Battle of Tofrek facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Tofrek
Part of the Mahdist War
Battle of Tofrek (Charles Edwin Fripp)
Date 22 March 1885 Location Sudan Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom  India	Mahdist State
Commanders and leaders
John Carstairs McNeill Gerald Graham	Osman Digna
Strength
Between 3,000 and 4,000	Estimated over 2,000
Casualties and losses
Killed: 4 officers, 66 men; Wounded 8 officers,128 men.	Estimated over 1,000 killed

The Battle of Tofrek was a fierce fight on March 22, 1885. It happened near the port of Suakin in Sudan. British and Indian soldiers, led by Major General Sir John Carstairs McNeill, faced a large force from the Mahdist State. These Mahdist fighters were led by Osman Digna. The battle was quick and tough. The British and Indian forces won, but both sides had many losses.

Why the Battle Happened

This battle was part of the Mahdist War in Sudan. In January 1885, a city called Khartoum was attacked. Many people, including General Gordon, were killed. This made the British government want to build a railway. This railway would go from Suakin on the Red Sea to Berber on the River Nile. It was meant to help supply British troops fighting the Mahdists.

To protect the railway builders, a large group of soldiers was sent. This group was called the "Suakin Field Force." It had about 13,000 men. General Gerald Graham was in charge. His job was to protect the railway and fight Osman Digna's Mahdist fighters. The force arrived in Suakin on March 12, 1885.

Getting Ready for Battle

The Suakin Field Force

General Graham's force was a mix of British and Indian soldiers. There were about 13,000 men in total.

The British troops included:

• Royal Engineers (who built things)
• The King's Shropshire Light Infantry
• The 1st Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment
• The East Surrey Regiment
• Royal Marine Light Infantry
• Madras Sappers and Miners (Indian engineers)
• The 5th Royal Irish Lancers (cavalry)
• The 20th Hussars (cavalry)
• Mounted infantry (soldiers who rode horses)
• The Royal Horse Artillery (artillery)
• The Grenadier Guards
• The Coldstream Guards
• The Scots Guards

The Indian troops included:

• 9th Bengal Cavalry
• 17th Bengal Native Infantry
• 15th Ludhiana Sikh Regiment
• 28th Bombay Pioneers

Map showing locations of Hashin and Tofrek near Suakin

Hashin Fight, March 20, 1885

Before the main battle, General Graham sent out a scouting group. They checked the area around Hashin, where some of Osman Digna's men were thought to be. On March 20, Graham led a larger group of 8,500 soldiers. They went to capture a hill near Hashin. They also built a "zeriba" there. A zeriba is a fortified camp made of thorn bushes. The expedition was successful. They returned to Suakin the same night.

Tofrek Expedition, March 22, 1885

Graham's next goal was to attack Osman Digna's main camp at Tamai. Tamai was about 12 miles from Suakin. This was too far for one day's march. So, they decided to build two supply camps, or zeribas, along the way. These camps would store food, water, and equipment. Major General Sir John McNeill was put in charge of this task.

McNeill was told to leave Suakin at dawn on March 22. He had about 3,000 men, including:

• 1 squadron of 5th Royal Irish Lancers
• 1 squadron of Mounted infantry
• 1 Company of Royal Engineers
• 1 Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment
• 1 Battalion of Royal Marine Light Infantry
• 3 Battalions of Indian Infantry (17th Bengal, 15th Ludhiana Sikhs, & 28th Bombay Pioneers)
• 1 Company of Madras Sappers
• Four naval Gardner (machine) guns with their crews

About 1,500 transport animals (camels, mules) carried tools, water, food, and ammunition. The plan was to build two zeribas. One at 5 miles and a larger one at 8 miles. Most of the soldiers would return to Suakin that evening.

However, General Graham changed the plan at the last minute. Instead of using a known road, he told McNeill to go through new, wild land. McNeill's troops struggled through thick mimosa bushes. These bushes had sharp thorns and slowed them down. About 6 miles from Suakin, McNeill found an open area. He decided to build the zeriba there. The plan for a second zeriba was cancelled.

The Tofrek Zeriba

A "zeriba" is a strong fence or enclosure. It is made from thorn bushes. Soldiers had to cut down mimosa trees. They arranged them to form walls. These walls were stacked high to protect the soldiers inside. The tree trunks were tied together so they couldn't be pulled away. Soldiers also dug trenches and built sandbag walls inside the zeriba.

