The Second Battle of Ramadi secured British control of a key Ottoman garrison town on the Euphrates, advancing the Mesopotamian campaign toward Aleppo.
Key Facts
- Date
- 28–29 September 1917
- Distance from Baghdad
- 100 km (62 miles) west
- First battle outcome
- British defeat (July 1917)
- Second battle outcome
- British victory; garrison captured almost entirely
- River
- Euphrates River (south bank)
- Campaign
- Mesopotamian campaign, World War I
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Ramadi's strategic position on the road between Aleppo and Baghdad made it a primary British target in the Mesopotamian campaign. A first British attack in July 1917 failed due to extreme heat causing more casualties than enemy fire, poor communications, bad weather, and a strong Ottoman defence, necessitating a second assault with revised tactics.
On 28–29 September 1917, British forces launched the Second Battle of Ramadi, employing new tactics that encircled the Ottoman garrison against the Euphrates River. By cutting off all escape routes, the British prevented the garrison from withdrawing and forced its capture, seizing large quantities of ammunition and supplies in the process.
The fall of Ramadi delivered a significant blow to Ottoman control in central Iraq. The garrison was captured almost in its entirety, stripping the Ottomans of a key defensive position and its stockpiled resources, and consolidating British dominance along the Euphrates corridor in the broader Mesopotamian theatre.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent