Battle of Omdurman
Part of the Mahdist War (War of the Sudan)
The charge of the 21st Lancers.
Date September 2, 1898 Location Omdurman, Khartoum, Sudan Result Decisive British Victory
Combatants
United Kingdom  Egypt	Mahdist Sudan
Commanders
Horatio Kitchener	Abdullah al-Taashi
Strength
8,200 British, 17,600 Sudanese and Egyptian soldiers	52,000 warriors
Casualties
48 dead 434 wounded	9,700 killed 13,000 wounded 5,000 captured

At the Battle of Omdurman (September 2, 1898) an army commanded by the British General Sir Horatio Kitchener defeated the army of the successor to the self-proclaimed Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad, Abdullah al-Taashi. It was a bloody demonstration of the superiority of machine guns and artillery over older weapons and marked the success of British efforts to re-conquer the Sudan. However, it was not until the Battle of Umm Diwaykarat a year later that the final Mahdist forces were defeated. Combatants  United Kingdom  Egypt Italy(only in Sudanese Invasion of Italian Eritrea) Belgium (only in Sudanese invasion of Belgian Equatorial Africa) Mahdist Sudan Strength 25,800 troops 60,000 troops Casualties 700 killed and wounded Anglo-Egyptians, Unknown number of Belgian-Italians 30,000 killed, wounded and captured The Mahdist... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... September 2 is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Omdurman is in northern Sudan (upper center). ... Nickname: Khartoums location in Sudan Coordinates: Government  - Governor Abdul Halim al Mutafi Population (2005)  - Urban Over 1 Million For other uses, see Khartoum (disambiguation). ... 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 Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener of Khartoum PC, KBE, KCB, ADC ( June 24, 1850 - June 5, 1916) was a British Field Marshal and statesman. ... Abdullah Ibn-Mohammed or Abdullah al-Taaisha (1846 – November 24, 1899), also known as The Khalifa was a Sudanese Ansar General and ruler. ... Combatants  United Kingdom  Egypt Italy(only in Sudanese Invasion of Italian Eritrea) Belgium (only in Sudanese invasion of Belgian Equatorial Africa) Mahdist Sudan Strength 25,800 troops 60,000 troops Casualties 700 killed and wounded Anglo-Egyptians, Unknown number of Belgian-Italians 30,000 killed, wounded and captured The Mahdist... 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... Combatants Great Britain Mahdist Sudan Commanders Sir Gerald Graham Osman Digna Strength 4,500 troops, 22 guns, 6 machine-guns 10,000 troops Casualties 120 killed 4,000 killed The Battle of Tamai(or Tamanieh) took place on March 13, 1884 between a British force under Sir Gerald Graham and... Combatants  United Kingdom  Egypt Mahdist Sudan Commanders Charles George Gordon† Muhammad Ahmad Strength 8,000 Egyptian troops 50,000 warriors Casualties Entire garrison killed Unknown The Battle of Khartoum or Siege of Khartoum lasted from March 12, 1884 to January 26, 1885. ... Abu Klea is a halting-place for caravans in the Bayuda Desert of Sudan. ... Combatants  United Kingdom  Egypt Mahdist Sudan Commanders Francis Grenfell Wad el Nujumi† Strength 6,000 Casualties Light 1,200 dead, 4,000 captured The battle of Toski(Tushkah) took place in Egypt between the Anglo-Egyptian forces and the Mahdist Sudanese. ... Combatants Mahdist Sudan  United Kingdom  Egypt Commanders Osman Azrak Hammuda Sir Herbert Kitchener Strength 3,000-4,000 men 9,000-9,500 men Casualties 44 emirs killed 4 emirs captured 800-1,500 soldiers killed 500 soldiers wounded 500-600 soldiers captured 20 soldiers killed 81-83 soldiers wounded... 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 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... September 2 is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The Earl Kitchener Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener, KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, ADC, PC (24 June 1850 – 5 June 1916) was an Irish-born British Field Marshal, diplomat and statesman popularly referred to as Lord Kitchener. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Muhammad al-Mahdi. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Abdullah Ibn-Mohammed or Abdullah al-Taaisha (1846 – November 24, 1899), also known as The Khalifa was a Sudanese Ansar General and ruler. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... Artillery with Gabion fortification Cannons on display at Fort Point Continental Artillery crew from the American Revolution Firing of an 18-pound gun, Louis-Philippe Crepin, (1772 – 1851) A forge-welded Iron Cannon in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. ... 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...

