Habforce
Encyclopedia
Habforce was a British Army
military unit created during the Anglo-Iraqi War
and still active during the Syria-Lebanon Campaign
.
. On 4 May 1941, British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill
ordered General
Sir Archibald Wavell
, Commander-in-Chief
of Middle East Command
, to create this force.
RAF Habbaniya was a Royal Air Force station at Habbaniya
in the Kingdom of Iraq
. As of 30 April, the small British
garrison at Habbaniya had been under siege by strong Iraqi forces loyal to Rashid Ali. On 1 April, Rashid Ali and his anti-British supporters had staged a coup against the pro-British government of Regent
Amir Abdul Illah
and relations between the British and the governmeent of Rashid Ali quickly deterioted until, on 2 May, the British launched pre-emtive air attacks throughout Iraq.
Habforce was commanded by Major-General J.G.W. Clark
. During the Anglo-Iraqi War, Habforce was organized into two parts: a flying column
named Kingcol
and the main body. The main body, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel J. S. Nichols, comprised the Headquarters 1st Cavalry Division (elements), the 1st Battalion Essex Regiment
, the 60th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
, and one Battery of anti-tank guns, Royal Artillery. A detachment of the Arab Legion
initially advanced ahead of Kingcol.
Habforce was employed again during the Syria-Lebanon Campaign, In Syria, Habforce comprised 4th Cavalry Brigade
, the 1st Battalion Essex Regiment, the Arab Legion Mechanized Regiment, the 237th Battery 60th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, an Australian battery of 2 pounder anti-tank guns
, and the 169th Light Anti-aircraft Battery.
On 11 May,, Kingcol, the flying column of Habforce, left Haifa
in the British Mandate of Palestine and advanced towards RAF Habbaniya. The column arrived at Pumping Station H4 eight hours later.
On 14 May, Kingcol took the Fort at Rutbah
in Al Anbar Province in Iraq. Rutbah had been occupied earlier by the 1st Battalion Essex Regiment and the Arab Legion. Kingstone rushed ahead of his column to catch up with Glubb Pasha in order to coordinate the rest of the 220-mile advance towards RAF Habbaniya. The next objective was Kilo 25, a point on the Baghdad
road about 14 miles west of Ramadi
. On the advice of Colonel
Ouvry Roberts
in Habbaniya, the column was to turn southeast at Kilo 25 to avoid a confrontation with an Iraqi brigade thought to be at Ramadi. The column would then skirt Lake Habbaniya and advance on Habbaniya by crossing a newly constructed bridge at the village of Mujara. The village had been taken on 10 May and a bridge over the water regulater there was completed by 16 May.
On 15 May, Kingcol left Rutbah and an element of the column was attacked by a lone Heinkel He 111
bomber of Fliegerführer Irak
("Flyer Command Iraq"). Initially, the British thought that the Iraqis must have obtained a Blenheim
bomber.
On 16 May, the column reached Kilo 25 and turned off the main road and headed southeast in accordance with Roberts' suggestion. Disaster then struck when numerous vehicles driven by inexperienced drivers sunk up to the axles in soft sand. THe whole column halted while vehicles were dug out one by one.
On 17 May, three Messerschmitt Bf 110
fighters attacked an extended column of Kingcol in the open desert. Luckily for the British, the fighters had not attacked the previous day when many vehicles were immobilized by the soft sand.
On 18 May, Kingcol arrived in Habbaniya. Elements of Kingcol joined the other elements of Iraqforce
in the advance on Fallujah
. On 19 May, the Iraqis in Fallujah surrendered. On 22 May, the British forces in Fallujah successfully defended against an Iraqi counter-attack to take the city back.
On 25 May, the main body of Habforce arrived at Habbaniya and joined the advance on Baghdad. A northern column left Fallujah on 27 May and a southern column left on 28 May. On 31 May, the mayor of Baghdad surrendered the city.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
military unit created during the Anglo-Iraqi War
Anglo-Iraqi War
The Anglo-Iraqi War was the name of the British campaign against the rebel government of Rashid Ali in the Kingdom of Iraq during the Second World War. The war lasted from 2 May to 31 May 1941. The campaign resulted in the re-occupation of Iraq by British armed forces and the return to power of the...
and still active during the Syria-Lebanon Campaign
Syria-Lebanon campaign
The Syria–Lebanon campaign, also known as Operation Exporter, was the Allied invasion of Vichy French-controlled Syria and Lebanon, in June–July 1941, during World War II. Time Magazine referred to the fighting as a "mixed show" while it was taking place and the campaign remains little known, even...
