Mohmand campaign of 1935
Second Mohmand campaign | |||||||
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| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Mohmand | |||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
King Zahir Shah |
Claude Auchinleck Harold Alexander | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
Royal Afghan Army | Royal Air Force | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
| 5000 |
The Second Mohmand campaign of 1935 was a British military campaign against the
In 1935 the Mohmand, influenced by the Haji of Turangzai and his three sons the Badshah Guls, were marauding in the plains. At the end of July about 2000 tribesmen were disrupting working parties repairing the Mohinand–Gandab road.[1]
The Government decided to send a sizeable punitive force against them, called the Mohmand Force or Mohforce. The force, mobilised by 17 August, included the Nowshera and Peshawar Brigades of the
Mohforce left near the end of summer, with two tanks in front of the leading troops which could be used to outflank tribesman who pinned down the infantry. The tanks were Mark II light tanks, with a single Vickers machine gun. They did not have their radios, which had been withdrawn for their annual overhaul, so one tank had to act as a “runner” between the tanks and the infantry. The Mohmand, having no word for tanks, called them “the snakes that spit”.
The troops advanced into the Kamalai plateau, the tribal heartland west of the Swat River. The road and water supply had to be extended, taking six weeks, before they could advance into the Nahakki Pass. Then the heights around the Nahakki Pass were taken in a night operation, and after dawn the cavalry went through the pass to the plain beyond. The headquarters, now commanded by General Muspratt, was established about 5 miles south of the Nahakki Pass at Kamalai.
In September a reconnaissance in force southwest of Nahakki was ambushed, with 35 deaths in Mohforce: 2 British and 2 Indian officers, and 1 British and 30 Indian Other Ranks; the operation by the Guides or 5th/12th Frontier Force Regiment was described as “sketchily planned and uncoordinated”. [3]
After fierce fighting, attackers were driven off and British created a campaign to fight the Pashtuns. This put an end to the tribal revolt and order was reinforced.[4] The Badmanai Pass was captured by the British force which ended the tribal hold at Jarobi.[5]
After Mohmand won the campaign with the assistance of the Kingdom of Afghanistan, the British convened a jirga to establish peace. Subsequently, British troops withdrew to their territory, marking the conclusion of the conflict, which occurred towards the end of October..[5][6]
Captain Godfrey Meynell was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross for his gallantry on 29 September at the Nahqi Pass.
Background
The
See also
References
- ^ The Times (London) 21 July p11, 6 August p9
- ^ The Times (London) 19 August p10
- ^ Connell (1959) p61
- ISBN 9781781599020.
- ^ ISBN 9780230374621.
- ^ The Times (London) 2 September p9, 5 September p11 Auchinleck's brigade withdrew with drums and pipes playing.
- Connell, John (1959). Auchinleck: A Critical Biography. London: Cassell. pp. 58–61. ISBN 0-7509-1837-3.