The Mahdi Mohammed Ahmed's Uprising of the Sudan, 1883
The Egyptian Government (under significant British
influence) sent General William Hicks, a former British Officer in
India, and 10,000 Egyptian troops to suppress the uprising and
protect Egyptian citizens in the Sudan. A shock was sent throughout
Egypt, and the British Empire when the news reached Cairo that on
Nov. 3, 1883 the ENTIRE Expeditionary force was wiped
out by the Mahdist insurgents at the battle of El
Obeid!
General Hicks leads his Egyptian army against the Mahdi's Ansar
The Egyptian vanguard prepares for the impending assault
The Mahdist force is larger than expected
Units form into lines and begin volley firing
The battle quickly becomes hand-to-hand
Wave after seemingly endless wave of Ansar begin to overwhelm Hick's force
The Anglo-Egyptian line is broken
A desperate few fall back into a last stand
The attackers surround the last surviving members of the Expeditionary Force
...and the entire Expedition is wiped out!...The British respond by calling on "Chinese" Gordon to defend Khartoum....but that's another story isn't it?
