Siege of Kut
Kut (Kut al-Amara), on the Tigris River, Wasit, Iraq
What happened
A British Indian army under Major General Charles Townshend was besieged by Ottoman forces under Khalil Pasha and the German general Colmar von der Goltz. In the First World War, a British and Indian army advanced up the Tigris River toward Baghdad but was forced back to the town of Kut. Ottoman forces surrounded it, and three attempts to rescue the garrison failed. After 147 days, with food running out, Townshend surrendered.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was one of the worst British defeats of the First World War. During the siege, British planes dropped food and supplies to the soldiers, described as the first air supply operation in history.
What came next
British and Indian forces retook Kut on 23 February 1917 and captured Baghdad on 11 March 1917.
Did you know?
Many of the food parcels dropped by aircraft fell into the river or behind enemy lines.
Timeline
- 7 December 1915The siege of Kut begins.
- April 1916Aircraft drop food to the garrison.
- 29 April 1916Townshend surrenders.
- 23 February 1917British forces retake Kut.
- 11 March 1917British forces capture Baghdad.