Jalalabad is reliefed!


Since November 12, 1841, during the First Afghan War, the British garrison of the Afghan city of Jalalabad under Robert Henry Sale ...



... is besieged by more than 8,000 Afghan fighters ...:



General Sale commands 1,500 men of the 13th Regiment of Foot and the 35th Bengal Native Regiment as well as recruited 500 Afghans of dubious loyalty.



So far the garrison has held out, but now, at the beginning of April 1842, the situation is slowly becoming precarious. The force has suffered many sickness and combat failures, ammunition and food are running low.

In addition, the British military doctor Dr. Brydon arrived in Dchalalabad on January 13th, half dead from exhaustion ...





...und hat die Nachricht von der vollständigen Niederlage der aus Kabul abgezogenen britischen Garnison bei Gandamak überbracht.



General Sale now knows: He can no longer expect any support from this side.

The Afghan besiegers, however, know that time is working for them. They are now led by the very man who wiped out the British at Gandamak with his armed forces: Wazir Mohammed Akbar Khan ...:



This contemporary drawing shows the walls of Jalalabad before and after the siege ...:



What neither the besiegers nor the besieged know: Help is on the way!

A British relief force under General Sir George Pollock ...



... approaches from Pakistan (then British India) in forced marches.

Pollock commands 2,000 British of the 31st Regiment of Foot ...



... and 800 cavalrymen of the "Skinners Horse Regiment" (Bengal Cavalry) ...



... and as the first troop leader in military history dares the offensive by the shortest route - namely over the impregnable Khaiber Pass, which at that time marked the border between British India and Afghanistan.



The Afghan commander has received news about Pollock's actions - but also the false report that the British were beaten by the Afghans at the Khaiber Pass - and so he thinks he is safe!

On April 7, 1842, the British auxiliary column for friend and foe appeared in complete surprise in front of Jalalabad ...



... and after a short fight, which the besieged garrison supports with an unexpected outage ...





... the Afghan fighters seek their salvation in flight!



Jalalabad is reliefed!

Instead of staying there for a long time, Pollock and Sale and his soldiers immediately advance towards Kabul to avenge Gandamak's defeat.

On September 15th, the British column will enter Kabuol almost without a fight, the Afghans will not be able to organize a defense of their capital ...:




To punish the Afghans, he will order the destruction of the Bela Hissar citadel and the Kabul bazaar.





He also gives his soldiers two days to loot Kabul.

The Afghans ask for peace.

General Pollock is then appointed Field Marshal and Knight Commander of the Bath Order.

General Sale, who defended Jalalabad against overwhelming odds for six months, will not be forgotten either:

He is raised to the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) and an honor salute is shot for him in all major garrisons in India.

All soldiers involved in the Jalalabad campaign receive this special award ...:

Another interesting piece of history Martin. Afghanistan has been a trouble spot for a very long time!

Bill

Yep, it's not for nothing that the country is nicknamed the "invaders' graveyard"..


Cheers

The British have spilled more of their own and native blood there, than in most other countries they have fought over. I doubt the country will ever settle down.

Phil

There is an Afghan saying about invaders of their country: The others have watches - we have time