Schlacht von Ali Masjid

Vorlage:Infobox Military Conflict Vorlage:Campaignbox Second Anglo-Afghan War The Battle of Ali Masjid was the opening battle between the British forces, under Lieutenant General Sir Samuel James Browne VC, and the Afghan tribesman, under Ghulam Haider Khan, in the Second Anglo-Afghan War which took place on 21 November, 1878.

The perceived offensiveness of an Afghan general refusing to allow a British envoy entrance to the country was used as an excuse to attack the fortress of Ali Masjid, as the opening battle in the war.^[1]

The British forces won the conflict.

Context

Vorlage:Rquote Following the 1837 Battle of Jamrud, Dost Muhammad Khan had built the fortress of Ali Masjid to assert his sovereignty over the Khyber region.^[2] However, the fortress was captured only two years later by 11,000 troops commanded by Lt. Col. Claude M. Wade on July 226, 1839^[3]

Two months prior to the battle, British envoy Gen. Neville Chamberlain had tried to enter Kabul on September 21, but had been ordered to retreat by Faiz Muhammad, the commander of Ali Masjid. Britain issued an ultimatum that Sher Ali apologise for the incident.^[1]

Battle

Preparation

Vorlage:Rquote At sunset on November 20, 1878 an estimated 1,700 men of the second Brigade of the Peshawar Valley Field Force began their flank march to assist Browne in his attack on the Ali Masjid fort which guarded the Khyber pass.^[4] The darkness created confusion and led to men and animals wandering off, it was ten o'clock before the troops all reached Lahore settlement, which was only 5.5 km away from Ali Masjid.^[4]

The First Brigade brought an approximated 1,900 men, most of whom were hampered by the puttees they wore in place of gaiters which tightened around their legs due to the climate and caused leg cramps. This Battilion did not reach the Lahore settlement until six in the morning on the twenty-first, just as the first battilion was preparing to leave^[4] nevertheless they did their best to keep up. Colonel Jenkins led the reconnoitres in this brigade.

Due to the heat, insufficient water supplies and lack of shaded areas, Tytler had to call for a halt at Pani Pal. Whilest the men rested Tytler decided to ascertain whether their left flank and rear were in danger^[5]. As Jenkins led a party out to scout the hills, a reverberation filled the air which Jenkins claimed was the firing of heavy guns.^[6] Tytler decided the best course of action would be if he stayed behind in Pani Pal with some men and Jenkins led the rest onward; that way Tytler was able to defend Jenkin's rear should the need arise.^[7]

Jenkins brought his reconnoitres up to the top of the Turhai ridge overlooking Ali Masjid by dusk on the twenty-first.^[8]

Shooting begins

Mounted Afghan horsemen held the top of the Shagai ridge, so Browne ordered opening skirmish fire at 10:00 in the morning, which led to a brief return of gunfire from the Afghans before they rode off their ridge, leading the 81st Foot, 14th Sikhs and a Mountain Battery to advance to within sight of Ali Masjid.^[9]^[4]

Major. H. B. Pearson led signallers to hold the Sarkai ridge and set up heliographs to communicate with the troops left in Jamrud.^[4]

Afghan artillery opened fire at noon, on the British troops holding the ridge. Their first shot exploded prematurely in the air, while the second failed to detonate at all. As the British rushed to bring their own heavy guns up to the ridge, MacPherson's troops opened fire from the right flank of the fortress. Within an hour, the British had both 40lb and 9lb cannon guns replacing their horse guns.^[9] Around 2pm, two British 40lb shots managed to collapse the central bastion of the fortress, silencing a "stubborn" Afghan 7lb gun. This minor coup led the infantry to begin advancing on the fort. The Third Brigade approached from the right, while the Fourth Brigade approached from the slopes of the left. However, while the Third Brigade had come within "storming distance" of the fortress, operations were ordered suspended at nightfall to wait until the following morning's light.^[9] This had a devastating effect on the Third Brigade, who tried to withdraw, but saw their leader Major Birch, as well as Lt. Fitzgerald killed; as well as at least one other Lieutenant, four gunners and 20 sepoys wounded.^[9]

When the British arose in the morning to continue the battle, they found that the Afghans had deserted the fortress during the night, leaving behind approximately 40 wounded men, 21 cannon and food seized upon the British.^[9]

Aftermath

The British victory meant that the northern approach to Kabul was left virtually undefended by Afghan troops.^[10]

After the battle, Sher Ali still refused to ask the Russians for military assistance, despite their insistence that he should seek terms of surrender from the British.^[11]