Aug1915Orders
TimBarnes
2009/08/02 10:06

Table of Contents

Main activities in August :
1st and 2nd battles of Ctesiphon
Attack up the Euphrates
New equipment and replacements
Fermenting arab revolt
1. Strategy
Occuppy the southern part of Mesopotamia to secure the oil supplies to Abbadan.
Maintain a active force of at least 1 full Division (or equivelent) in the theatre. (italics indicates existing declared strategy)
Engage or destroy 10 divisions (10% of the estimated Ottoman fighting force) each year (from May 1915).
Remove (through casualty, prisoner or forces engaged) 50% more Ottoman troops than Imperial troops in the region. Currently 20,000 Imperial troops and 30,000 Ottoman troops unavailable for other theatres.
Occupy Baghdad by Christmas 1915
Work with the Russian Causcaus forces and the Egyptian expeditionary forces to occupy all Ottoman territory east of Antioch during 1916.
2. Replacements and re-inforcements
a) Short of full strength : 1250
(arrived 50 men short of full strength) 48th Pioneers; 16th Ind Cavalry Regiment; 103rd Mahratta Light Infantry; 119th Mooltan Rajputana Infantry; 7th (Duke of Connaught’s Own) Rajputs; 120th Rajputana Infantry; 4th Rajputs; 67th Punjabis; 44th Merwara Infantry; 1st Battalion, 4th Hampshire Regiment; 2nd Natal (Zulu) Volunteer Infantry
(arrived 100 men short of full strength) 7th Ind Lancers; 20th Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Brownlow’s) Punjabis; 117th Mahrattas; 1st Natal Volunteer Mtd Infantry (The White Company); 104th Wellesley’s Rifles; 1st Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry; 2nd Queens Own Royal West Kent Regt
b) Casualties : 400 lightly wounded, 250 seriously injured and 150 HDC
(50 lightly wounded) 117th Mahrattas**; 1st Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry; 2nd Queens Own Royal West Kent Regt; Long Range Patrol Group; 2nd Battalion, The Dorset Regiment; 22nd Punjabis; 90th Punjabis; 24th Punjabis
(100 lightly wounded) 104th Wellesley’s Rifles**
(50 lightly wounded, 50 seriously injured and 50 HDC) 2nd Natal (Zulu) Volunteer Infantry**
(200 lightly wounded, 200 seriously injured and 100 HDC) 76th Punjabis
c) Sicknes, etc : tba
3. Requisitions
Requisition	From	Due	August arrival	
Get balloons to use as observation platforms	India	August	90%	
Improved Medical transport	India	August	90%	
Unwanted cavalry mounts	Suez	September	90%	
Sopworth Tabloids & Sneider Sea Plane from Western Front	France	August	80%	
6 RNAS armoured cars being withdrawn from Gallipoli as only used for machine guns	Gallipoli	September	20% each	
Trench mortars and grenades	England	August	90%	
More river transport from India (in transit)	India	September	25%	
Railway parts (track and rolling stock) from Armenian supporters	USA	September?	25%	
Butterfly, Cranefly, Dragonfly & Firefly gunboats completed and arrive at Kut	London	August	95% each	
Gadfly, Grayfly, Mayfly & Sawfly gunboat (kits)	London	August	90%	
Waterfly, Stonefly, Snakefly & Greenfly gunboat (kits)	London	September	50%	
6 Sopwith Schneiders (used unsuccessfully from HMS Ben-my-Chree)	Mediteranean (Gallipoli)	August	80%	
6 of 36 single-seat Sopwith Tabloid from RFC and RNAS deployed to France and withdrawn from service in early 1915.	France	August	90%	
More artillerymen	India	August	90%	
3. Politics
India Office
War Office
Arabs
Russians
4. Training
Staff Officers : by now most staff officers should be familiar with Turkish army organisation, practices and weaknesses. Continuing education on arab customs and basic phrases to ensure good relations with the locals. Recommed adoption of arab headress when dealing with them. Assign vetted arabs as guides and interpreters.
All troops : continue desert acclimitization and arab customs training (basics).
Snipers : trained to work in pairs and co-ordinated with each other.
Night-fighting : 1 platoon in each brigade trained up to fight at night.
Garrison troops : mix training and patrol duties, training in morning and early evening to avoid summer heat. Training orientated around desert acclimitization and survival.
33rd Brigade : assigned special training to develop ability to operate independantly for longer periods. Replace heavy general kit (eg Lewis guns for Maxims). Assign 1 mountain gun per battalion, parts split and carried by 6 horses. Ensure able to carry 1 weeks rations and water. Equip with suitable hats and sunglasses (+?).
Artillery : Navy to train up more QF crews. Cross train artleery crews on the captured 77mm guns and train up new artillerymen to man new batteries. Use some of new artillery officers from India as trainers.
Aircrew : train up an additional 20 pilots and mechanics using current pilots and ground crew. See if additional trainers available from England or South Africa.
Maps and Stats : run daily briefing sessions for scouts, gunboat captains, survey team and pilots to share recon info. Bring in arab guides to help build up map detail.
Armoured car crew : armoured cars not arrived yet but start preparing crews from volunteers with driving or mechanic experience.
5. Troop movements
Corps HQ moved to Kut, all artillery, all cavalry (except below) and most assets advance to Ctesiphon
Transportation to Ctesiphon : 11 rivers steamers + barges + launches (supported by Naval gunboats)
Approx 25 vessels each capable of carrying 300 men or equivalent. Assume artillery, cavalry and assets will require approximately half the transport space.
8th August transport troops by river to Ctesiphon : 30th Infantry Brigade (12th Division). Arrive at Lejj on the 10th
8th August (overland to Lejj) : 1st Bn (White Company); 1st Natal Brigade (6th Division). Arrive at Lejj on the 15th
10th August (overland to Lejj) : 16th Infantry Brigade (6th Division); 17th Infantry Brigade (6th Division); Pioneers; Jaipur Transport Company and Mule Corps with supplies. Arrive at Lejj on the 18th.
12th August - transport troops by river to Ctesiphon : 12th Infantry Brigade (12th Division). Arrive at Lejj on the 14th.
16th August - transport troops by river to Ctesiphon : 18th Infantry Brigade (6th Division). Arrive at Lejj on the 18th
20th August - transport troops by river to Ctesiphon : 33rd Infantry Brigade (12th Division). Arrive at Lejj on the 22nd
Garrison duty and pipeline guard :
76th Punjabis : A Company - Nasiriyah; B Company - Basra (and pipeline); C Company - Amara (and river transport); D Company - Abadan (and port)
1st Squadron 23rd Cavalry : pipeline
2nd Bn (Zulu) 1st Natal Brigade (6th Division) : Kut garrison
Attack up the Euphrates