Second Battle of Kut facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Kut |
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| Part of the Mesopotamian Campaign of World War I | |||||||
 Situation at Kut on 22 February 1917. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Ottoman Empire |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Frederick Maude |
 Kâzım Karabekir Bey |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 50,000 | 17,000 | ||||||
The Second Battle of Kut was a big fight that happened on February 23, 1917. It was between soldiers from the British Empire and the Ottoman Empire in a place called Kut, which is now part of Iraq. This battle was part of a larger plan by the British to move forward and capture the city of Baghdad during World War I.
About 50,000 British soldiers, mostly from British India, were part of this advance. Their leader was Frederick Stanley Maude. They managed to take back the city of Kut. However, the Ottoman commander, Kâzım Karabekir Bey, was smart. He made sure his soldiers, about 2,500 of them, left the town in an organized way. This was different from a year before, when British troops got trapped in Kut during the siege of Kut. The British chased the retreating Ottoman soldiers along the Tigris River.
The British advance slowed down on February 27 at a place called Aziziyeh, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) past Kut. After gathering enough supplies for three days, General Maude continued his march toward Baghdad.
Fighting on the Western Side
One important goal for the British was to capture a factory on the western side of the Shatt al Hai. This factory, which soldiers called the "Wool Press Village," was across the Tigris River from Kut. It was one of the last Ottoman positions in that area. If the British could capture it, they could cross the Tigris and move closer to Kut.
New British trenches were dug by January 21, only 300 yards from the Ottoman trenches. These new trenches had names like "Baron's Trench" and "King's Trench." Soldiers from the 39th Brigade were in these trenches. An attack was planned for January 22, but heavy rain caused a three-day delay.
On January 25, 1917, the British attacked the Ottoman lines. At 9:40 AM, two groups of soldiers, the 9th Worcestershires and the 7th North Staffords, attacked. They had strong support from artillery, which helped them get very close to the Ottoman trenches. They managed to take their target, even though many soldiers were hurt.
However, the Ottoman soldiers fought back with bombs and trench mortars, pushing the British away. To fix the situation, Lieutenant Colonel Henderson led another group, the 9th Royal Warwickshires, into the fight. He was already wounded but still led his men across 500 yards of open ground. He was wounded again but kept going, leading a bayonet charge that helped them take back the lost positions. While setting up defenses, Henderson was wounded two more times. His assistant, Lieutenant Phillips, rescued him, but Henderson later died. Both Lieutenant Colonel Henderson and Lieutenant Phillips received the Victoria Cross, a very brave award. Corporal Scott also helped rescue Henderson and received the Distinguished Conduct Medal.
See also
