Australian and N.Z. Cable Association

LONDON, Sept. 19

The British have evacuated Baku owing to Armenian failure to co-operate.

(Received Sept.20, 11.55.p.m.)

It was recognized from the first that our sending an expedition to Baku was hazardous. It was known that the Armenian National Council had made a definite peace with the Turks and sent emissaries to Constantinople and Berlin but it was believed that there were 80,000 Armenians at Baku out of touch with the National Council and that they, with the assistance of non-Bolsheviks, and a small British force would offer stout resistance, while it would be a strategical gain if Baku could be held and firm and would justify the risks.

On July 25, the Bolsheviks at Baku were overthrown and a new Government created which begged British assistance. We acquiesced, but could only send a small force owing to the difficulties of communications. The local forces at Baku numbered 10,500. When the Armenian troops were tested on August 7 they proved unreliable and refused to fight and dispersed to their homes, causing the failure of the attack against the Turks’ enveloping movement north of Baku.

On August 26 a determined Turkish attack was beaten off by the North Staffords and Worcesters who, though fighting gallantly had to give ground. A second attempt on another sector also failed. By the end of August, it was realized that the co-operation of the local forces was insufficiently effective to justify the retention of our detachment and evacuation was ordered for September 1. On the same day the Turks again attacked, resulting in the Warwickshires having to cover the Armenian and Russian retirement. It is feared that they lost heavily.

On September 2 the Russian general, Bicharakow, occupied Petrovsk and promised reinforcements. A small detachment reached Baku on September 9. This gave us breathing space and inspired the Allies to hold on and induced the Caspian fleet to refuse to evacuate the British. Meanwhile the Armenians were negotiating to hand over Baku to the enemy. The fleet trained its guns on the Armenian quarter and the Turks on the 16th attacked in force. The fight lasted 16 hours and the brunt was borne by the British. As is now known the British evacuated and it is presumed that the Russians provided General Dunsterville with the necessary shipping. The Turks had recently undertaken an advance from Tabriz, as far as Jemarabad whilst our watching detachments retired.

Publication date 09/21/1918