CHAPTER XLII

THE BOMBARDMENT OF ALEXANDRIA

BRITISH BROADSIDES AND EGYPTIAN FORTS - HOW ADMIRAL SEYMOUR SPIKED THE GUNS

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A. D. 1882

ARLY in May, 1882, Egypt, a province of the Ottoman Em

pire nominally, but practically independent, was found in a state of revolution. The khedive informed the representatives of the foreign powers that Mahmoud Pasha, President of the Council of Ministers, had used language of a most insulting nature with reference to their consuls, and uttered threats against all European residents. On being questioned by the consuls, Mahmoud denied the accusation, and proposed to resign; thus a split in the Cabinet appeared imminent, and the name of the now wellknown Arabi Pasha became prominent as his probable successor.

Goaded on by him, the Egyptian Ministry attempted to override the authority of the khedive, and to usurp his supreme functions, with the view, it was believed, of replacing Mohammed Tewfik Pasha by himself (Arabi) on the khedivial throne. Arabi had the boldness to summon an assembly of the Notables by his own order an act which was competent for no one save the khedive himself.

Such was the commencement of the Anglo-Egyptian war; but other issues were involved, particularly that of the Suez Canal, .which England desired kept open for the benefit of her Indian commerce. There was then no direct evidence to show that Arabi contemplated serious interference with it. Yet he had inscribed on his banners: "Egypt for the Egyptians!" and ere long a plot for the complete destruction of the Suez Canal was discovered-the plan of a Russian officer.

On June 11, the populace of Alexandria, one of the most turbulent in the world, broke into savage riots. Matters went from bad to worse: the khedive became the puppet of Arabi, Europeans in hundreds fled the country, while a powerful British squadron, under the command of Admiral Seymour, looked on.

Meanwhile says H. W. Wilson, in the following excellent account of the bombardment which ensued-it was noticed from the ships that the fortifications which line the southern shore were being strengthened by the Egyptians, and that numerous guns were being mounted. These works bore on the ships, and threatened the ships. Thereupon a polite communication was addressed to the Egyptian government, requesting the stoppage of all defensive works, under penalty of bombardment. In reply, the admiral was assured that no such works were being constructed, and profuse appeals were made to his humanity. These were backed up by the foreign consuls, with the warning that a bombardment would be certain to destroy neutral property. Admiral Seymour was by no means convinced by these assurances; the works could be seen progressing night after night; and very wisely he kept a sharp lookout upon the Egyptians, making quiet reconnaissances during the day on land, and using his searchlights after dark. The arming of the forts was continued with the frankest impudence, and by the "Alexandra's" projectors soldiers could be seen busily employed on the works. The matter came to a head when Lieutenant Smith-Dorrien, while ashore on leave, noticed two guns being mounted upon Fort Silsileh. He submitted an affirmation to the admiral, on the strength of which a council of war was held on board the "Helicon," and the decision to forward an ultimatum to the Egyptians was arrived at. The Egyptians were therefore warned that unless the batteries on Ras-el-Tin and the south side of the harbor were "temporarily surrendered for purposes of disarmament," the British squadron would attack them. To this, with more virtuous protestations, Ragheb Pasha replied that he would dismount three guns on the batteries named. An exodus of foreigners who yet remained in the city began at once.

Admiral Seymour was not the man to be cajoled with delusory assurances. Finding that the Egyptians had no intention of com

plying, on July 10 he informed them that if the works were not given up at once he would bombard on the 11th. All that day neutral shipping was leaving the harbor, while there was a bustle of preparation on board the English ships. In the course of the morning Ragheb Pasha came off to the "Invincible" to ask, indignantly, what all this meant. He was informed of the English demands and departed disconcerted. The British ironclads began to take up their stations, and one by one the foreign men-of-war present left the harbor, while the British ships' bands played them out. The telegraph ship "Chiltern," which was in port, had picked up the submarine cables to Malta and Cyprus, establishing an office on board.

