This Day in History: 1920-05-18
The 1st Battalion reported that at 04.30 hrs the Bolshevik fleet, comprising 26 ships, had began to bomb the port of Enzeli-Kazian on the Black Sea, seeking to capture the White Russian fleet there. A two-hour truce was negotiated but not observed because by 10.00hrs transports accompanied by two destroyers were seen approaching the coast. Acting according to their extant orders in a very confused and highly politicised situation the 1st Battalion was deployed to the east of Enzeli-Kazian, defending about 8km of the shore line. Despite engaging the enemy with both Lewis and machine guns, four separate landings were made. The Bolsheviks succeeded in cutting the telephone cable to Battalion HQ and occupied the village of Shaluzar, but by 12.00hrs a counter-attack led by D Company had driven the enemy out as another truce was established, during which time a further 2000 Bolsheviks came ashore. The 1st Battalion’s casualties were slight: 2 killed and 6 wounded. Meanwhile, instructions came from the British Minister in Tehran ‘to parley with [the Bolshevik’s] commander, to avoid hostilities, and not to embroil Persia in trouble with them’. Hostilities ceased and the 1st Battalion marched out of Enzeli towards Resht ‘through lines of Bolshie troops with their machine guns in position at various points trained on us as we passed’. Lack of transport meant they had to leave behind all their stores and equipment which the Bolsheviks kept in spite of promising to send them on.
Sketch map from the Regimental History showing the area south of the Caspian Sea where the 1st Battalion operated and the places mentioned.