Siege of Kut

6 0 0
                                    

The Siege of Kut took place in 1915 I'm what is now Iraq. British-Indian forces, retreating from a defeat at the hands of the Ottoman Empire, decided to stop at Kut, a position easily defended, but difficult to resupply. Since we're talking about a siege, you can probably guess how that went.

Approximately 11,000 British and Indian infantrymen reached the fortress on December 3, and the Ottomans arrived 4 days later with 11,000 troops of their own - and with more reinforcements on the way. The British sent away cavalry and other forces that could escape and then settled in for a siege. The Ottoman forces, under command of a German advisor, cut off river and land access to the city.

British forces outside the city attempted to relieve it 3 times, but all 3 attempts failed dismally. While the Ottomans suffered approximately 10,000 casualties, the British were eventually forced to surrender after suffering 30,000 casualties and the capture of an additional 10,000 troops, including 6 generals.

7 Worst Military Defeats in Modern History Where stories live. Discover now