battle took place in the flooded marshes and islands along the
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now leading by a significant margin, were within sight of Amara.
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v. 1, p. 241-266. London, His Majesty's Stationery Office.
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and continued upriver with three armed launches. The sloop
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fire against Townshend's headquarters aboard the sloop
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river to the east and pave the way for an advance on
47:, who commanded the British forces during the battle.
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Battles of World War I involving the United Kingdom
726:
Battles of World War I involving the Ottoman Empire
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573:After a day's travel the British launches, with
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736:Battles of World War I involving British India
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566:remained behind to take possession of the
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38:
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526:Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
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493:
679:
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109:
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620:for their role in the town's capture.
690:p. 52-67. Melbourne, Wilke & Co.
656:The Campaign in Mesopotamia 1914-1918
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721:Battles of the Mesopotamian campaign
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13:
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591:arrived to secure his position.
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1:
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530:103rd Mahratta Light Infantry
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453:
594:
7:
618:Distinguished Service Medal
442:river between the towns of
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508:At 1:00 AM on May 31, the
472:General Charles Townshend
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45:General Charles Townshend
37:
25:
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688:The River in the Desert
524:group, composed of the
616:were also awarded the
589:Royal Norfolk Regiment
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458:Following the Ottoman
420:Second Battle of Qurna
222:120 killed or wounded
156:Commanders and leaders
654:Moberly, F.J. (1923)
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432:Mesopotamian Campaign
263:Mesopotamian campaign
212:Casualties and losses
59:May 31 – June 3, 1915
28:Mesopotamian Campaign
716:1915 in Ottoman Iraq
418:, also known as the
192:6th (Poona) Division
625:battle of Ctesiphon
430:Empires during the
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464:General John Nixon
741:Conflicts in 1915
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366:Samarra offensive
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169:Charles Townshend
84:
83:
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746:June 1915 events
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681:
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603:, with only the
460:defeat at Shaiba
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416:Battle of Amara
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80:British victory
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21:Battle of Amara
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534:119th Infantry
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510:22nd Punjabis
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629:siege of Kut
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522:17th Brigade
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468:6th Division
466:ordered the
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371:Jebel Hamlin
331:Sheikh Sa'ad
321:Umm at Tubal
295:
204:17th Brigade
199:16th Brigade
190:
94:
89:Belligerents
26:Part of the
684:Keogh, E.G.
553:Ezra's Tomb
436:World War I
276:Fao Landing
32:World War I
710:Categories
635:References
532:, and the
490:The battle
454:Background
386:2nd Ramadi
381:1st Ramadi
219:21 wounded
595:Aftermath
376:Istabulat
316:Ctesiphon
306:Nasiriyah
217:4 killed
696:12058974
584:Shaitan'
568:Marmaris
548:Marmaris
517:Espiegle
501:Espiegle
64:Location
686:(1955)
664:5136186
614:Shaitan
609:Shaitan
579:Shaitan
575:Shaitan
543:Shaitan
480:Baghdad
428:Ottoman
424:British
401:Sharqat
361:Baghdad
356:2nd Kut
346:Dujaila
326:1st Kut
311:Es Sinn
301:Karbala
180:Unknown
694:
662:
528:, the
520:. The
470:under
440:Tigris
291:Shaiba
147:
131:
116:
101:
77:Result
71:, Iraq
605:Comet
601:Basra
557:Comet
476:Karun
448:Amara
444:Qurna
391:Najaf
351:Hilla
341:Hanna
296:Amara
286:Qurna
281:Basra
119:India
69:Amara
692:OCLC
660:OCLC
627:and
607:and
563:Odin
561:HMS
515:HMS
499:HMS
446:and
426:and
414:The
336:Wadi
56:Date
434:of
30:of
712::
670:^
643:^
631:.
570:.
482:.
462:,
253:e
246:t
239:v
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