.
Creation and composition
Habforce, short for "Habbaniya Force", was created from forces available in the British Mandate of Palestine in order to relieve RAF HabbaniyaRAF Habbaniya
Royal Air Force Station Habbaniya, more commonly known as RAF Habbaniya, was a Royal Air Force station at Habbaniyah, about west of Baghdad in modern day Iraq, on the banks of the Euphrates near Lake Habbaniyah...
. On 4 May 1941, British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
ordered General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Sir Archibald Wavell
Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell
Field Marshal Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell GCB, GCSI, GCIE, CMG, MC, PC was a British field marshal and the commander of British Army forces in the Middle East during the Second World War. He led British forces to victory over the Italians, only to be defeated by the German army...
, Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of Middle East Command
Middle East Command
The Middle East Command was a British Army Command established prior to the Second World War in Egypt. Its primary role was to command British land forces and co-ordinate with the relevant naval and air commands to defend British interests in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean region.The...
, to create this force.
RAF Habbaniya was a Royal Air Force station at Habbaniya
Habbaniya
The Habbaniya, or Habbania, are a Sunni Muslim tribe of the nomadic Bedouin Baggara people in the plains of Sudan's Darfur, North Kurdufan, and South Kurdufan provinces....
in the Kingdom of Iraq
Kingdom of Iraq
The Kingdom of Iraq was the sovereign state of Iraq during and after the British Mandate of Mesopotamia. The League of Nations mandate started in 1920. The kingdom began in August 1921 with the coronation of Faisal bin al-Hussein bin Ali al-Hashemi as King Faisal I...
. As of 30 April, the small British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
garrison at Habbaniya had been under siege by strong Iraqi forces loyal to Rashid Ali. On 1 April, Rashid Ali and his anti-British supporters had staged a coup against the pro-British government of Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
Amir Abdul Illah
'Abd al-Ilah
Crown Prince Abd al-Ilāh of Hejaz, GCB, GCMG, GCVO was a cousin and brother-in-law of King Ghazi of the Kingdom of Iraq. Abdul Ilah served as Regent for King Faisal II from April 4, 1939 to May 2, 1953, when Faisal came of age...
and relations between the British and the governmeent of Rashid Ali quickly deterioted until, on 2 May, the British launched pre-emtive air attacks throughout Iraq.
Habforce was commanded by Major-General J.G.W. Clark
John George Walters Clark
John George Walters Clark CB, MC was a British army officer in both World War I and World War II.-Early life:Clark was commissioned into the 16th The Queen's Lancers in 1911 and fought with them during World War I. In 1917 he was awarded the Military Cross...
. During the Anglo-Iraqi War, Habforce was organized into two parts: a flying column
Flying column
A flying column is a small, independent, military land unit capable of rapid mobility and usually composed of all arms. It is often an ad hoc unit, formed during the course of operations....
named Kingcol
Kingcol
-Creation and composition:Kingcol was created to allow a portion of Habforce to relieve RAF Habbaniya as soon as possible. The column was named after its commander, Brigadier J.J. Kingstone...
and the main body. The main body, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel J. S. Nichols, comprised the Headquarters 1st Cavalry Division (elements), the 1st Battalion Essex Regiment
Essex Regiment
The Essex Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army that saw active service from 1881 to 1958. Members of the regiment were recruited from across Essex county. Its lineage is continued by the Royal Anglian Regiment.-Origins:...
, the 60th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
, and one Battery of anti-tank guns, Royal Artillery. A detachment of the Arab Legion
Arab Legion
The Arab Legion was the regular army of Transjordan and then Jordan in the early part of the 20th century.-Creation:...
initially advanced ahead of Kingcol.
Habforce was employed again during the Syria-Lebanon Campaign, In Syria, Habforce comprised 4th Cavalry Brigade
4th Cavalry Brigade (United Kingdom)
The 4th Cavalry Brigade was formation of Regiments of the British Army during the First World War, which was formed again in 1939 from Yeomanry Regiments for service during the Second World War...
