Battle of Ctesiphon (1915)

The Battle of Ctesiphon (Turkish: Selman-ı Pak Muharebesi) was fought in November 1915 by the British Empire, against the Ottoman Empire, within the Mesopotamian Campaign of World War I.

Battle of Ctesiphon
Part of the Mesopotamian Campaign of World War I

British advance towards Baghdad, 1915.
Date22 November 1915 – 25 November 1915
Location
Ctesiphon, present-day Iraq
Result Inconclusive
Belligerents

 British Empire

 Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Charles Townshend Khalil Pasha
Nur-ud Din Pasha
Strength
  • 11,000 troops
  • 2 warships
  • 18,000–20.000 troops
  • 52 guns
Casualties and losses
4,600 6,200 to 9,500

Indian Expeditionary Force D, mostly made up of Indian units and under the command of Gen. Sir John Nixon, had met with success in Mesopotamia since it had landed at Al-Faw Peninsula upon the Ottoman Empire's declaration of war on 5 November 1914.

One of the primary reasons for initiating the campaign in Mesopotamia was to defend the oil refinery at Abadan at the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab. Adopting a forward defence policy, the British army under General Townshend fought off a series of small Ottoman forces. Then after a year of a string of defeats, the Ottoman forces were able to halt the British advance in two days of hard fighting at Ctesiphon.

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