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!