Battle of Tel al-Kebir

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Battle of Tel el-Kebir
Part of Urabi Revolt
Image:HMS alexandra.jpg
Photograph of HMS Alexandra
Date September 13, 1882
Location near Kassassin, Canal Zone, Egypt
Result British victory
Combatants
Great Britain Egypt
Commanders
Garnet Wolseley Ahmed Urabi, Mahmoud Fehmy
Strength
18500
70 guns		 15000
60 guns
Casualties
537 killed
342 wounded
68 missing		 396 killed
281 wounded

The Battle of Tel al-Kebir was the decisive battle of the Urabi Revolt. After discontented Egyptian officers under Ahmed Urabi rebelled in 1882, Great Britain reacted to protect its interests in the country, and in particular the Suez Canal.

Contents

[edit] Prologue

[edit] Bombardment and invasion of Alexandria

On May 20, a combined Anglo-French fleet arrived at Alexandria. At the same time, Egyptian troops were reinforcing the coastal defences of the city in anticipation of an attack. These events heightened tension in Alexandria, and eventually triggered a riot in the city between Egyptians and foreigners, in which more than a hundred were killed. The British commanders thought, wrongly, that Urabi and his supporters caused this riot.

As a result, an ultimatum was sent to Urabi's officers in Alexandria to dismantle their coast defence batteries. But The Egyptian government refused. Meanwhile, tension increased between Britain and France, and the French refused to participate in this ultimatum and decided against armed intervention.

When the ultimatum was ignored, Admiral Seymour gave the order for the British fleet to bombard the Egyptian gun emplacements in Alexandria. On July 11 at 7:00 am, the first shell of the bombardment was fired at Fort Adda by the HMS Alexandria. The entire fleet was engaged by 7:10. The coastal defences returned fire soon after, sinking at least two ships and damaging others. On July 13, a large British naval force landed in the city. Despite heavy resistance from the garrison for several hours, the overwhelming British forces eventually succeeded, forcing Egyptian troops to withdraw from the city.

[edit] Pre-battle attacks

Lieutenant General Garnet Wolseley was placed in charge of a large force with the aim of destroying Urabi's regime and restoring the nominal authority of the Khedive Tawfiq. The total force was 24000 British troops, which concentrated in Malta and Cyprus, and a force of 7000 Indian troops which staged through Aden.

Wolseley first tried to reach Cairo directly from Alexandria. Urabi deployed his troops at Kafr-el-Dawwar between Cairo and Alexandria and prepared very substantial defences. There, attacks by British troops were repelled for five weeks.

[edit] Securing the canal

Wolseley now decided to approach Cairo from a different route. He resolved to attack from the Suez canal. Urabi knew that Wolseley's only other approch to Cairo was from the canal, and he wanted to block the canal. Ferdinand de Lesseps, upon knowing of Urabi's intentions, assured him the British would never risk damaging the canal, and would avoid involving it in operations at all costs. Urabi listened to his advice and did not block the canal, leaving it open for an invasion by British forces. As a result, Wolseley's forces were able to quickly secure the canal. Two armies, one from Britain and the other from India landed in the canal. Over 40 warships were involved in the operation. By September 6, the canal was securely in British hands.

[edit] Egyptian attack at Kassassin

Urabi attempted to recapture the canal when he attacked the British forces near Kassassin on September 10. The British troops were caught by surprise, as they did not excpect an attack. Fighting was intense, and there were heavy losses on the British side. Fortunately for Wolseley, fresh reinforcements arrived, including the 7th Dragoon Guards (Princess Royal's) and the Highland Brigade , and these forced the Egyptian troops, who were tired and weary of the fighting to retreat.

[edit] The Battle

Urabi redeployed to defend Cairo against Wolseley. His main force dug in at Tel al-Kebir, north of the railway and the Sweetwater Canal, both of which linked Cairo to Ismailia on the canal. The defences were hastily prepared as there was little time to arrange them. Urabi's forces possessed 60 pieces of artillery and breech loading rifles.

Wolseley began his advance from Ismailia on September 12, with two infantry divisions and a cavalry brigade. Rather than make an outflanking movement around Urabi's entrenchments, which would involve a long march through waterless desert, or undertake formal bombardment and assault, he planned to approach the position by night and attack frontally at dawn, hoping to achieve surprise.

The approach march was made easier because the desert east of Kassassin was almost flat and unobstructed, making it look like a gigantic parade ground. Even though there were repeated halts to maintain dressing and alignment, the British troops reached the Egyptian position at the time Wolseley intended.

At 5.45 a.m. Wolseley's troops were barely three hundred yards from the entrenchments and dawn was just breaking, when Egyptian sentries saw them and fired. The first shots were followed by several volleys from the entrenchments. British troops, led by the Highland Brigade on the right flank, charged with the bayonet.

The resulting battle was over in an hour. Most of the Egyptian soldiers were tired from having stood to all night. Because of the haste with which Urabi's forces had prepared their defences, there were no obstacles in front of them to disrupt the attackers. Several groups stood and fought, but those not overwhelmed in the first rush were forced to retreat. British cavalry pursued towards Cairo, which was undefended.

[edit] Aftermath

Urabi had retreated in the battle, and with no organised forces left to him, he and his National Party's officials surrendered to the cavalry. He was sentenced to death, but later exiled to Sri Lanka. Wolseley and his senior officers arrived in Cairo by train the next day. Khedive Tewfiq was formally reinstated twelve days later. The guarantees and concessions made by Tewfiq marked the start of the British military occupation of Egypt, which was to last until 1956.

[edit] Sources

[edit] External links

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