With the humiliating defeat at Kut-Al-Amara, the British were more then ready to make some changes. Enter scene, commander Maude. With the failure of Nixion, Maude had some serious catching up to do. He didn't have the tactical genius of Barrett to back him up, or the stunning movements of Townshend to help, but he did have the support of his military, and smarts to go with ambition. To make his name known, Maude decided to make an example out of Kut-Al-Amara. On December 13, 1916, Maude ordered the advance of over 5,000 troops to march on the river and the city. Quickly taking the river, the company then proceed to split, and attack the city on both sides. The Turks were quickly taken over, and forced to retreat. This would mark the real "end" of the war, as Maude would effectively take Baghdad, Jebel Hamlin, all the way up to the Turks final stand at Sharqat on October 29, 1918.
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