GAME 2 –
THE BATTLE OF TOKER SEPT 1883
(look at The Blog Archive for previous reports from the 1883
Sudan games)
Situation Report – 13th September 1883
The Forces of The Mahdists’ Amir Ahmad Fadil and Amir
Mohammad Tamal have been roundly beaten. A head count of dead and seriously
wounded Mahdists is in excess of 1100 warriors. The best estimates of the
remaining combined Mahdist strength is 6000 warriors. The main body of Mahdists
appear to have withdrawn to the East. Amir Musa Wad Sagh (Friendly Christian
Amir) has sent men to shadow the Mahdists and to report on their movements.
The action at Wandi is a triumphant Egyptian victory.
Casualties are just 32 men killed and 75 men wounded. These are all from the 10th
Sudanese Battalion, although one man from the 14th accidentally shot
himself in the foot. The men however are elated by their victory. In
particular, the Sudanese conscripts keep making shrill calls, and chant ‘Bey
Bladda, Bey Bladda’.
Lt. Bladdington has risen considerably in the eyes of his men
and benefits from +1 Imperial Reaction Roll when within 50 yards (1”) of
Sudanese troops under his command.
While The Egyptian forces move east towards Toker, Amir
Osman Digna moves to cut the Egyptians off from Suakin. The local commander at
Toker, Lt. Benjamin Hacker, sends a message to urge his comrades to hurry to
Toker where their resupply awaits them. However, upon arrival at Toker, our
stalwart heroes discover Osman Digna is nearby, and will surely attack them at
dawn. Hurriedly they prepare their defences and await the onslaught of 20,000
Mahdists.
Defences Prepared at Toker. Note the denuded defences in
preference to the Eastern defences in the next picture.
The heavily reinforced Eastern defences.
What
follows is the Official record from Officers’ reports:
Diary
Entry of Captain Hugo Warburton (in temporary Command) for
16th September 1883 – The Battle of Toker
Having soundly beaten off up to 10,000 Mahdists at The Oasis of
Wandi, I decided (Colonel
Herbert Drydon-Spunck still being indisposed), to rest the men overnight and the
following day to force march to Toker , which we reached a few hours before
dusk.
Shortly after our arrival at Toker, I
received intelligence that up to 25,000 Mahdists were heading for our location,
and were expected to arrive the following day. Given our relative speeds on the March, I decided to remain at
Toker, using what time we had to improve the local defences.
The Mahdists attacked from both East and West in large numbers;
I chose to place myself before the main thrust of the enemy attack, and
although a close run thing, with the assistance of Lt Hackett (Adjutant
Commander, Toker) I managed to beat them off. By this time Lt Bladdington had been forced to abandon the
perimeter and had fallen back before the Mahdists, so I took a Btn of Sudanese
under my direct command and rushed to support his crumbling defence; on seeing
what I was about, the remaining Mahdists realised the game was up and turned
tail and fled.
Respectfully, Warburton (Captain)
Lt. Bladdington supervising
the thinly held western defences
Mahdist breakthrough NW
corner of town
Mahdist second wave following up, NW corner.
Third and forth waves following up.
Diary Entry
of Lt. Simon Heronimus Bladdington for 16th September 1883 – The Battle
of Toker
The morning of the day after the Battle of the Wandi a
messenger came in from Toker. The
new orders told of how lieutenant Hacker was waiting at Toker with his men and
supplies to continue our march to the coast and our scouts had reported enemy
activity on the other road.
It was decided to march in quick time to Toker. A messenger was sent a to tell Lieutenant
Hacker to make ready to leave for the following day. We arrived in Toker late
afternoon (of the 14th) and met with Hacker who had news of a large
force of Mahdists ahead of us 3 times our number. Captain Warburton decided
that we would make our stand at Toker, as Colonel Drydon-Spunck was still too
ill to give orders.
Order where given to:
fortify the town as best as could be done;
clear trees blocking line of sight;
extra guards placed on wells stores;
Lieutenant Hacker’s own quarters where knocked down to help
fortify the town. Civilians
where advised to leave the town.
The defence of the town was set with all Hacker’s and
Warburton’s men plus cannons and artillery plus 1 third of my command set to
defend the Eastern end of the town where the enemy where expected to attack
from. The remaining two thirds of my Brave Sudanese troops where set to guard
the rear and sides of the town but with so much ground to cover there numbers
where a little thin. One
artillery piece was set on top of the Amoury in the centre of town to give
supporting fire in all directions although at limited angle of fire.
Early in the Morning (of The 16th) an assassination attempt
was made on the British Officers. My Sudanese troops stopped the
attempt on my own self, Warburton and Hacker had a much closer encounter. Warburton
emptied the brains of his foe with
his pistols and Hacker managed to wound and capture his would-be assassin. Under
Egyptian interrogation the ring-leaders where rounded up and
put under lock and key until they could be questions properly.
(Back to The Battle) The first of the enemy came from the West
of the town from the cover of a nearby hill. My Sudanese troops only
managed to get two rounds off off before the Mahdists where up
the walls and upon us. I took a half company of men to help
clear them, the battle went back and forth; two company’s of brave troops where
lost. More Mahdists in
greater numbers appeared from the (Western) hill and dust
from other enemy could be seen by Warburton and Hackers troops from
the front of the town (East). I
sent orders for my men from the North and Southern ramparts to return to help
defend the Eastern position. The Western section of the town was now
undefendable with the numbers of troops at my disposal and
the closeness of the hill that concealed the enemy’s
approach, so I ordered my troops to consolidate ground around the Armoury
and the main food/ stable block.
After the second wave of Mahdists came down the Western hill
and third and fourth waves appeared supported by cavalry it was now clear that
the rear (West) of the town was the true intended place of attack and the
forces against Hacker and Warburton where a feint to distract our dispositions.
