First and second battles of El Teb

Thefirst and second battles of El Teb(4 February 1884 and 29 February 1884) took place during theBritish Sudan Campaignwhere a force ofSudaneseunderOsman Dignawon a victory over a 3,500 strongEgyptianforce under the command of GeneralValentine Bakerwhich was marching to relieveTokaron the 4th. A secondBritish forceunder SirGerald Grahamarrived on the 29th, engaging and defeating Osman Digna with few casualties.

First and second battles of El Teb
Part of theMahdist War
Mahdist Sudan
Date 4–29 February 1884 Location El Teb,9 miles (14 km) southwest of Trinkitat Result 4 February:Mahdist victory 29 February:British victory
Belligerents
Mahdist State	United Kingdom *India Egypt
Commanders and leaders
Osman Digna	Valentine Baker SirGerald Graham
Strength
4 February: 1,000warriors 29 February: 10,000 warriors Unknown artillery	4 February: 3,500 Egyptianinfantry 29 February: 4,500 British and Indianinfantryandcavalry 22artillery pieces 6machine guns
Casualties and losses
4 February: Unknown 29 February: 2,000 killed Unknown wounded	4 February: ~2,700 killed or captured 29 February: 30 killed 142 wounded

View of the Battle of El Teb 29 February 1884

Background

Main article:History of Sudan (1884–1898)

Britain's involvement in Sudan was a consequence of its support for theKhedive of Egyptfollowing the repression ofUrabi Pasha's revolt in 1882. Despite Egypt still being nominally part of theOttoman Empire,the Khedive's rule was dependent on direct British support, given to ensure the security of theSuez Canaland the elimination of the Sudaneseslave trade.

However, the British government underPrime MinisterWilliam Ewart Gladstonesought to stay out of affairs in Egyptian-governed Sudan, that was threatened by an uprising led by theMahdi,Muhammad Ahmad,who declared aJihad,against the ‘Turks’, represented by the Egyptian troops. The Mahdist forces enjoyed considerable success against Egyptian troops in 1882 and 1883, and several towns garrisoned by Egyptian troops found themselves surrounded. In their haste to be rid of the Sudanese question, the British urged the Egyptians to evacuate their troops.

Battle

Monday, 4 February 1884

The port ofSuakin,on theRed Sea,could be supplied by ship and still held out. But further inland, the towns ofTokarandSinkatwere completely cut off. In February 1884, a 3,000 strong force was dispatched fromSueztoSuakinto relieve the beleaguered garrisons. The command of this force was entrusted toBaker Pashaaccompanied by other European officers. From the start the expedition was beset with problems. The greater part of theinfantrywas formed from EgyptianGendarmerieBattalions who had enrolled on the condition they would serve only for civil service in Egypt. On the news they were being sent to Sudan, many of them deserted, and the others grew dispirited andmutinous.

On Sunday, 3 February, Baker moved his force by ship from Suakin to Trinkitat, on the coast near Tokar. He set up a camp on the beach, and set off the next day. The Egyptians, who were not used to marching in formation, advanced in a confused mass. At the halting place ofEl Teb,on the road to Tokar they were attacked by a Mahdist force 1,000 strong. Despite their superiority in numbers and weaponry, the troops became panic-stricken, and fled after firing a single volley. The Mahdists caught up with them and inflicted huge losses, killing all the European officers who tried to resist. Baker, unable to rally his men, retreated to the camp with the few survivors and managed to protect it from the Mahdists. Of a force of 3,500, barely 700 returned.

After returning to Suakin, Baker tried to organize the defence of the city, but the Egyptian troops had grown distrustful of the British officers, and refused to obey. This defeat sealed the fate of the garrisons: the Sinkat garrison sallied out to try to reach Suakin on foot; they were massacred. The Tokar garrison surrendered without a fight.

Friday, 29 February 1884

British soldiers landing at Trinkitat, February 1884 a sketch byMelton Prior

Second battle of El Teb byJózef Chełmoński

In Britain, Baker's defeat incensed theimperialistfaction, represented byLord Wolseley,who demanded the intervention of British troops. Reluctantly, the British government agreed and several units - Royal Irish Fusiliers on their way returning fromIndia,3 battalions from the Army of Occupation in Egypt, York and Lancaster Regiment from Aden and a battalion of Marines - were sent to Suakin.

