Battle of Kirbekan

Battle in the Mahdist War
Battle of Kirbekan
Part of the Mahdist War

Richard Caton Woodville, Jr.ː The War in the Soudan, the battle of Kerbekan (c. 1900)
Date10 February 1885
Location
Mahdist Sudan mnaseir
Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom United Kingdom Mahdist State
Commanders and leaders
William Earle † Musa abu higel
Strength
1,000 9,000
Casualties and losses
60 killed 2,000 killed
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Mahdist War
Mahdist uprising (1881–1885)

British-Egyptian expeditions (1885–1889)

Ethiopian campaigns (1885–1889)

Italian campaigns (1890–1894)

British-Egyptian reconquest (1896–1899)

The Battle of Kirbekan took place during the Mahdist War. It was fought February 10, 1885, when the British Nile Column, about 1,000 strong, under General Earle, stormed the heights of Kirbekan, which were held by a strong Mahdist force, and totally routed them, with heavy loss.

Background

The British lost 60, among whom was General William Earle, killed.[1] It was the first appearance of the Egyptian Army Camel Corps under Bimbashi Marriott in action.[2] A brass plaque on the North wall of Lichfield Cathedral commemorates the death of Lieutenant colonel Philip Eyre of the First South Staffordshire Regiment in the battle.

A British map of the battle

Forces

The British forces involved in the battle were:[3]

References

  1. ^ Thomas Benfield Harbottle, Dictionary of Battles, (New York, 1906)
  2. ^ The Melik Society | Sudan Campaign Archived June 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Sudan Wars, 1884-1889". 2007-10-20. Archived from the original on 2007-10-20. Retrieved 2020-08-21.

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