The Egyptian campaigns, 1882 to 1885 Part 8

The _Cygnet_ and _Decoy_, gunboats, 455 and 430 tons, 60 men, 2 64-pounder and 2 20-pounder guns each.

In addition to the armament above given, the eight ironclads each carried from six to eight 20-pounder rifled breech-loading guns, and, with the exception of the _Penelope_, from eight to twelve machine guns.

There were also 880 supernumerary seamen and marines on board the fleet, making the total force 5,728 men.

The relative strength of the opposing forces may be seen from the following tables:--

The ordnance _mounted_ in the forts was as follows:--

-----------------+----------+-------------+----------+------- Fort or Battery. R. Guns. S. B. Guns. Mortars. Total.

-----------------+----------+-------------+----------+------- Fort Silsileh 2 3 1 6 " Pharos 8 37 4 49 " Adda 5 14 5 24 Ras-el-Tin Lines 9 30 10 49 Lighthouse Fort, or Ras-el-Tin 6 28 3 37 Fort Saleh Aga ... 12 ... 12 Battery ... 4 ... 4 Fort Omuk Kubebe 2 16 2 20 " Kamaria ... 5 1 6 Mex Sea Lines ... 24 ... 24 " Fort 5 9 5 19 Fort Marabout 3 8 ... 11 +----------+-------------+----------+------- TOTAL 40 190 31 261 -----------------+----------+-------------+----------+-------

The guns on board the ironclads are shewn in the following table:--

------------------------------------------------------------------------- RIFLED GUNS.

-----------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------- s.h.i.+PS. in. in. in. in. in. in. in. pr. pr. Total.

16 12 11 10 9 8 7 64 40 -----------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------- Alexandra 2 10 12 Inflexible 4 4 Superb 16 16 Sultan 8 4 12 Temeraire 4 4 8 Invincible 10 4 14 Monarch 4 2 1 7 Penelope 8 3 11 -----------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------- TOTAL 4 4 6 38 16 8 1 4 3 84 -----------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-------

This does not include the six to eight 20-pounder guns and eight to twelve machine guns carried by each vessel.

Admiral Seymour's plan for the bombardment comprised two separate attacks: one by the _Sultan_, _Superb_, _Alexandra_, _Inflexible_, and _Temeraire_ from outside the breakwater, the other by the _Invincible_, _Monarch_, and _Penelope_ inside the reefs.

The three first-mentioned vessels, supported by the fire from the after turret of the _Inflexible_, which was anch.o.r.ed off the Corvette Pa.s.s, were directed to destroy the batteries on the Ras-el-Tin peninsula, and then to move to the eastward and attack Forts Pharos and Silsileh. The _Invincible_, _Monarch_, and _Penelope_, aided by the fire from the _Inflexible's_ forward turret and by the _Temeraire_, which took up a position off the Boghas Pa.s.s, were ordered to open fire on the guns in the Mex Lines. The gun-vessels and gunboats were directed to remain outside until a favourable opportunity should offer for moving in to the attack on Mex.

At 7 a.m. the Admiral, whose flag was flying from the _Invincible_, signalled to the _Alexandra_ to fire a sh.e.l.l into the recently armed works on Ras-el-Tin, known as the Hospital Battery, and followed this by a general signal to the fleet, "Attack the enemy's batteries." Upon this immediate action began between all the s.h.i.+ps, in the positions a.s.signed to them, and the whole of the forts commanding the entrance to the harbour.

A steady cannonade was maintained both by the attacking and defending forces, and for the next few hours the roar of the guns and the shrieks of pa.s.sing shot and sh.e.l.l were alone audible. The spectacle as seen from the offing was imposing in the extreme. On the one side were the most powerful s.h.i.+ps of modern times, all in fighting trim, with upper masts and yards struck, some slowly steaming ahead, others at anchor, but all pouring deadly broadsides into the Egyptian batteries. On the other were the forts, standing out bright and clear in the suns.h.i.+ne, vomiting forth volleys of fire and smoke in the direction of the attacking squadron.