Omdurman is today a suburb of Khartoum in central Sudan, with a population of some 1.5 million. The village of Omdurman was chosen in 1884 as the base of operations by the Mahdi, Muhammad Ahmad. After his death in 1885 following the successful siege of Khartoum, his successor (Khalifa) Abdullah retained it as his capital. Omdurman is in northern Sudan (upper center). ... Nickname: Khartoums location in Sudan Coordinates: Government  - Governor Abdul Halim al Mutafi Population (2005)  - Urban Over 1 Million For other uses, see Khartoum (disambiguation). ... Year 1884 (MDCCCLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Muhammad al-Mahdi. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Battle of Khartoum was fought in 1884 and 1885 between Sudanese Muslim forces and British forces. ... Omdurman, Sudan. ...

Battle account

The battle took place at Kerreri, 11 km north of Omdurman. Kitchener commanded a force of 8,000 British regulars and a mixed force of 17,000 Sudanese and Egyptian soldiers. Kitchener arrayed his force in an arc around the village of Egeiga close to the bank of the Nile, where a gunboat flotilla waited in support, facing a wide flat plain with hills rising to the left and right. The British and Egyptian cavalry was placed on either flank. The Nile (Arabic: , transliteration: , Ancient Egyptian iteru, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. ... A gunboat is literally a boat carrying one or more guns. ... A flotilla (from Spanish, meaning a flota of small ships, and this from French flotte), or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. ...

The followers of al-Taashi, known as Ansar and sometimes referred to as Dervishes, numbered around 50,000, including only 3,000 cavalry, was split into five groups; a force of 8,000 under Osman Azrak was arrayed directly opposite the British, in a shallow arc along a mile (1.6 km) of a low ridge leading onto the plain; the other Ansar forces were initially concealed from Kitchener's force. Abdallah al-Taashi and 17,000 men were concealed behind the Surgham hills to the west and rear of Osman Azrak's force, 20,000 more were positioned to the north-west close to the front behind the Kerreri hills, commanded by Ali-Wad-Helu and Sheikh ed-Din. A final group of around 8,000 were gathered on the slope at the right flank of Azrak's force. The word Dervish, especially in European languages, refers to members of Sufi Muslim ascetic religious fraternities, known for their extreme poverty and austerity, similar to mendicant friars. ...

The battle began in the early morning, at around 6 a.m. After the clashes of the previous day, the 8,000 men under Osman Azrak advanced straight at the waiting British, quickly followed by about 8,000 of those waiting to the north-west. It was a mixed force of riflemen and spearmen. The British artillery opened fire at around 2750 m and the Ansar forces were badly reduced before they even came into range of the Maxim guns and volley fire. The frontal attack ended quickly with around 4,000 Ansar casualties, none coming closer than 50 m to the British trenches. A flanking move from the Ansar right was also checked and there were untidy clashes on the opposite flank which scattered the Ansar forces there. An early Maxim gun in operation with the Royal Navy 1895 . ...

The Battle of Omdurman, 1898, from the Purton Museum, England. This illustration incorrectly depicts the British wearing red uniforms, which had in fact been superseded by khaki since 1885.

Kitchener was anxious to occupy Omdurman before the remaining Ansar forces could withdraw there and he directed the army to advance on Omdurman. The army was ordered into columns and began the advance. The British light cavalry regiment, the 21st Lancers, was sent ahead to clear the plain to the settlement. They had a tough time of it. The 400 strong regiment attacked what they thought to be a few hundred dervishes, but in fact were 2,500 infantry hidden behind these dervishes in a depression. After a fierce clash, the Lancers drove them back at some cost (three Victoria Crosses were awarded, for the loss of five officers, 65 men, and 120 horses), roughly one-fourth of their total manpower.. On a larger scale, the British advance allowed the Khalifa to re-organize his forces. He still had over 30,000 men in the field and directed his main reserve to attack from the west while ordering the forces to the north-west to attack simultaneously over the Kerreri Hills. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Khaki is a common material in military uniforms Khaki is a type of fabric or the colour of such fabric. ... The 21st Lancers (Empress of Indias) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, most famous for its participation in the Battle of Omdurman, where Winston Churchill rode with the unit as a reporter. ... The Victoria Cross (VC) is a military decoration awarded for valour in the face of the enemy to members of armed forces of some Commonwealth countries and previous British Empire territories. ...

