Fao Landing

Part of the Mesopotamian Campaign of World War I

Date	6–8 November 1914
Location	Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) 29°55′41″N 48°27′58″E / 29.928041°N 48.466148°E / 29.928041; 48.466148Coordinates: 29°55′41″N 48°27′58″E / 29.928041°N 48.466148°E / 29.928041; 48.466148
Result	British victory

Belligerents

United Kingdom

India

Ottoman Empire

Commanders and leaders

Brigadier General W.S. Delamain

Chavit Pasha

Strength

1 Brigade

Elements of 38th Division, Iraq Area Command (Ottoman Empire)

Casualties and losses

300 captured

United Kingdom

The Fao Landing occurred on November 6, 1914 and the Battle of Fao Fortress on November 8, 1914 with British forces attacking the Ottoman Fortress of Fao. The British successfully took the fort.

When the Ottoman Empire entered into World War I, the British feared for the safety of the Persian Gulf oil facilities. To protect their facilities, the British decided to capture the Ottoman-controlled section of the Persian Gulf coast. The Fortress of Fao was the main Ottoman fortress on the Persian Gulf coast. The British assigned Indian Expeditionary Force D (IEF D) which consisted of the 6th (Poona) Division led by Lieutenant General Arthur Barrett, with Sir Percy Cox as Political Officer.

The initial landing force was the 16th (Poona) Brigade under Brigadier General Delamain. The British troops landed on Fao beach on November 6, 1914, and were immediately met with heavy fire from Fao Fortress. As the British advanced towards the fortress, they were met with Ottoman infantry assaults. The British managed to repel the assaults, but could not take the fortress because their heavy artillery had not yet landed. The British then dug trenches around the fortress from which they would occasionally fire shells at the fortress (as the Ottomans fired back).

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Wikipedia