Warburton took command of the troops I had left with him at
the front of the town ad led them to my aid with the Gatling gun in tow, and
Hacker sent his Egyptians to help defend from the overwhelming odds.
The second wave of enemy warriors broke over the undefended north
side of town and attacked Hacker’s Egyptian troops and the remains of
the mauled Sudanese guarding the Armoury. I led the defence
from the balcony and roof over part of the reinforced stable/store
building which now drew the attention of the second wave of Mahdists. Both
parts of the second wavered from our now improved fire power, and yet more came.
No sooner had the second wave been driven off than the next wave was at the
walls of the town. (Thanks-be for the musket drill with live ammo, there is
nothing like the real thing to train troops to noise and the sound of battle!).
The third Mahdist wave was felled like corn to the fire-power of our Sudanese
troops and the forth wave faltered and retreated. The attack from the front of
the town faltered and fell back. The battle for Toker was over.
Lt.
Bladdington
Mahdist’s
high point. Egyptian reinforcements arrive from the eastern ramparts to support
the hard-pressed defenders.
The Diary Of Lt. Hacker; ex Welsh Guards now in the service of The
Khedive of Egypt (does Lady Khedive ride around naked?)
Ah when you're big in Sudan-tonight
Big in Sudan-be-tight
Big in Sudan ooh the eastern sea's so blue
Big in Sudan-alright,
Things are easy when you're big in Sudan
Big in Sudan ooh the eastern sea's so blue
Big in Sudan-alright,
Things are easy when you're big in Sudan
pay! then I'll sleep by your side
(Mr Kipling, the one that makes cakes).
Tuesday Morning
Three years. Three long long long years. I suppose being in the service
of The Khedive could be worse. If nothing else I’ve learned to walk like an
Egyptian, though I still haven’t got the hang of Egyptian reggae. It’s not the
Welsh Guards, I can tell you. No sheep.
Gordon’s got his Khartoum. Hacker of Toker doesn’t have quite the same
ring, which is ironic as I’m stuck in the bottom hole of Sudan (a country that
has more bottom holes than a naturists yoga class)
Ah! Here comes dinner “Tiffin wallah! What’s on the menu today, and for
God’s sake man put your jibbah on when you come to see me!”
“Effendi; harissa spiced lamb, chicken tagine with tabbouleh, Baba
ganoush, finished off with a choice of halva or falafel”
“God!” “I can’t believe anyone would eat this stuff. Have we run out of
bully beef and spotted dick?”
There you see, dear Diary, what I have to put up with out here. If I
have another of those dreadful honey oozing almond nut confections encased in delicate
yet crunchy filo pastry they call baklava I shall shave off my moustache, stick
it to Doris the donkey and start calling her Brian.
I don’t know how many times I’ve asked the Cook Wallah to rustle up some
good old rock cakes. That’s the thing to keep spirits up. We British haven’t
conquered half the world by eating foreign muck. I’ll go as far as drinking
Scotch whiskey but that’s it.
Strangely, however, being out here has given me an unexpected penchant
for interior design. I’ve just done up my quarters. Do you know how difficult
it is to source Farrow & Ball ‘Mole Breath’ grey out here? It looks
absolutely spiffing now, goes superbly with the local rattan furniture and
Egyptian cotton throw. I’ve also framed my watercolours of local scenes and put
them on the wall. The Colonel said to me they are pretty good and I should
exhibit them in Cairo. Who knows, if I sold enough I could buy a farm back in
the home country and retire as a country squire.
Tuesday Evening
I’ve just heard that Drydon-Spunck has arrived with his force from
Tipilli. Apparently they gave the Mahdi’s men a bloody nose but expect another
attack soon. I remember meeting Drydon-Spunck’s matelot cousins Stains and
Bates on the RN gunboat HMS Cocksure.
Just had dinner with Cpt Warburton, temporarily in charge due to Col.
D-S being indisposed with a bad rash to the nether regions. We are to prepare
for action tomorrow with the enemy expected in front of the main gate in the
morning. I’m to defend the gate with my Sudanese and Egyptian boys. I’ve
graciously agreed to let Warburton have my quarters tonight.
Wednesday Morning
Apparently that bimbashi Warburton decided early this morning that my
quarters were blocking the gun’s line-of-fire and has knocked them down.
Destroyed my rooms completely, burnt them, trampled on, totally despoiled and
desecrated. Even my Afghan rug is gone, ground into the dust. Has the man no
heart or vestige of civilisation. Frankly I don’t care a jot about their silly
little war. Who’s the mad one eh? The Mahdi with his 72 virgins, his daily
massage, camel’s milk baths, collection of Afghan rugs and endless supply of
bully beef, roaming free through the verdant valleys and oases; or us stuck in
this God-forsaken dive swatting off the flies and having all our precious
paintings trashed by a vandal in a topee?
Wednesday Evening
Predictably the Mahdi’s men attacked the rear of the town so I didn’t
really see what went on. The clouds of what looked like brown dyed cotton wool
puffs in front of me turned out to be giant puffs of cotton wool. I sent my two
Egyptian companies to the other side of town to take a shufti. A Fellah soon
reported back that they spied a few Fuzzies as they broke into the fringes of
town but were soon seen off with the proverbial whiff of .577” bullets. I
personally took command of the cannon overlooking the main gate and turned it
round to fire at retreating Fuzzies. Unfortunately, a stray shot set fire to
the town market. Napier can show off his wit with ‘Peccavi’ and Campbell
has his “Nunc fortunatus sum”. I suppose I’m stuck with ”I have smoked Toker”,
whatever that is in Latin.
Still, tomorrow is another day.
