Relief of Khartoum: (6 – 1 - 5, 10 units
of Dervish, 1 Band of Dervish Cavalry, 1 band of Armored Cavalry, 2 Jihadiya
Rifle, 2 Rubs of Western Ansar, 4 rubs of Nile Ansar, and 2 Cannons, Allied
attack to relieve a siege) The attacking force consists of the following: 1st
Infantry Brigade Commander, the 75th Gordon Highlanders, 89th
Royal Irish, Camel Corp Commander and the Guard Camel Regiment, the 3rd
Infantry Brigade Commander, consisting of the 2nd Battalion 46th
and the 1st battalion 79th, along with the Mounted
Infantry and 3rd Royal Artillery 7pdr Mountain Screw Battery. The
steamer Hermes is providing fire support and transporting supplies for
Khartoum. The defenders of Khartoum include the following: Egyptian Overall
Commander, IXth Sudanese Infantry, 1st Egyptian Gendarme, 1st
Bashi Bazooks, Turkish Battalion, and Section B of the 5th Artillery.
In Khartoum, the outer defenses are manned by the Bashi
Bazooks, the Gendarme,, and the Turkish Battalion. The IXth Sudanese lines the North wall and
acts as a reserve.
What the Allies did not count on was that most of the
Dervish Army would lien p outside the town in an attempt to storm Khartoum
The initial volley from the defenders did inflict
casualties across the front but this would be only one of 2 highlights in the
defense of the town. First to fall was
the Bashi Bazooks. They fought to the man and the unit was completely wiped
out.
Next was the Gendarme. They did have 3 stands break and
run to the Nile. The Artillery was able to retreat out of the line and form up
with the Sudanese.
One of the highlights was the Turkish Battalion. They
held out to the frontal assault but fell to attacks from the rear and flank.
The Sudanese reformed in the last main structure and held
out against multiple assaults but in the end Pasha Hicks was mortally wounded
and the Sudanese fought to the last.
In the mean time the Dervish Cavalry and 1 rub was tasked
to hold off the British advance up the Nile. With the Steamer Hermes moving up
stream the current was just too strong to make it to Khartoum to provide
support or save any troops.
The British Mounted Infantry fought against several
Dervish units and eventually followed them so far off the table that not many
of the troopers returned.
The Hermes and the lead British Brigade made to the Rivers
edge but it was too late. Khartoum had fallen.
This is a serious blow to the allied cause.
No comments:
Post a Comment