Battle of Sharqat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Sharqat
Part of the Mesopotamian Campaign of World War I
Date October 23–30, 1918 Location North of Baghdad, present-day Iraq Result British-Assyrian victory.
Belligerents
British Empire  India Assyrian volunteers	Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Sir William Raine Marshall, Sir Alexander Cobbe, Malik Yaqo Agha Petros	İsmail Hakkı Bey
Strength
2 infantry divisions, 2 cavalry brigades	"Tigris Group" (Dicle Grubu) of Ottoman Sixth Army; five infantry regiments and one rifle regiment
Casualties and losses
1,800	11,322–13,000 POW with many more wounded and killed

The Battle of Sharqat was an important fight during World War I. It happened between October 23 and 30, 1918. This battle was part of the Mesopotamian Campaign. It was fought between the British and the Ottoman Empire. This was the very last big battle between them. It happened just before they signed a peace agreement called the Armistice of Mudros.

Why the Battle Happened

By late 1918, the Ottoman Empire was losing the war. They had been defeated in Palestine. Another country, Bulgaria, had also given up fighting. The British Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, thought the Ottomans would soon ask for peace.

He told Sir William Marshall, who was the British commander in Mesopotamia, to clear out any remaining Ottoman forces. The goal was to capture the important oil fields near Mosul. These oil fields were located along the Tigris River.

At first, the plan was to advance along two rivers. But there weren't enough vehicles or supplies for both. So, Sir William Marshall convinced the government to focus only on the Tigris River front.

The British Advance

A strong force of British and Indian soldiers began their march. This force included two infantry divisions and two cavalry brigades. Sir Alexander Cobbe led these troops. They left Baghdad on October 23, 1918.

They moved very quickly, covering about 120 kilometers (75 miles) in just 39 hours. They reached the Little Zab River. Here, the Ottoman "Dicle Group" was waiting for them. This group was part of the Ottoman Sixth Army.

The Ottoman forces were led by İsmail Hakkı Bey. His army had become weaker because they had not received new soldiers.

The Fight at Sharqat

İsmail Hakkı Bey saw that his army was in danger from behind. So, he pulled his troops back another 100 kilometers (62 miles) north. They stopped at a place called Al-Shirqat.

On October 29, Sir Alexander Cobbe attacked the Ottoman forces. He sent the 11th Cavalry Brigade to hold the Ottoman front line. The 17th Division was supposed to come up and help them.

However, the 17th Division was late. The cavalry faced heavy shelling from Ottoman guns all night. In the morning, a group of soldiers called the 13th Hussars charged the hill where the guns were. They got off their horses and charged up the hill with bayonets. They successfully captured the Ottoman guns.

İsmail Hakkı Bey knew that peace talks were happening. He decided it was better to save his soldiers than to keep fighting. He surrendered on October 30.

After the Battle

The 18th Division, another British force, continued to advance towards Mosul. Mosul was about 80 kilometers (50 miles) further north. They were only 19 kilometers (12 miles) from the town when the armistice was announced.

On November 1, 1918, British forces peacefully entered and took control of Mosul. The Ottoman commander, Ali İhsan Sâbis, asked the British to go back to where they were when the armistice was signed. However, the British forces did not agree to his request.