Second Battle of Charasiab

Second battle of Charasiab
	Part of the Second Anglo-Afghan War
Date	25 April 1880
Location	Charasiab, Afghanistan34°23′55″N 69°10′3″E / 34.39861°N 69.16750°E
Result	British Victory
Belligerents
British Empire	Afghans
Commanders and leaders
Herbert Macpherson VC; Colonel Jenkins	Unknown
Strength
Unknown	c. 4,000
Casualties and losses
4 killed, 34 wounded	c. 100–200 killed

The Second Battle of Charasiab was fought on 25 April 1880 between the British Empire and Afghan tribesmen, during the Second Anglo-Afghan War.

Charasiab is a small town 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south of Kabul. In April 1880 a 1,200 strong force under Colonel Jenkins, including a half-battalion of the 92nd Highlanders, was sent from Kabul to Charasiab, to protect a supply column sent there to meet Lieutenant-General Stewart's division travelling from Kandahar to Kabul.^[3]^[1]

On the evening of the 24 April, Jenkins saw that his Charasiab position was about to be attacked by a large force of Logar tribesmen. In response, an additional force under Brigadier-General Macpherson was sent from Kabul, consisting of six guns, a troop of the 3rd Punjab Cavalry and 962 Infantry, while Brigadier-General Hugh Gough, with four guns and a cavalry brigade, took up a position half-way between Kabul and Charasiab.^[1]

On the morning of the 25 April, Colonel Jenkins' force was surrounded by attacking tribesmen – around 4,000 by British estimates – kept at bay by steady fire. At 1:00 p.m. Macpherson’s force arrived and immediately attacked the Afghans who were routed, and then pursued by the cavalry and horse artillery for four miles. The battle was over by 4:00 p.m.^[1]^[2]

Order of battle

Units present included:

9th Lancers (1 squadron)^[4]
92nd Highlanders (half-battalion)
3rd Punjab Cavalry (one troop)^[1]
2nd Gurkhas (1 company)

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Roberts, Sir Frederick (1897). Forty-one Years in India. London: Macmillan & Co. pp. 463–464.
^ ^a ^b Hanwell, W. (1949), A Short History of the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers, 1715–1949, Gale & Polden
^ Shadbolt, Sydney H. (1882). The Afghan Campaigns of 1878-1880. London: Sampson, Low, Marston, Searle and Rivington. p. 238. (Accessed 10 October 2020)
^ Shadbolt, Sydney H. (1882). The Afghan Campaigns of 1878-1880. London: Sampson, Low, Marston, Searle and Rivington. p. 153. (Accessed 10 October 2020)

[Roberts-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Roberts, Sir Frederick (1897). Forty-one Years in India. London: Macmillan & Co. pp. 463–464.

[Hanwell-2] Hanwell, W. (1949), A Short History of the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers, 1715–1949, Gale & Polden

[3] Shadbolt, Sydney H. (1882). The Afghan Campaigns of 1878-1880. London: Sampson, Low, Marston, Searle and Rivington. p. 238. (Accessed 10 October 2020)

[4] Shadbolt, Sydney H. (1882). The Afghan Campaigns of 1878-1880. London: Sampson, Low, Marston, Searle and Rivington. p. 153. (Accessed 10 October 2020)

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

Order of battle

See also

References