The Royal Engineers and Madras Sappers were in charge of building. British and Indian troops helped cut trees and drag them into place. Other soldiers unloaded supplies and guarded the workers. Those who could rest did so inside the zeriba.

Sketch map showing where troops were during the Battle of Tofrek

The map shows how the troops were set up. Indian troops were on the north, south, and west sides of the unfinished zeriba. British troops were in two strong points called "redoubts." The Royal Marine Light Infantry was in the northern redoubt. Half of the Berkshire battalion was in the southern one. Other soldiers were still building the walls. Outside the zeriba, on the east side, the other half of the Berkshire battalion guarded the camels and mules.

By 2:00 pm, the northern redoubt was almost done. Work focused on the southern one. Soldiers were cutting trees on the western edge, in front of the Sikh lines. They expected the southern redoubt to be finished by 3:00 pm. Then, the transport animals and some troops would return to Suakin.

The Battle Begins

Around 2:45 pm, scouting Lancers reported that the enemy was gathering. They were moving towards the zeriba from the south and west. McNeill immediately ordered everyone to stop working and get their weapons. At the same moment, the cavalry galloped into the clearing. Many Arabs were right behind them.

The main attack came from the south and west. Most British and Indian troops held their ground. But the Bengal soldiers on the south side were confused. The charging cavalry and Arabs broke through their lines. After firing a few shots, the Bengalese ran for cover inside the zeriba.

Many Arabs forced their way into the southern redoubt. But the Berkshire soldiers defending it quickly defeated them. Later, 112 Arab bodies were counted inside that area. Meanwhile, the Arabs managed to scare the transport animals. The animals stampeded towards the center of the camp and the northern redoubt. This gave the Arabs cover as they attacked from the east.

One soldier remembered the chaos: "Everything seemed to come at once: camels, water carts, ammunition mules, soldiers, and Arabs fighting in the middle. All these passed close to me. The dust was so thick I couldn't see anything beyond our zeriba for a minute or two. It was impossible to see what was happening. The men behaved wonderfully and stood still. It was the highest test of discipline I shall ever see."

By 3:15 pm, the battle was over. It had lasted only about 25 minutes. The Arabs stayed for another hour, threatening to attack again. But at 4:15 pm, they finally left. They left many dead and wounded behind. Some injured Arabs even tried to attack soldiers who came to help them. One officer was killed by an Arab who pretended to be dead.

After the Battle

It was thought that over 1,000 Mahdists died. Their attacking force was more than 2,000. The British and Indian losses were:

• Killed: 4 officers, 66 men, plus 34 helpers (like camel drivers)
• Injured: 8 officers, 125 men, plus 18 helpers
• Missing: 1 officer, 35 men, plus 122 helpers

Many of the missing were later found. But the numbers for dead and wounded were likely higher. This is because they were counted right after the battle. They didn't include those who died later from their injuries.

The next day, the British buried their dead. The Indian soldiers cremated theirs, as was their custom. Most of the force then returned to Suakin with the wounded. The zeriba camp stayed guarded until April 6. After that, it was left empty. On May 1, a group passed by and found the zeriba burned and destroyed.

Within two months, the British government decided to stop the railway project. They also ended their military campaign in Sudan. General Graham and his force left Suakin on May 17, 1885.

What Went Wrong?

A book called "The Battle of Tofrek" was written soon after the fight. The author, William Galloway, wanted to correct mistakes in official reports. Galloway was critical of General Graham's planning for the Tofrek expedition.

He pointed out a few problems:

• In an earlier fight, Graham had many cavalry scouts. But for Tofrek, McNeill had only a few scouts. This meant less warning of enemy attacks.
• Graham had powerful artillery guns in his earlier fight. But McNeill's force had no artillery.
• The Tofrek expedition had too many transport animals compared to soldiers. This made it harder to control the animals during an attack.

Galloway was also very critical of Graham's last-minute change to the marching route. Instead of using a known path, McNeill's troops had to go through thick, thorny bushes. This made their progress slow and difficult. It also gave the enemy great cover for their surprise attack. Galloway also said that McNeill was not told about enemy plans for a big attack on March 22.