General Actions:
Sep1915Orders
Last modified by TimBarnes on 2009/12/06 21:59
Main activities in September :
Consolidation in Baghdad
xxxxx
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 Hawkwood will all of his influence with the War Office in London to get one or both of the Indian Cavalry Divisions on the Western Fronts re-assigned to Mesopotomia. With a strong foothold in place, there is a huge opportunity for rapid advancement with cavalry (who are otherwise just surrogate infantry and never going to be happy about it).
3. Politics India Office - use influence to get appointed as governor of Baghdad/Basra and responsible for a) securing the territory taken b) supplying troops for further offensives c) steady progress up the Berlin-Baghdad railway d) acclimitisation of any replacement or new troops e) raising an arab division War Office Arabs Russians Visit to Kitchener (Egypt late 1915) to get his assistence for the region. Hawkwood has a lot in common with Kitchener over the past 20 years that should help build a great rapport :
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 Baghdad 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. 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
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 Hawkwood will all of his influence with the War Office in London to get one or both of the Indian Cavalry Divisions on the Western Fronts re-assigned to Mesopotomia. With a strong foothold in place, there is a huge opportunity for rapid advancement with cavalry (who are otherwise just surrogate infantry and never going to be happy about it).
| Requisition | From | Due | August arrival |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unwanted cavalry mounts | Suez | September | 90% |
| 6 RNAS armoured cars being withdrawn from Gallipoli as only used for machine guns | Gallipoli | September | 20% each |
| More river transport from India (in transit) | India | September | 25% |
| Railway parts (track and rolling stock) from Armenian supporters | USA | September? | 25% |
| Waterfly, Stonefly, Snakefly & Greenfly gunboat (kits) | London | September | 50% |
3. Politics India Office - use influence to get appointed as governor of Baghdad/Basra and responsible for a) securing the territory taken b) supplying troops for further offensives c) steady progress up the Berlin-Baghdad railway d) acclimitisation of any replacement or new troops e) raising an arab division War Office Arabs Russians Visit to Kitchener (Egypt late 1915) to get his assistence for the region. Hawkwood has a lot in common with Kitchener over the past 20 years that should help build a great rapport :
- Sudan expedition
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 Baghdad 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. 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