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The Bombardment of Alexandria Throughout the early months of 1882, Col. Arabi of the Egyptian Army had shown that his intent was to rule Egypt as a military state. London would not tolerate such instability from the nation that held a vital strategic interest, namely the Suez Canal. Following a bombardment of Alexandria by the RN on 10 June, landing parties of Sailors & Royal Marines seized the town and forts. Nevertheless, it failed to topple Arabi's revolt, so thousands of British troops began the journey to that city. Col. Arabi withdrew most of his forces to the south and east, particularly to a massive fortification known as Tel-el-Kebir, 60 miles east of Cairo. By the middle of August, a full expeditionary force of 25,000 men under the command of Sir Garnet Wolseley were prepared for action. Gen. Wolseley had given the false impression that he meant to strike for Cairo directly from Alexandria. In a perfectly executed attack, the Royal Navy seized the Suez Canal, and directed the fighting force to the eastern approaches to Cairo. On the evening of 12 September, the force formed up in two divisions and began an overnight march across the hard desert floor. Guided by Lt. Rawson, RN., the British covered seven miles of open ground, and was only 200 yards from the Egyptian lines when the rising sun finally alerted the Egyptians that an attack was underway. All along most of the four-mile front, the Egyptian soldiers fired once, then ran for home. Most of them were conscripts with little desire to fight. Those with more heart were stationed directly opposite the Highland Brigade, and the Gordons and Highland Light Infantry in specific. Jumping into the trenches, then crawling up the parapet, the Highlanders took the southern lines at bayonet point. From first shot to last shot took less than an hour. The Gordon Highlanders had lost five men of the total 57 for the British. When the campaign was being designed, the experts told Sir Garnet that an overnight march would never work; that it was hard enough to keep men moving together during the day. The rock solid performance of The Gordon Highlanders, as well as the other regiments, gave Britain the world's first victory between modernized armies, similarly equipped. |