Atlas of Battles

battle, First World War

Battle of Sheikh Sa'ad

Battle of Sheikh Sa'ad was a battle fought on 6 January 1916 at Mesopotamia, in what is now Iraq; it lasted 2 days. It was part of the Middle Eastern theater of World War I, which ran from 1914 to 1918. The recorded result: British-Indian victory.

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Jat Lewis gunner firing at enemy plane while the other Sepoys rush to funk pits for safety,
Jat Lewis gunner firing at enemy plane while the other Sepoys rush to funk pits for safety,. Ariel Varges, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought6 January 1916lasted 2 days
WhereMesopotamia, Iraq32.499N, 45.818E
OutcomeBritish-Indian victory
BelligerentsBritish Empire; British India; United Kingdom of Great Britain and IrelandagainstOttoman Empire; German Empire (Military Commanders)
Part ofMiddle Eastern theater of World War I1914 to 1918

Where it sits in the Middle Eastern theater of World War I

Fao Landing, 1914Battle of Basra, 1914Battle of Qurna, 1914Battle of Ardahan, 1914Battle of Manzikert, 1915Battle of Kara Killisse, 1915naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign, 1915Battle of Shaiba, 1915Siege of Van, 1915Landing at Cape Helles, 1915Battle of Kumkale, 1915Battle of Krithia, 1915Battle for Baby 700, 1915Battle for No.3 Post, 1915Battle of Amara, 1915Battle of Chamba, 1915Battle of Gully Ravine, 1915Battle of Nasiriyah, 1915Landing at Suvla Bay, 1915Battle of Lone Pine, 1915Battle of Sari Bair, 1915Battle of Krithia Vineyard, 1915Battle of the Nek, 1915Battle of Hill 60 (Gallipoli), 1915Battle of Scimitar Hill, 1915Battle of Es Sinn, 1915Battle of Ctesiphon, 1915Siege of Kut, 1915Battle of Robat Karim, 1915Battle of Sheikh Sa'ad, 1916Battle of Koprukoy, 1916Battle of Wadi, 1916Battle of Hanna, 1916Kermanshah Operation, 1916Battle of Dujaila, 1916Battle of Katia, 1916Battle of Romani, 1916Battle of Muş, 1916Battle of Bir el Abd, 1916Fall of Baghdad, 1917Battles of Ramadi, 1917Battle of Oramar, 1917Raid on Bir el Hassana, 1917Raid on Nekhl, 1917Second Battle of Kut, 1917First Battle of Gaza, 1917Second Battle of Gaza, 1917Battle of Istabulat, 1917Battle of Seray Mountain, 1917Battle of El Buggar Ridge, 1917Battle of Beersheba, 1917Third Battle of Gaza, 1917Charge at Huj, 1917Battle of Mughar Ridge, 1917Battle of Ayun Kara, 1917Battle of Nebi Samwil, 1917Battle of Jaffa, 1917Battle of Megiddo, 1918Battle of Abaran, 1918Battle of Mastara, 1918Capture of Erzincan, 1918Capture of Trabzon, 1918Battle of Charah, 1918Battle of Erzurum, 1918Capture of Erzurum, 1918Battle of Hijla, 1918First Battle of Amman, 1918First Transjordan attack on Amman, 1918Battle of Choloki, 1918Battle of Suldouze, 1918Battle of Ushno, 1918Action of Arsuf, 1918Battle of Karamaryan, 1918Battle of Goychay, 1918Battle of Kurdamir, 1918Battle of Salyan, 1918Battle of Abu Tellul, 1918Battle of Tulkarm, 1918Battle of Arara, 1918Battle of Nablus, 1918Battle of Tabsor, 1918Battle of Nazareth, 1918Capture of Jisr ed Damieh, 1918Battle of Haifa, 1918Battle of Samakh, 1918Second Battle of Amman, 1918Capture of Damascus, 1918Charge at Kaukab, 1918Charge at Kiswe, 1918Charge at Khan Ayash, 1918Battle of Sharqat, 1918Battle of Aleppo, 1918Charge at Haritan, 191819141918Battle of Sheikh Sa'ad, 1916
96 placed engagements of the Middle Eastern theater of World War I in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date6 January 1916
to 8 January 1916
PlaceMesopotamia, Iraq
32.499N, 45.818E
KindBattle, First World War
Strength13,330 men total; 9,900 infantry; 1,340 cavalry; 42 artillery pieces3,400 infantry; 20 artillery pieces; 1 brigade of cavalry
Casualties and losses4,262 casualties: 1,962 dead; 2,300 wounded1,200 casualties: Unknown dead,; 512 prisoners; 2 artillery pieces captured
Commanders
  • Sir Fenton Aylmer, 13th Baronet
  • George Younghusband
  • George Kemball
Battle of Sheikh Sa'adBattle of Sheikh Sa'adBattle of Es SinnSiege of KutBattle of DujailaSiege of WasitBattle of HannaSiege of WasitBattle of HannaBaghdadNajafAl HillahKarbalaAl AmarahAs SamawahIlamAd Diwaniyah100 km32.499N, 45.818E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1916

Battle of Sheikh Sa'ad is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 173 in present-day Iraq.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q2237737, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Sheikh Sa'ad, revision 1370589195, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.