Battle of Nasiriyah (1915) | |||||||
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Part of the Mesopotamian Campaign of World War I | |||||||
This map shows the British advance into Southern Mesopotamia, 1915 | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Ottoman Empire | |||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend G. F. Gorringe | Unknown | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
5,000 | around 5,000 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
104 killed 429 wounded |
2,000 killed or wounded[1] 1,000 taken prisoner 17 field guns captured |
The Battle of Nasiriyah was a battle in World War I that took place in the Mesopotamian city of Nasiriyah between British and Ottoman forces in July 1915. It was a pivotal battle in the Mesopotamian campaign of World War I and saw 5,000 British and Indian troops face off against a Turkish garrison of a similar number. British and Indian forces under the command of Lieutenant General Sir George Frederick Gorringe attacked Nasiriyah with the intention of protecting the British stronghold of Basra and destroying a major Turkish supply center in the region. British forces defeated the Turkish forces in Nasiriyah and it became the latest addition to a long string of successes against Ottoman forces in the campaign, coming right after the capture of Amara and the Battle of Qurna.