The weather was fine and the sea smooth, both of which circ.u.mstances were to the advantage of the attacking force. On the other hand, the wind and sun were in the enemy's favour, and the smoke, which rose like a thick wall, at times prevented those on board the s.h.i.+ps seeing the result of their fire.

At 9.40 the _Sultan_, _Superb_, and _Alexandra_, of the outside squadron, which had previously been under way and turning in succession at a range of about 1,500 yards, came to an anchor off the Lighthouse Fort. The batteries had proved stronger than had been antic.i.p.ated, and the Egyptian gunners were making very good practice. The firing of the s.h.i.+ps at the same time was less effective than could be wished. Under these circ.u.mstances, and to obtain the exact range, the three s.h.i.+ps adopted a stationary position, and from this moment their fire steadily improved.

A little after 10 o'clock the harem buildings of Ras-el-Tin Palace were set on fire and partly destroyed by a sh.e.l.l.

At 10.30 the _Alexandra_ had one of her heavy guns dismounted and rendered unserviceable. Shortly after the _Inflexible_ weighed anchor and joined the _Sultan_, _Superb_, and _Alexandra_, and by 12.30 p.m.

the combined fire of the four s.h.i.+ps had nearly silenced all the guns in the Ras-el-Tin Forts. It should be mentioned that, in addition to helping these three vessels, the _Inflexible_ had at the same time been engaging the Mex Forts, and doing great execution with her 80-ton guns.

The remaining vessel of the outside squadron, the _Temeraire_, was meanwhile supporting the attack of the inside squadron on the Mex batteries at a range of from 3,500 to 4,000 yards, and making great havoc with her guns. Unfortunately, in taking up her position, she had got too close to the shoal water of the Boghas Pa.s.s, and in swinging round had grounded on the reef. The gunboat _Condor_ promptly went to the a.s.sistance of the huge ironclad, and eventually the s.h.i.+p was got off without injury.

Although the batteries at Ras-el-Tin had, as above stated, practically ceased firing, some heavy guns in Fort Adda still kept up a desultory cannonade.

At 12.30 p.m. the _Sultan_ signalled to the _Inflexible_, whose work was now finished both at Ras-el-Tin and Mex, "Adda and Pharos are the only ones not silenced, all our filled sh.e.l.l are expended, and if you are going that way, one or two sh.e.l.ls from your heavy guns would do much good, if you don't mind." At 12.35 the _Sultan_ added, "Please silence Adda as well." The _Inflexible_ then stood across to Fort Adda, and at 12.40 opened fire. Shortly after, the _Temeraire_ was signalled, "a.s.sist _Inflexible_ in destroying Pharos and Silsileh." The _Temeraire_ then weighed and steamed over to the position indicated, and a.s.sisted in sh.e.l.ling both forts.

About 1.30 p.m. a lucky sh.e.l.l from the _Superb_, whose practice was very good, blew up the magazine of Fort Adda. The explosion was terrific, and huge pieces of _debris_ were thrown into the air, whilst a dense cloud of smoke for some seconds hid the works from view. The fort at once ceased firing, and when the smoke cleared away it was seen that the garrison had retreated from the blackened ruins.

As early as 1.30, the s.h.i.+ps were beginning to run short of ammunition, and the _Sultan_ signalled to the _Alexandra_, "How many filled sh.e.l.l have you?" and received the answer "Twenty." At one o'clock the _Alexandra_ signalled that she had only thirty common sh.e.l.l left, and was answered by the _Sultan_ that she had none at all, and that the _Alexandra_ had better use common sh.e.l.l as the _Sultan_ was doing.

At 1.35, with the exception of the Hospital Fort, where one rifled gun continued firing, all the batteries from Fort Adda westward being silenced, the _Superb_ signalled the fact to the _Sultan_, and suggested getting under way. The _Sultan_ replied in the affirmative, adding, "Can you touch up Pharos? _Temeraire_ now on her way to a.s.sist _Inflexible_ at Pharos. I have no sh.e.l.l filled, nor has _Alexandra_." The _Superb_ accordingly proceeded towards Fort Pharos and opened fire.

At 2.0 the _Sultan_ signalled to the _Inflexible_, which was engaging the Hospital Battery and Fort Pharos, "Proceed to Pharillon" (Silsileh).

