Battle of Ctesiphon

[Guest Voigt]

voigt@webspeed.dk

Hi all.

I am a student at the Royal Danish Military Academy. I am currently working on an analysis concerning the battle of Ctesiphon. But I seem to be a bit stuck at the moment. My problem is that I can't find any material on the Turkish Order of battle and their commanders intentions. I know that the turkish forces were commanded by Nur-Ud-Din and I know how many they approximately were, but I do not know the exact komposition of the Turkish Corps neither can I find any material concerning Nur-Ud-Din's battle appreciations.

I have read A.J. Barker - The Neglected War and Maj-Gen Townshend "My campaign in Mesoptamia", but neither are very precise concerning the Turks

If anyone knows of any good links or littarature I will be most obliged.

Sincerely

Jacob Voigt

Lieutenant / RDMA

[Neil Mackenzie]

Jacob.

Welcome to the forum.

In the past I have found the following reference to a book 'Ordered To Die, A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War' by Edward J. Erickson.

I noted the link for reference but have not actually read the book so cannot give an opinion on its quality - others may have read it though.

Turkish Army WW1

Neil

[Clive Maier]

Maybe this book would be useful. The details are taken from the British Library catalogue.

Title: Handbook of the Turkish Army

Organisation name: Great Britain. War Office. Intelligence Section, Cairo

Series: Battery Press reference series. 11

Edition: 8th provisional ed.. Intelligence Section, Cairo

Place of Publication: London.

Publisher Name: Imperial War Museum in association with The Battery Press and Articles of War.

Date of Publication: 1996

Description: viii,235p,[14]p of plates. ill. ports. 23cm

ISBN: 1870423666. m

ISBN: 0898392497. v. Battery Press

Shelfmark: 99/15408

Notes: "Handbook revised to Feb.10, 1916. Ordre de Bataille revised to Feb.10, 1916"

Notes: Facsimile reprint of 8th Cairo ed. originally published: Cairo : s.n., 1916. - Previous ed.: 1915. - "The original frame of this handbook was the 5th ed. of the Turkish Army handbook prepared by the General Staff War Office, London, in 1912" - t.p. verso

[Ron]

Assuming you have a map of the battle site -

Turkish dispositions:

From VP to a point short of the Water Redoubt: 142nd Regiment (45th Division): in Reserve 3rd and 141st Regiment (45th Division) in rear of VP and in front of Turkish 2nd line.

From Water Redoubt to about High Wall, 112th Regiment (38th Division)

Thence to the River Tigris, 113th Regiment (38th Division)

In Reserve E of Suliman Pak, 114th Regiment (38th Division)

On the right bank of the Tigris - 35th Division with two regiments in line and one in reserve

Reserve to the whole force. 51st Division with 14 quick-firing guns and one machine-gun company at Qusaiba

About 30 guns covered the 1st line on the left bank excluding those with the general reserve

The cavalry operated on the outer flank.

(From Critical Study of the Campaign, 1923)

Hope this helps

Ron

[Guest Voigt]

Hi everybody.

I would like to thank you all for the help and inspiration you have given me. I have read the book "Ordered to die" and it is great. Ufortunately, since I live in Denmark, I have been unable to obtain copies of the other books, but I will make do with the books that I have now.

Best regards

Jacob