Battle of Habbaniya

E407932

The Battle of Habbaniya was a key World War II engagement in May 1941 in which British forces defended the RAF airbase at Habbaniya in Iraq against pro-Axis Iraqi troops, helping to secure Allied control of the country.

All labels observed (2)

Label Occurrences
Battle of Habbaniya canonical 2
Siege of Habbaniya 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf battle ⓘ
military engagement ⓘ
airPowerRole decisive British air superiority ⓘ
alsoKnownAs Siege of Habbaniya ⓘ
linked to: Battle of Habbaniya
belligerent British Empire ⓘ
Iraqi government forces ⓘ
Royal Air Force ⓘ
United Kingdom ⓘ
pro-Axis Iraqi forces ⓘ
combatantStrength British garrison smaller than Iraqi forces ⓘ
commander Omar Ali Raschid ⓘ
William Fraser ⓘ
conflictOf Second World War ⓘ
linked to: World War II
consequence helped ensure continued British access to Middle Eastern oil ⓘ
paved the way for British advance on Baghdad ⓘ
secured Allied air communications across Iraq ⓘ
controlledByAfterBattle British forces ⓘ
country Iraq ⓘ
date May 1941 ⓘ
endDate 1941-05-06 ⓘ
followedBy British advance to Fallujah and Baghdad ⓘ
historicalSignificance early example of airbase defence in World War II ⓘ
key action in suppressing pro-Axis government in Iraq ⓘ
involved Iraqi Air Force ⓘ
Iraqi Army units on plateau overlooking the base ⓘ
RAF bomber and fighter squadrons ⓘ
RAF training aircraft used in ground-attack role ⓘ
locatedOn Euphrates River ⓘ
linked to: Euphrates
notableFeature defence of an isolated airbase against numerically superior forces ⓘ
extensive use of obsolete and training aircraft in combat ⓘ
opponent Rashid Ali al-Gaylani government ⓘ
outcome Iraqi forces withdrew from positions around Habbaniya ⓘ
partOf Anglo-Iraqi War ⓘ
Middle East theatre of World War II ⓘ
place Kingdom of Iraq ⓘ
RAF Habbaniya ⓘ
precededBy Rashid Ali coup in Iraq ⓘ
primaryTarget RAF Habbaniya airfield and cantonment ⓘ
linked to: RAF Habbaniya
relatedEvent 1941 Iraqi coup d'état ⓘ
Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran ⓘ
result British victory ⓘ
startDate 1941-05-02 ⓘ
strategicObjective defence of RAF Habbaniya airbase ⓘ
maintain British control of Iraq ⓘ
supportedBy Arab Legion elements ⓘ
linked to: Arab Legion

Assyrian Levies ⓘ
local Iraqi loyalist elements ⓘ
theatre Iraq campaign of World War II ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Iraq campaign (1941) → involves → Battle of Habbaniya ⓘ
siege of RAF Habbaniya → alsoKnownAs → Battle of Habbaniya ⓘ
Battle of Habbaniya → alsoKnownAs → Siege of Habbaniya ⓘ
linked to: Battle of Habbaniya