Battle of Atbara
Part of the Mahdist War
Date April 8, 1898 Location At the confluence of the Nile and Atbara rivers, Sudan Result British/Egyptian victory
Combatants
United Kingdom  Egypt	Mahdist Sudan
Commanders
Horatio Herbert Kitchener	Mahmud Osman Digna
Strength
14,000 troops	12,000 infantry 3,000 cavalry
Casualties
British: 26 killed 99 wounded Egyptian: 57 killed 386 wounded	3,000 killed and wounded 2,000 captured

The Battle of Atbara was a part of the Second Sudan War as Anglo-Egyptian forces crushed 15,000 Sudanese Rebels, called Mahdists or Dervishes. The Battle proved to be the turning point in the conquest of Sudan by a British and Egyptian coalition. The Mahdist War was a struggle for Sudanese libaration that failed in the late 19-century. ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (99th in leap years). ... 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The Nile (Arabic: ‎, translit: , Ancient Egyptian iteru, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the longest river, though not the most voluminous, in the world. ... The Atbara is a river in northeast Africa, which rises in northwest Ethiopia and flows about 805 km (500 miles) to the Sudan. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Egypt_19th_century. ... Muhammad Ahmad ibn as Sayyid Abd Allah (1844 - June 22, 1885) was a Muslim religious leader, a faqir, in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. ... Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener of Khartoum (June 24, 1850 - June 5, 1916) was a British Field Marshal and statesman. ... Mahmud is originally an Arabic given name. ... The Mahdist War was a struggle for Sudanese libaration that failed in the late 19-century. ... The Battle of El Obied between Anglo-Egyptian forces under the command of Lietenant-General William Billy Hicks and forces of Mohammed Ahmed, the self-proclaimed Mahdi, on a plain near the town of Al Ubayyid (El Obied) on November 3rd-5th, 1883. ... The Battles of El Teb (February 4, 1884) and (February 29, 1884) took place during the British Sudan Campaign where a force of Sudanese under Osman Digna won a victory over an 3500 strong Egyptian force under the command of General Valentine Baker which was marching to relieve Tokar on... The Battle of Khartoum was fought in 1884 and 1885 between Sudanese Muslim forces and British forces. ... Abu Klea is a halting-place for caravans in the Bayuda Desert of Sudan. ... Combatants Great Britain Sudan Commanders Horatio Kitchener Abdullah al-Taashi Strength 8,000 British, 17,000 Sudanese and Egyptian 50,000 Casualties 48 dead 382 wounded Total: 430 10,000 dead 15,000 wounded 5,000 captured {{{notes}}} At the Battle of Omdurman (September 2, 1898) an army commanded by... The Battle of Umm Diwaykarat on November 24, 1899 marked the final obliteration of Muhammad Ahmads short-lived Sudanese empire, when Anglo-Egyptian forces under the command of Lord Kitchener wiped out what was left of the Mahdist armies under the command of the Abdallahi ibn Muhammad, known as...

By 1898, the combined British and Egyptian army was advancing down the Nile river into Sudan. The Sudanese Mahdist leader, the Khalifa Abdula ordered the Amir Mahmud Ahmad and his 10,000 strong army of the West Sudan northward towards the junction of the Nile and Atbara rivers to engage the British and Egyptian army led by Herbert Kitchener. Encamping on the banks of the Atbara river by March 20, Mahmud, with Osman Digna's group of Dervish warriors were within 20 miles of the British camp outpost at Fort Atbara on the Nile-Atbara junction. On April 4, after seeing that the Mahdists were unwilling to attack, Kitchener quitely advanced with the British and Egyptian army towards the Mahdist fortified camp just outside the town of Nakheila. The Nile (Arabic: ‎, translit: , Ancient Egyptian iteru, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the longest river, though not the most voluminous, in the world. ... The Atbara is a river in northeast Africa, which rises in northwest Ethiopia and flows about 805 km (500 miles) to the Sudan. ... March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in leap years). ... April 4 is the 94th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (95th in leap years). ...

The British attack began at 6:20 am on April 8, 1898 where two brigades, the British Brigade led by William Gatacre, and the Egyptian Brigade led by Archibald Hunter, led the attack. After a brief artillery bombardment of the Mahdist camp, the combined British and Egyptian brigades attacked. Soon, the British and Egyptian troops were in the Mahdist camp fighting often hand-to-hand with the Mahdist warriors. After 45 minutes, the battle was over as the Osman Digna, led a few thousand warriors on a retreat to the south, while most of the remainder were killed or captured, including Mahmud who was captured by loyal Sudanese troops of the Egyptian Brigade. April 8 is the 98th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (99th in leap years). ... 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Sir William Forbes Gatacre (1843-1906) was an English soldier, born near Stirling, and educated at Royal Military College Sandhurst. ... General Sir Archibald Hunter (1856 - 1936) was a General in the British Army who distinguished himself during the Boer War. ...