"WW1 Mesopotamian Campaign source material" Topic

Hi

I was looking to do some World War One wargaming based on the Mesopotamian campaign.

I am currently reading "The First Iraq War, 1914-1918: Britain's Mesopotamian Campaign" by A.J. Barker which is giving a very good overview of how events panned out.

However, I would like to find some source material with greater detail on specific battles – Orders of battle including actual troop numbers and maps if possible, for some of the actual battles – so they can be set up 'on the table'.

Does anyone know of any books or other sources which would give those sorts of details?

Many thanks in advance for any pointers….

link

The British official history may be of use-

Vanguard: Gunboats of WWI Osprey Books
Osprey Books for naval side

I second Nine pound round. The Brit OR is a real treasure trove. They quote an Arab saying that Allah didn't think hell was bad enough so he made Iraq and added flies. H

Here's what I have on the subject:
The 4 volume Official Records (this is a great place to start)
In the Clouds Above Baghdad – John E. Tennant (covers the air war in Mesopotamia)
The British Army in Mesopotamia – Paul Knight
The Bastard War – A. J. Barker (Older book but still quite useful)
The Siege of Kut-al-Amara – Nikolas Gardner
Enemy on the Euphrates – Ian Rutledge
Desert Hell – Charles Townshend (no, not that Charles Townshend)
The Fall of the Ottomans – Eugene Rogan (not specific to Mesopotamia but it's in there)
The First World War in the Middle East – Kristian Ulrichsen (also not specific to Mesopotamia)

Hope that's of some use.

Scenario book: link

History:
link

link

Eric

Eric has posted the link to 'Heart-breaking Affair', which is the Great War Spearhead supplement for Mesopotamia. It contains multiple scenarios in the lead up to and including the siege of Kut.

The cover shows one of the relief operations during the siege:

A British gunboat in operation during the Battle of Ctesiphon:

And supporting an advance by British cavalry:

Robert

If anyone wants a very well written broad overview of the whole region, from the early grab for oil, through the war and to the conclusion of the vicious Arab Revolt in the early 20's, read "Enemy on the Euphrates" by Ian Rutledge. Excellent book.

"Death of an Army: The Siege of Kut 1915- 1916" by Ronald Millar. A couple of British/Allied OoBs but not much of detailed numbers.

Thanks, Silurian. I may well look that book up.

B

Nine Pound Round wrote -
"The British official history may be of use-"

Very interesting find! Thanks.

B

Hollyhocks wrote -
"Hi

I was looking to do some World War One wargaming based on the Mesopotamian campaign.

I am currently reading "The First Iraq War, 1914-1918: Britain's Mesopotamian Campaign" by A.J. Barker which is giving a very good overview of how events panned out.

However, I would like to find some source material with greater detail on specific battles – Orders of battle including actual troop numbers and maps if possible, for some of the actual battles – so they can be set up 'on the table'.

Does anyone know of any books or other sources which would give those sorts of details?

- – -

Try this book -
"A Brief Record of the Advance of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force – July 1917 to October 1918 (Compiled from Official Sources)"

Very detailed Allied O/Bs + numerous operational maps and day-by-day accounts.

O/B example, taken at random -

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND MOUNTED DIVISION

1st Australian Light Horse Brigade
1st, 2nd and 3rd Regiments, Australian Light Horse.
1st Australian Light Horse Signal Troops.
1st Australian Machine Gun Squadron.

2nd Australian Light Horse Brigade
5th, 6th and 7th Regiments, Australian Light Horse.
2nd Australian Light Horse Signal Troops.
2nd Australian Machine Gun Squadron.

New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade
Auckland, Canterbury, and Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiments.
No. 1 New Zealand Mounted Rifles Signal Troop.
1st New Zealand Machine Gun Squadron.

Divisional Troops
18th Brigade R.H.A. (Inverness, Ayre, and Somerset Batteries, and Brigade Ammunition Column.)
Australian and New Zealand Field Squadron.
1st Signal Squadron, Australian Engineers.
Australian and New Zealand Mounted Divisional Train (Nos 32, 33 and 34 Companies, Austraklian A.S.C., and No. 4 Company, New Zealand A.S.C.).
6th and 7th Australian, and No. 2 New Zealand Mobile Veterinary Sections.

FWIW.

B

For some Mesopotamian Campaign scenarios there is:

Qurna, December 1914: link

Up the river to Nasiriyeh, July 1915: link

In addition to the books listed above there is also Battles on the Tigris – The Mesopotamian Campaign of the First World War by Ron Wilcox: link

Ezza

You're welcome, Senator.

The OHs for the various nations are all useful, but the British ones are exceptional for their range, probably because the British didn't miss too many fronts. They do sometimes require a grain or two of salt – the Gallipoli volumes, for example, are a strong piece of post-hoc advocacy by one of Hamilton's general staff officers. They're well written, but perhaps a bit more of the case for the defense than objective history.

I have a link to the translation of the Austro-Hungarian OH if you're interested (another one that's the case for the defense, but has some accounts of actions that are hard to come by elsewhere). I'll post it.

Thanks for all the pointers folks – some very useful ones indeed!

Picked up the 'Heartbreaking affair" GW Spearhead supplement, which is really recommended

Nine Pound Round,

My hat is off to you, Sir. Few people are aware that later in life, after my departure from Faber College, I served for many years in the United States Senate, where, like the USA when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor, I never quit!

Remember the Faber motto – "Knowledge is Good!"

;-)

B

😎

The Siege by Russell Braddon about the siege of Kut is a good book with a rather jaundiced view of Townsend and the various attempts to break the siege.

Our group have gamed all the battles up the the Siege of Kut and we are now playing through the relief effort, lots of scenarios etc on the Yarkshire Gamer Blog

Here's one to get you started

link

Books wise the Official histories are indispensable

Regards Ken
The Yarkshire Gamer