On Thursday the 21st, the force under the command of SirGerald Grahamleft for El Teb, via Trinkitat. It was composed of 4,500 men (British and Indian soldiers)with 22 guns and 6 machine guns. On Friday the 29th, they approached the main Mahdist position, on a hill near El Teb. This position consisted of various entrenchments and rifle pits. The Mahdists also had severalartillerypieces includingKruppguns captured from the Tokar garrison, some of whom had changed sides, and were now fighting for the Mahdists. The British, forming into asquare,circled the Mahdist entrenchments to outflank them, under cover of dense rifle and cannon fire. After a briefartillery duel,the Mahdist guns were silenced, and the British advanced. The Mahdists hid in trenches to avoid incoming British rifle and artillery rounds, then rushed out in small groups of twenty to thirty warriorsinstead of the massive attack that was expected. Another tactic was to pretend to lie dead on the battlefield as Britishcavalrycharged through, then, as the cavalry returned at a slower pace through the ranks of the 'dead', the Mahdists would rise up and slit the hamstrings of the horses then proceed to kill the riders.At the top of the hill, a village had been fortified by the Mahdists, and here they resisted. The British infantry had to clear the trenches with bayonets after which the fighting died down.

During the battle, CaptainArthur WilsonofHMSHeclajoined the right half-battery, Naval Brigade, in place of a lieutenant who was mortally wounded. As the troops closed on the enemy battery, the Mahdists charged out on the detachment which was dragging one of the guns, whereupon Wilson sprang to the front and engaged in single combat with some of the enemy, and so protected the detachment until men of the 1st Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment, came to his assistance. For this action he was awarded the Victoria Cross.

Graham's force then advanced toTokar,encountering no further resistance. After the battle, at a place called Dubba, most of the equipment lost by Baker's force was recovered (1,500 Remington rifles, 200 boxes of ammunition, one 7-pounder gun, and one Gatling gun), and 700 of the survivors from Tokar were escorted to Trinkitat. A party of the 42nd Regiment was sent out to bury the Europeans who fell in Baker's defeat.

The British suffered only light casualties, the Mahdist fire being generally inaccurate. Baker Pasha, who accompanied the force, was wounded in the jaw. The Mahdists suffered heavily from British firepower, with estimated 2,000 of them killed (though only 825 bodies were actually counted on the field of battle).

Second battle of El Teb (Godfrey Douglas Giles)

Aftermath

Upon Graham's return to Britain, he received the thanks of parliament and was made aLieutenant Generalfor distinguished service in the field.

Captain Littledale had a narrow escape in a hand to hand conflict with anArab,but no officers were killed. The Arab had been armed with a knife and Littledale with a pistol that had jammed. The fight went to the ground, but Littledale was rescued by Corporal Henry Baxter, who saw the struggle and was able to disarm the Arab, bayonet him and carry Littledale to safety and later rejoin the battle. Littledale survived even though he had been stabbed several times and was covered in serious bite marks.

Quartermaster SergeantWilliam Marshall,19th Hussars was also decorated with theVictoria Crossby theQueenin Windsor on 3 July 1884, for conspicuous bravery during the cavalry charge at El Teb on 29 February, in bringing Lieutenant Colonel Barrow, 19th Hussars, out of action severely wounded. Both Quartermaster Sergeant Marshall & Sergeant Henry Phipps, 19th Hussars were mentioned in dispatches in theLondon Gazette of 6 May 1884,Sergeant Phipps was credited with remaining with his troops after twice being wounded and saving the life of Corporal Cramp, 10th Hussars. Sergeant Phipps was among those awarded theDistinguished Conduct Medalby Queen Victoria at Windsor onJuly 3, 1884.

Because of the heroism of the lower ranks who did have many casualties, theDistinguished Conduct Medalwas dispatched to the following on 3 July by Queen Victoria herself at Windsor:Colour-SergeantCharles Wake, Colour-Sergeant Hayward,SergeantHenry Phipps, 19th Hussars, Frank Webb,Lance-SergeantJohn Doyle, Lance-Sergeant Henry Haycock, Lance-Sergeant Henry James,CorporalHenry Baxter, Corporal David Dossett.

The battle was part of the escalation of the conflict in the Sudan, a conflict which ledHerbert Kitchener'sreconquest of Sudanin 1898, involving 25,800 men, 8,600 of whom were British, includingWinston Churchill.

References

El Teb by J Hamid. The book is centered on the battle of El Teb and a rifle captain in the Kings Royal Rifle Corps and his company during the conflict.

Bibliography

• Archer, Thomas.The war in Egypt and the Soudan. An episode in the history of the British Empire.4 Volumes. Blackie & Son, London 1885–1887 (Available at the Cornell University website:Volume 1,Volume 2,Volume 3,Volume 4)

External links

• Sir Arthur Wilson VC – www.victoriacross.org.uk
• Anglo-Sudan war, 1884–1898F www.wartimesindex.co.uk
• London Gazette of 6 May 1884
• Soudan Heroes, article from New Zealand Evening Post, 13 September 1884