Battle Report: 3rd May 1998

Egyptian ~vs~ Mahdist

(Robert Avery ~vs~ Rupert Avery) .

Egyptian
Brigade	Unit	Fig.'s	Org.	Class	Weapons	Pts/Fig	Points
	CinC	1					100
1st Brigade	1st Bttn	20	4x5	RegB	blr		240
	2nd Bttn	24	4x6	RegC	blr		280
	3rd Bttn	24	4x6	RegC	blr		280
	Lancers	12	2x6	RegC	l, s, blc		200
2nd Brigade	1st Bttn	24	4x6	RegD	sbm		256
	2nd Bttn	24	4x6	RegD	sbm		256
	3rd Bttn	24	4x6	RegD	sbm		256
	Lancers	12	2x6	RegC	l, s, blc		200
	Attached Art.	2	2x1	RegC	light blrb FA		198
							2266

.

Mahdist
Brigade	Unit	Fig.'s	Org.	Class	Weapons	Pts/Fig	Points
.	CinC	1					100
Tribal	2inC	1					50
Foot	Blue Flag	32	1x32	IrregB	sw/sp, sh, blr		335
	Green Flag	32	1x32	IrregB	sw/sp, sh, blr		335
	Purple Flag	32	1x32	IrregC	sw/sp, sh		143
	Red Flag	32	1x32	IrregC	sw/sp, sh		143
	Yellow Flag	32	1x32	IrregC	sw/sp, sh		143
Tribal	2inC	1					50
Horse	Purple Flag	10	1x10	IrregA	l, sw, sp, armour, mlr		155
	Green Flag	10	1x10	IrregA	l, sw, sp, armour, mlr		155
	No Flag	10	1x10	FanB	l, sw, sp, armour, mlr		155
Artillery	Battery	2	1x2	IrregC	light blrb FA		229
	Ammo Wagon	1					50
							2265

.

.	Egyptian	Mahdist
Foot	3200	3800
Horse	480	600
Guns	2	2

.

Report

Battle opened on the right flank: with the Egyptian 2nd Brigade cavalry charging and routing the Mahdist Green Flag horse and also throwing the Red Flag tribesmen into confusion at the same time. Unfortunately, the shock of the epic cavalry melee proved to great for the Egyptian Lancers to withstand and, despite having won, they too fled the field!

On the left flank, the Egyptians had advanced out of a sunken road, perhaps a mistake, and formed line to await the Mahdist advance. As the Egyptians stood in line, the Mahdist artillery blew great holes in their ranks, sapping their morale and, as the Mahdist infantry came into range with their stolen breechloaders, the Egyptian soldiers began to have second thought about battles in general and this one specifically.

The Mahdists, however, did not have it all their own way: taking casualties from the return fire of the Egyptians, and losing another unit of horse.

The deciding action of the battle came far on the left wing: where the 1st/1st battalion of Egyptians had formed a square as an anchor for that flank. The Mahdist Purple Flag horse charged the square, hoping the general unease of the Egyptians would be transformed into mass panic at their approach.

So it proved. The entire battalion routed off the field without taking a single casualty.

With their battle line now fully shaken, with two units already broken, the Egyptians now faced the main charge of the Mahdist hoard.

They broke and ran: cut down as they fled!

Casualties

The Mahdists lost a 2inC; 280 foot; one artillery section and 160 horse.

The Egyptians lost 80 infantry; 80 cavalry and one section of artillery: although many more casualties would have been suffered in the general rout.

Results

A victory for the Mahdists.

Analysis

A great battle that the report above does not really do justice to.

Fortunes swung both ways throughout the battle: with the Egyptian and Mahdist morale gradually getting worse and worse.

Finally, it was the Egyptian morale that gave way first: with one unit domino-ing the rest of the line!