BRITISH FORCE IN ACTION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 47, 13 July 1912, Page 4

BRITISH FORCE IN ACTION

AMBUSH IX HIGH GKASS. London, May 18. Details have reached London of the fighting against the Anauk tribe in the remote south of tho Soudan, in which two British officers, five Egyptian officers and thirty-seven non-commissioned officers and men were killed. Although the enemy were put to flight the position of the British force was at one time critical. The column reached the River Oboth on March li, and on the morning of March 15 marched south-east at daybreak along the north river bank. Shortly after the start smoke from the enemy's villages on the river bank waa seen ahead, and it was observed that there was a thick belt of forest extending from these villages at right angles to the river for about a mile inland. The mounted infantry, who formed the advanced guard, sent back information that the enemy were holding this line of forest. They then moved off half left with tho intention of turning the enemy's right flank. When about one and a-half miles distant from the main body tho grass became very thick and high l , and Bimbashi (Major) Lichtenberg, M.1., found himself at close quarters with the enemy. He gave the order to dismount and sent the horses hack, but the Anauks, who were in greatly superior numbers, at once opened fire from all sides at point-blank range, and after a most gallant resistance, in which many of the enemy were killed, Bimbashi Lichtenberg, Yubashi Ahmed Kamel, Mulazem Awal, Abd-el-'Megid Ismail, Mulazim Tani Sayed, Ibrahim Barakiit, and thirty-seven non-commissioned officers and men were killed and three men wounded. . Simultaneously with this attack on the mounted infantry firing broke out all along the enemy's line, and our main' body became hotly engaged with a force vastly superior in numbers, a large percentage of whom were armed with good rifles, which they knew well how to use. Casualties occurred, and Bimbashi (Major) Kinahan, 13th Soudanese, was killed. All troops without exception behaved with the greatest coolness and bravery, the firing being steady and well aimed, and the, gun (74cm. Krupp) in particular making excellent practice. After the fight had been in progress about an hour and a-half the 13th Soudanese charged, bayonetting some of the enemy in front of them, while the remainder fled back to the forest and disappeared, leaving many rifles and much ammunition behind. The wounded were then brought in and the column advanced to the village on the bank, where it "baribaed". and parties were sent out to bury the dead. The number of dead bodies of the enemy actually found were nearlj 100, but many more must have perished in the thick grass and bush. El Miralai Levenson Bey marched) slowly back via Bonjak to Akobo Post, which place the column reached oa. March 22. Nothing further was seen of. the eneinv.