At 2.55 a shot from the Hospital Battery struck the _Inflexible_ aloft, carrying away the slings of the mainyard.

At 5 the Hospital Battery fired its last shot.

At 5.10 the _Inflexible_ proceeded across to engage Fort Silsileh, all the other forts from Ras-el-Tin eastward having been silenced.

At 5.15 the general signal, "Cease firing," was made, followed at 6.5 by, "Anchor in same position as last night."

While the off-sh.o.r.e squadron was thus occupied, the other division of the fleet under the Admiral's immediate command was not idle. The _Invincible_ at anchor, with the _Monarch_ and _Penelope_ under weigh inside the reefs, a.s.sisted by the _Inflexible_ and _Temeraire_, in the Corvette and Boghas Channels, were engaging from a distance of 1,300 to 1,500 yards the batteries and lines of Mex, also the Forts of Marza-el-Kanat and Omuk Kubebe at various ranges. The enemy replied briskly both from rifled and smooth bore guns. At 8.45 one of the _Monarch's_ sh.e.l.ls exploded the powder magazine at Marza-el-Kanat. At 8.27 the Admiral signalled to her, "Close nearer the forts, keeping as close to them as possible." By 9 a.m. the enemy's guns, except four at Fort Mex, were silenced. These four nevertheless gave considerable trouble to the s.h.i.+ps, for it was difficult to hit upon their exact position, placed as they were almost on a level with the water, and only dimly and occasionally seen through the smoke.

About an hour before this Lord Charles Beresford, in the _Condor_, stationed as repeating s.h.i.+p, saw that the 10-inch rifled guns in Fort Marabout were playing with great accuracy, at a range of 4,200 yards, upon the s.h.i.+ps engaged off Fort Mex, the shots falling only from 10 to 30 yards short. Steaming within range of his 7-inch gun, he chose with great skill a position, 1,200 yards off, upon which the enemy's guns could not be brought to bear, and engaged the fort single-handed for two hours. The _Condor's_ excellent practice soon checked the fire from Fort Marabout, and elicited from the Admiral, who sent the other gunboats to his aid, the signal, "Well done, _Condor_." It is satisfactory to be able to add that during this operation no casualties occurred on any of the vessels engaged.[19]

At 10.35 the flag-s.h.i.+p signalled to the _Monarch_, "Steam close in to the batteries we have silenced and drop a few sh.e.l.ls into them at close range." This was followed by, "Go as close to forts as water will permit." The _Monarch_ then steamed in sh.o.r.e and poured in a tremendous fire from all her guns. At 11.30, there being no return fire, she, as well as the _Invincible_, ceased firing.

At 11.40, the gunboats having returned from Marabout, the _Monarch_, which remained under way, was signalled to support them in an attempt to destroy the Mex works, but ordered not to fire unless fired upon. All the gunboats were at the same time signalled to close in to the batteries, and, remaining under way, to destroy their rifled guns. The _Condor_, ten minutes after, signalled that she had only twenty-one sh.e.l.ls for each gun left, and received the order to cease firing. The gunboats, supported by the _Monarch_, continued to fire on the works.

At 11.58, the _Monarch_ observing soldiers running back into the batteries, permission was given her to reopen fire.

Permission was also given to the _Penelope_ to fire at the rifled guns in the batteries with her 40-pounders. At 12.20 p.m. the _Monarch_ ceased firing, signalling that she had driven about 200 soldiers out of the works. At 12.50 p.m. the _Penelope_ was ordered to get under way, and taking advantage of her light draught, to try to dismount the guns at Mex. She then weighed and proceeded in towards Mex Fort, firing at intervals. At 1.10 the windmills in the neighbourhood of the forts were seen to be full of soldiers, and the _Monarch_ was ordered to open fire on them with her light guns.

About 2 p.m. the Admiral, seeing that the gunners of the western battery of Mex had abandoned their guns, and that the supports had probably retired also, landed a party, under cover of the gun-vessels and gunboats, who destroyed with gun-cotton two 10-inch rifled guns, and spiked six smooth-bore guns in the right hand battery. The party returned without a casualty beyond the loss of one of their boats, which got capsized on the rocks, on an alarm (happily unfounded) being raised that some soldiers were approaching to attack the little force.

