Afghanistan 1919: Royal Navy launches

[grm79]

While reading “The Story of the India General Service Medal 1908-35” by Richard G. M. Stiles (pub Terence Wise 1992) there is a reference to Royal Navy launches on the Kabul River during the campaign for which the IGS with clasp Afghanistan NWF 1919 was awarded; the entitlement period for the clasp was 6th May – 8th August 1919.

The reference is - “… and sniping across the Kabul River became a daily ordeal. At one point two Royal Navy launches were brought up stream and the soldiers successfully conducted hot pursuit patrols against the hostile tribesmen”.

Does anybody know the names of the launches, the size of their crews, where they would have been based, who would have crewed them (all RN personnel or a mixture of local and RN)? Also, where to find more information?
Is this the right forum for such a question?

[grm79]

Can anybody help with this, or give an idea of where to look?
I know it's an obscure point but I hoped somebody here might know something.

[Odin]

I've looked at the book 'British Battles and Medals' and can find no mention of RN involvement in the campaign or entitlement to the medal / clasp.

Certainly the RN operated armed launches in the Persian Gulf pre WWI and these were possibly procured by the Royal Indian Marine. They were effectively tugs of around 100 - 150 tons armed with Hotchkiss gun / 3pdrs. The crews for these were a mix of RN and RIM, with the RIM providing the engine room staff and cooks. The RN/RM provided the seamen / marine detachment and Officer / Warrant Officer Gunner. At the end of the campaign in 1914 some stayed in the Persian Gulf (HMS Miner and I think HMS Mashona) but the others may have been returned to India or been disposed of locally (HMS Karanja, HMS Tamil, HMS Harold). There were three others which appear to have been taken out of service before 1914 (Sheik Berkhud, Panther and Muzbee). Some additional armed launches were used in the Mespot area during WWI (one was called Lewis Perry); I don't know what happened to these.

Anyway by 1919 both the RN and RIM would have had experience of using small armed launches in campaigns but I can't help you with any specific details for the Afghan campaign. Will try to dig further.

For more info on the above launches including some photos see http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1508

[patroclus]

While reading “The Story of the India General Service Medal 1908-35” by Richard G. M. Stiles (pub Terence Wise 1992) there is a reference to Royal Navy launches on the Kabul River during the campaign for which the IGS with clasp Afghanistan NWF 1919 was awarded; the entitlement period for the clasp was 6th May – 8th August 1919.

The reference is - “… and sniping across the Kabul River became a daily ordeal. At one point two Royal Navy launches were brought up stream and the soldiers successfully conducted hot pursuit patrols against the hostile tribesmen”.

Does anybody know the names of the launches, the size of their crews, where they would have been based, who would have crewed them (all RN personnel or a mixture of local and RN)? Also, where to find more information?
Is this the right forum for such a question?


During the Third Afghan War (1919) some small RN launches were brought up for the assault across the Kabul River on the city of Jalalabad. (The Kabul is a tributary of the Indus River). The assault was successful. I doubt if the launches had names.

[grm79]

I've looked at the book 'British Battles and Medals' and can find no mention of RN involvement in the campaign or entitlement to the medal / clasp.

Certainly the RN operated armed launches in the Persian Gulf pre WWI and these were possibly procured by the Royal Indian Marine. They were effectively tugs of around 100 - 150 tons armed with Hotchkiss gun / 3pdrs. The crews for these were a mix of RN and RIM, with the RIM providing the engine room staff and cooks. The RN/RM provided the seamen / marine detachment and Officer / Warrant Officer Gunner. At the end of the campaign in 1914 some stayed in the Persian Gulf (HMS Miner and I think HMS Mashona) but the others may have been returned to India or been disposed of locally (HMS Karanja, HMS Tamil, HMS Harold). There were three others which appear to have been taken out of service before 1914 (Sheik Berkhud, Panther and Muzbee). Some additional armed launches were used in the Mespot area during WWI (one was called Lewis Perry); I don't know what happened to these.

Anyway by 1919 both the RN and RIM would have had experience of using small armed launches in campaigns but I can't help you with any specific details for the Afghan campaign. Will try to dig further.

For more info on the above launches including some photos see http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1508

Odin,
Many thanks for the reply, and apologies for taking so long to check this forum; it's not my main one.

[grm79]

During the Third Afghan War (1919) some small RN launches were brought up for the assault across the Kabul River on the city of Jalalabad. (The Kabul is a tributary of the Indus River). The assault was successful. I doubt if the launches had names.

Patroclus,
Many thanks for your reply, and my apologies for being so long in checking this question. This isn't my main forum.
Do you know of any published sources that refer to the gunboats on the Kabul River or did you pick up the information when researching in some archives?

[patroclus]

Patroclus,
Many thanks for your reply, and my apologies for being so long in checking this question. This isn't my main forum.
Do you know of any published sources that refer to the gunboats on the Kabul River or did you pick up the information when researching in some archives?




The brief mention in my earlier post comes from "The British Empire as a Superpower 1919-1939" by Anthony Clayton (Macmillan Press/University of Georgia, 1986) but there is no further information provided therein. It is possible that a fuller explanation is to be found in: "The Third Afghan War, 1919, Official Account", (Calcutta, 1926) if you can access it.

[grm79]

Patroclus,
Thank you for that. I have a copy of the Official History and don;t recall any mention but will check again to make doubly sure.