Kitchener's force wheeled left in echelon to advance up Surgham ridge and then southwards. To protect the rear, a brigade of 3,000, mainly Sudanese and commanded by Hector MacDonald, was reinforced with Maxims and artillery and followed the main force at around 1350 m. Curiously the supplies and wounded around Egeiga were left almost unprotected. Major-General Hector Archibald MacDonald (1853–1903) was a distinguished but controversial officer in the British army. ...

MacDonald was alerted to the presence of around 15,000 enemy troops moving towards him from the west, out from behind Surgham. He wheeled his force and lined them up to face the enemy charge. The Ansar infantry attacked in two prongs and MacDonald was forced to repeatedly re-order his battalions. The brigade maintained a punishing fire. Kitchener, now aware of the problem, "began to throw his brigades about as if they were companies". MacDonald's brigade was soon reinforced and the enemy forces were forced back and finally broke or died where they stood. The Ansar forces to the north had regrouped too late and entered the clash only after the force in the central valley had been routed. They pressed Macdonald's Sudanese brigades hard, but the Lincolnshire Regiment was quickly brought up and with sustained section volleys repulsed the advance. A final desperate cavalry charge of around 500 men was utterly destroyed. The march on Omdurman was resumed at about 11:30. The Royal Lincolnshire Regiment was raised on June 20, 1685 as the Earl of Baths Regiment for its first Colonel, John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath. ...

Aftermath

Around 10,000 Ansar were killed, 13,000 were wounded, and 5,000 were taken prisoner. Kitchener's force lost 48 men with 382 wounded, the majority from MacDonald's command. The Khalifa escaped and survived until 1899, when he was killed in the Battle of Umm Diwaykarat. 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...

Several days after the battle, Kitchener was sent to Fashoda, due to the developing Fashoda Incident. Kodok (formerly Fashoda) is a town in the southeastern Sudanese state of Upper Nile. ... The Fashoda Incident (1898) was the climax of imperial territorial disputes between the United Kingdom and France in Eastern Africa. ...

Kitchener was ennobled as a baron, Kitchener of Khartoum, for his victory. Three Victoria Crosses were awarded, all to members of the 21st Lancers, as a result of this action: Second Lieutenant Raymond H.L.J. De Montmorency, Captain Paul A. Kenna, and Private Thomas Byrne. The Victoria Cross (VC) is a military decoration awarded for valour in the face of the enemy to members of armed forces of some Commonwealth countries and previous British Empire territories. ... Photo submitted by Marion Hebblethwaite The Hon. ... Photo submitted by Neil Hutton Paul Aloysius Kenna (VC, DSO) was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ... Photo by Phil Payne Thomas Byrne, born 1866 at St Thomas, Dublin, was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ...

Winston Churchill was present at the battle as a reporter and he rode with the 21st Lancers. His account, published in 1899 as "The Story of the River War: an account of the re-conquest of the Sudan", is the basis for this article. Also present as a war correspondent for the Times was Col. Frank Rhodes, brother of Cecil, who was shot and severely wounded in the right arm. For his services during that battle he was restored to the army active list. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC (Can) (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. ... The 21st Lancers (Empress of Indias) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, most famous for its participation in the Battle of Omdurman, where Winston Churchill rode with the unit as a reporter. ... Year 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... See also The New York Times, The Times of India, or The Irish Times. ... Francis W. Rhodes, better known as Frank, is perhaps the best known member of the Rhodes family after his brother Cecil. ... Cecil Rhodes Cecil John Rhodes, PC, DCL, (July 5, 1853 – March 26, 1902[1]) was a British-born South African businessman, mining magnate, and politician. ...

References

• Churchill, Winston Spencer. River War: An Historical Account of The Reconquest of the Soudan. , two-volume unabridged version, published by Longmans & Green in 1899, and abridged to one volume in 1902; unabridged version republished by St. Augustine's Press in 2006, ISBN 1-58731-700-1.

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC (Can) (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. ...

Further reading

• Zulfo, I.H. (1980). Karari: The Sudanese Account of the Battle of Omdurman. Warne. 
• Asher, Michael (2005). Khartoum: The Ultimate Imperial Adventure. London: Penguin. ISBN 0-140-25855-8. 

Fictional Account

The 1939 movie adaptation of the novel The Four Feathers is set in the time of this battle, and treats other aspects of the Sudan Campaign. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require restructuring. ...

External links

• Battle of Omdurman