Battle of Shaiba
Shaiba, south-west of Basra, Iraq
What happened
British and Indian troops under Major General Charles Melliss fought an Ottoman army under Lieutenant Colonel Süleyman Askerî. Britain had taken the port city of Basra from the Ottomans in November 1914. In April 1915 the Ottomans attacked British positions at Shaiba to retake it. Their attacks failed at the British barbed wire, and after a British attack on 14 April, the Ottomans retreated.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was the last time the Ottomans threatened Basra. The British held the initiative in Mesopotamia afterwards.
What came next
Many Arab communities turned away from Ottoman rule, and revolts later broke out in Najaf and Karbala. Basra's harbour was modernised by British engineers and became one of the Gulf's most important ports.
Timeline
- 636Basra is founded.
- 22 November 1914British forces occupy Basra.
- 12-14 April 1915The British win at Shaiba.