Thursday, November 26, 2015

Battle of Abu Klea: The Climax from "Beyond the Reach of Empire"

I read Chapter 10:  The Battle of Abu Klea:  The Climax this evening in "Beyond the Reach of Empire" by Colonel Mike Snook.  I'm at page 305.  There are a total of 510 pages in the book.  The Mahdist Ansar closed in with the British square.  Colonel Fred Burnaby of the Blues was killed fighting outside the square.  The British rallied and repelled the Arabs out of the square.  But there were a lot of casualties, both among officers and the enlisted.

The battle lasted 15 minutes.  But the Ansar withdrew from the British lines.  Some of the Arabs tried engaging the British in single combat.  Most were cut down.  Many of the Mahdist wounded feigned death and attacked unsuspecting British infantry after the battle.  That led to Imperial officers shooting wounded Arabs.  That happened both in the 1884-1885 and 1898 Sudanese Campaigns.

Next, the aftermath of Abu Klea...

I forced myself to read tonight.  We ate Thanksgiving late this afternoon.  I got bored with television.  My brother wanted to watch "The Walking Dead" and "Fear the Walking Dead."  I made sure to finish Chapter 10 so I can eventually complete the book.  

No comments:

Post a Comment