At 3.25 the _Penelope_ signalled to the Admiral that Fort Kamaria had its guns manned, though, from her insh.o.r.e position, the s.h.i.+p's guns would not bear on them. The Admiral, in consequence, directed the _Penelope_ to change her position and open fire on the fort. About the same time soldiers were observed transporting light guns into one of the Mex batteries, and the _Monarch_ was signalled to attack again. Both vessels promptly responded, and, steaming into position, poured in a devastating fire on the points indicated. At 5.30, there being no reply from the enemy, the inside squadron ceased firing. This concluded the operations of the day.

The casualties on board the s.h.i.+ps were but slight, amounting only to five killed and twenty-eight wounded--a fact to be attributed partly to the protection afforded by the armour plating of the s.h.i.+ps princ.i.p.ally engaged, and partly to the inaccurate fire of the enemy's batteries.[20]

A courageous act was reported from the _Alexandra_. In the course of the bombardment a lighted sh.e.l.l from one of the Egyptian batteries fell on the main deck of the vessel. Mr. Israel Harding, gunner, rushed for the missile all burning as it was, and immersed it in a bucket of water.[21]

The Egyptians, it must be allowed, were overmatched both in the size and number of the guns brought into action, but the way in which they responded to the heavy fire was marvellous. When the _Inflexible's_ 1,700 lb. projectiles struck the scarp of the Lighthouse Fort immediately underneath an embrasure they threw up a cloud of dust and fragments of stone as high as the Lighthouse itself. To the looker-on, it seemed impossible to live under such a fire, yet after a few minutes the dust would clear away, and the gun's crew would pluckily send another sh.e.l.l back at their huge opponent.

The Egyptian forces were under the immediate command of Toulba Pasha.

From the best sources of information accessible, it is gathered that the defences contained no less than 2,000 artillerymen, and of infantry and civilian volunteers there was no lack.

The disposition of these troops has not been accurately ascertained, but it is known that Mex was commanded by an adjutant-major, who had with him one captain, three lieutenants, and 150 men. Of this small number one lieutenant was mortally wounded, 50 men were killed, and 48 wounded.

Fort Omuk Kubebe, as already mentioned, was subjected to the _Inflexible's_ fire during the forenoon. Its garrison consisted of 75 artillerymen, aided by a considerable number of native volunteers.

Eighteen of these were wounded. In all, along the southern or inside line, from Saleh Aga to Marabout, 65 men were killed, and from 150 to 200 wounded.

In the northern line of defences at Ras-el-Tin, and also in Fort Adda, at least 50 men are believed to have been killed and 150 wounded, but the record is very vague. Stray pieces of sh.e.l.l are reported by the chief of police to have killed and wounded between 150 and 200 citizens, but this statement must be accepted for what it is worth.[22]

It is only fair to the other side to give the Egyptian narrative of the bombardment. The account published in the Arab paper _El Taif_, in Cairo, was as follows:

"WAR NEWS.--On Tuesday, 25 Shaban, 1299, at twelve o'clock in the morning (July 11th, 7 a.m.). The English opened fire on the forts of Alexandria, and we returned the fire. At 10 a.m. an ironclad foundered off Fort Adda. At noon two vessels were sunk between Fort Pharos and Fort Adjemi. At 1.30 p.m. a wooden man-of-war of eight guns was sunk.

"At 5 p.m. the large ironclad was struck by a sh.e.l.l from Fort Pharos, the battery was injured, and a white flag was immediately hoisted by her as a signal to cease firing at her, whereupon the firing ceased on both sides, having lasted for ten hours without cessation. Some of the walls of the forts were destroyed, but they were repaired during the night. The shots and sh.e.l.ls discharged from the two sides amounted to about 6,000, and this is the first time that so large a number of missiles has been discharged in so short a time.

"At 11 a.m. on Wednesday the English s.h.i.+ps again opened fire and were replied to by the forts, but after a short time the firing ceased on both sides, and a deputation came from Admiral Seymour and made propositions to Toulba Pasha, which he could not accept.