, the 1st Battalion Essex Regiment, the Arab Legion Mechanized Regiment, the 237th Battery 60th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, an Australian battery of 2 pounder anti-tank guns
Ordnance QF 2 pounder
The Ordnance QF 2-pounder was a British anti-tank and vehicle-mounted gun, employed in the Second World War. It was actively used in the Battle of France, and during the North Africa campaign...
, and the 169th Light Anti-aircraft Battery.
Activities during Anglo-Iraqi War
By 6 May, the Iraqi forces besieging RAF Habbaniya had fled.On 11 May,, Kingcol, the flying column of Habforce, left Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
in the British Mandate of Palestine and advanced towards RAF Habbaniya. The column arrived at Pumping Station H4 eight hours later.
On 14 May, Kingcol took the Fort at Rutbah
Ar Rutba
Ar Rutbah is an Iraqi town in western Al Anbar province. The population is approximately 55,000. It occupies a strategic location on the Amman-Baghdad road, and the Mosul-Haifa pipeline...
in Al Anbar Province in Iraq. Rutbah had been occupied earlier by the 1st Battalion Essex Regiment and the Arab Legion. Kingstone rushed ahead of his column to catch up with Glubb Pasha in order to coordinate the rest of the 220-mile advance towards RAF Habbaniya. The next objective was Kilo 25, a point on the Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
road about 14 miles west of Ramadi
Ramadi
Ramadi is a city in central Iraq, about west of Baghdad. It is the capital of Al Anbar Governorate.-History:Ramadi is located in a fertile, irrigated, alluvial plain.The Ottoman Empire founded Ramadi in 1869...
. On the advice of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Ouvry Roberts
Ouvry Lindfield Roberts
General Sir Ouvry Lindfield Roberts, GCB, KBE, DSO was an officer in the British Army and the British Indian Army during World War I and World War II.-Military career:...
in Habbaniya, the column was to turn southeast at Kilo 25 to avoid a confrontation with an Iraqi brigade thought to be at Ramadi. The column would then skirt Lake Habbaniya and advance on Habbaniya by crossing a newly constructed bridge at the village of Mujara. The village had been taken on 10 May and a bridge over the water regulater there was completed by 16 May.
On 15 May, Kingcol left Rutbah and an element of the column was attacked by a lone Heinkel He 111
Heinkel He 111
The Heinkel He 111 was a German aircraft designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter in the early 1930s in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Often described as a "Wolf in sheep's clothing", it masqueraded as a transport aircraft, but its purpose was to provide the Luftwaffe with a fast medium...
bomber of Fliegerführer Irak
Fliegerführer Irak
Flyer Command Iraq was a unit of the German Air Force sent to Iraq in May 1941 as part of a German mission to support the regime of Rashid Ali during the Anglo-Iraqi War...
("Flyer Command Iraq"). Initially, the British thought that the Iraqis must have obtained a Blenheim
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
bomber.
On 16 May, the column reached Kilo 25 and turned off the main road and headed southeast in accordance with Roberts' suggestion. Disaster then struck when numerous vehicles driven by inexperienced drivers sunk up to the axles in soft sand. THe whole column halted while vehicles were dug out one by one.
On 17 May, three Messerschmitt Bf 110
Messerschmitt Bf 110
The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often called Me 110, was a twin-engine heavy fighter in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Hermann Göring was a proponent of the Bf 110, and nicknamed it his Eisenseiten...
fighters attacked an extended column of Kingcol in the open desert. Luckily for the British, the fighters had not attacked the previous day when many vehicles were immobilized by the soft sand.
On 18 May, Kingcol arrived in Habbaniya. Elements of Kingcol joined the other elements of Iraqforce
Iraqforce
Iraqforce was a British and Commonwealth formation that came together in the Kingdom of Iraq. The formation fought in the Middle East during World War II.-Background:...
in the advance on Fallujah
Fallujah
Fallujah is a city in the Iraqi province of Al Anbar, located roughly west of Baghdad on the Euphrates. Fallujah dates from Babylonian times and was host to important Jewish academies for many centuries....
. On 19 May, the Iraqis in Fallujah surrendered. On 22 May, the British forces in Fallujah successfully defended against an Iraqi counter-attack to take the city back.
On 25 May, the main body of Habforce arrived at Habbaniya and joined the advance on Baghdad. A northern column left Fallujah on 27 May and a southern column left on 28 May. On 31 May, the mayor of Baghdad surrendered the city.