Battle of Qurna

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Mesopotamian Campaign
Fao Landing – Basra – Qurna – Es Sinn – Ctesiphon – Umm-at-Tubal –1st Kut –Shiekh Sa'ad – Wadi – Hanna – Dujaila – 2nd Kut – Baghdad – Samarrah Offensive – Jebel Hamlin – Istabulat – Ramadi – Sharqat

The Battle of Qurna, fought on January 3, 1915, was a minor battle in the Mesopotamian campaign during World War I. In the battle, the Ottoman Army attempted to retake the city of Basra, which the British had captured on December 10.

[edit] Background

By capturing Basra, the British had taken an important communications and industrial centre. The Ottoman's decided that it was vital to their war effort to recapture the city. The British moved most of their men back to Fao because they were short of men and they had decided that Basra was not that strategically important.

The Ottomans marched south from Kut, with an army of 17000 men. The British had an army of 6000 men in Basra. Instead of defending Basra itself, the British marched out to block the Ottoman's path at the small town of Qurna. By the time the Ottomans arrived at Qurna, the British had already dug earthworks and trenches.

[edit] The Battle

On January 3, the Ottomans probed the British defences. Judging that the earthworks were to strong to be taken, the Ottomans retreated back to Kut.

[edit] Aftermath

Despite being more of a skirmish then a battle, the Battle of Qurna is important in that the Ottomans failed to retake Basra. Following this battle, the Ottomans would continue to retreat instead of battling the British, until the battle of Cestiphon, in November.