Samarrah Offensive

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Samarrah Offensive

Part of Mesopotamian Campaign
(World War I)

Date	March 13 — April 23, 1917
Location	North of Baghdad, present-day Iraq
Result	British victory.

Belligerents

British Empire

Ottoman Empire

Commanders

Frederick Stanley Maude

Khalil Pasha,
Ali Ishan Bey

Strength

45,000

10,000 (Khalil),
15,000 (Ali Ishan)

Casualties and losses

18,000
(+ 40,000 sick)

v • d • e 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 – Khan Baghdadi – Sharqat

The Samarrah Offensive was launched by the British against the Ottomans in mid-March 1917 as part of the Mesopotamian Campaign in World War I.

After Baghdad 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 Ishan Bey were being driven out of Persia by the Russians, and were attempting at joining Khalil's forces in northern Iraq.

The British commander, Frederick Stanley Maude, decided that, in order to avert these threats, he had to take control of the Samarrah railroad, running 130 km (80 miles) north of Baghdad.

Operations began on March 13, carried forth by 45,000 British troops. On March 19, they conquered Fallujah, a crucial step toward the offensive's goal. The British continued their attacks until April 23, when the town of Samarrah 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 40,000 who were taken ill).