IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/1

The volume is the first volume of an official government publication compiled at the request of the Government of India, and under the direction of the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence, by Brigadier-General Frederick James Moberly. The volume was printed and published at His Majesty's Stationery Office, London.

The contents provide a narrative of the operations of 1914-1918 in Mesopotamia, based mainly on official documents.

The volume is divided into two parts. The first part, entitled, 'Part I. Before the Outbreak of Hostilities', consists of the following five chapters:

• General Description of the Country
• The Turks in Mesopotamia
• British Pre-War Policy
• The Army in India and Pre-War Military Policy
• Inception of the Operations

The second part, entitled, 'Part II. The Campaign in Lower Mesopotamia', consists of the following seven chapters:

• The Landing in Mesopotamia of Force "D" and the Operations Leading to the Occupation of Basra
• The Occupation of Basra and the Capture of Qurna
• Commencement of the Turkish Counter-Offensive
• Development and Defeat of the Turkish Counter-Offensive
• Operations in Arabistan and the Capture of Amara
• Operations on the Euphrates and the Occupation of Nasiriya
• The battle of Kut and Occupation of Aziziya

The volume also includes nine maps, entitled:

• The Middle East
• Lower Mesopotamia
• Map 1 - To illustrate operations described in Chapter VI
• Map 2 - To illustrate fighting near Qurna
• Map 3 - To illustrate fighting round Shaiba
• Map 4 - To illustrate operations in Persian Arabistan
• Map 5 - To illustrate operations in the Akaika Channel 27th June to 5th July 1915
• Map 6 - To illustrate operations near Nasiriya 6th to 24th July 1915
• Map 7 - To illustrate the Battle of Kut 28th September 1915