The English fleet off Alexandria was a formidable one. The flagship "Alexandra" could fire ahead two 25-ton and two 18-ton guns, and on the broadside, one 25-ton and five 18-ton guns. The weight of her broadside was 2,592 pounds. She had a complete armor-belt on the water-line and good protection on her central battery. She was fully rigged. The "Inflexible" was marked by extensive unarmored ends, while in a citadel in the center of the ship all the protection and armament were concentrated. She mounted four 81-ton guns in two turrets, placed en échelon, so that all four could fire ahead or through a limited arc on either broadside. She was the first ship in the British navy to carry compound armor. Her broadside weighed 6,880 pounds, and her guns and turrets were worked by hydraulic power. The "Sultan" was an inferior "Alexandra," firing ahead two 12-ton guns, and on the broadside four 18-ton and two 12-ton guns. The weight of one discharge from these was 2,152 pounds. The "Superb" was in general outline similar to the "Sultan," and, like her, was fully rigged. She brought eight 18-ton guns to bear on the broadside, firing projectiles of the weight of 3,280 pounds. The "Temeraire" was a ship of remarkable design, combining the central battery with barbettes fore and aft. In each of these barbettes was mounted a 25-ton gun on the Woolwich disappearing carriage, which brings the gun down out of sight by the force of the recoil, after it has been fired. Ahead, she brought to bear three 25-ton guns, and on the broadside three 25-ton and two 18-ton guns. The

weight of her broadside was 2,438 pounds. She was fully rigged. The "Invincible," carrying Admiral Seymour's flag, was a smaller vessel than the preceding. She fired ahead two 124-ton guns and

on the broadside five, while the weight of metal thrown was 1,280 pounds. The "Penelope," the smallest ironclad engaged, fired four 9-ton guns, and 716 pounds weight of metal on the broadside. Her armor was only 4 inches thick on the battery. She was masted and rigged like the "Invincible." The "Monarch" was a seagoing masted turret-ship, mounting four 25-ton guns in two turrets placed on the center line. In her forecastle two 12-ton guns were mounted, and in her poop one of 9-tons. Her broadside weighed 2,887 pounds. The armor carried by the ships ranged from 24 inches thick on the "Inflexible," to 4 inches on the "Penelope." The guns were muzzle-loaders of the Armstrong pattern, though these were supplemented by numerous 20-pounder breech-loaders, small quick-firers of Nordenfelt make, and Gatling machine-guns. From their great draught of water, the ironclads. were not well suited for operations off the shallow Egyptian coast. Five drew twenty-six feet or over, and only the "Penelope" less than twenty feet. In all, they brought to bear on the broadside, four 81-ton, eight 25-ton, nineteen 18-ton, eight 12-ton, five 9-ton, and numerous smaller guns. The weight of one discharge on the broadside from the heavy guns was about 22,500 pounds, divided among forty-four projectiles.

Assisting the ironclads were five unarmored gunboats, the "Beacon," "Bittern," "Condor," "Cygnet," and "Decoy,' mounting 4-ton and 64-pounder muzzle-loaders, with small breech-loaders. The "Helicon," a dispatch vessel, completed the tale of English ships.

The forts which were to be attacked extended from east to west, in a direct line eight miles. First came Forts Ajemi and Marabout, which were not engaged by the ironclads. Then succeeded Marsa-el-Khanat, Mex, with its extended lines, Kamaria, Oom-el-Kubebe, and Saleh Aga, all to the south of the harbor. To the north, the anchorage is inclosed by the splendid breakwater completed in 1874, and the T-shaped peninsula, of which Ras-el-Tin forms the eastern arm. On this was a formidable series of works,

beginning with the Lighthouse Fort, to which succeeded the Rasel-Tin lines. Further along came Fort Ada, on a small island connected with the mainland by a causeway, and then Fort Pharos, a fine castellated structure, of most imposing appearance. Between this and Fort Silsileh lies the New Harbor, which can only be used by vessels of light draught. Fort Kamaria took no part in the action with the fleet, and Fort Marsa received not a shot. With the exception of Fort Pharos, the works were low and of irregular trace. The parapets of the heavy rifled guns had regular embrasures, but the smooth-bore guns fired en barbette, over the parapet, that is to say, and consequently their crews were very much exposed to the English shrapnel. Behind all the forts, or inside them, were buildings, such as shell-stores and magazines, showing above the parapets, and offering an excellent target to the ships. The older forts were built of very soft limestone, which could easily be cut with sharp tools, and the mortar used was lime with a superfluity of sand. This masonry, if such we may call it, was backed with sand, and the parapets were of sand, sloping at an angle of thirty degrees. The magazines were mere shell-traps, abominably constructed, with open ventilators, down which any projectile could drop, conspicuous lightning conductors, and iron floors. The total number of guns mounted reached forty-four rifles, 211 smoothbores, and thirty-eight mortars. The rifles were mostly Armstrong muzzle-loaders, and included five 10-inch (18 ton) guns, eighteen 9-inch, fourteen 8-inch, and four 7-inch weapons, with three 40pounder breech-loaders. The weight of one discharge was about 9,400 pounds from the rifles, in forty-four projectiles. The smoothbore guns were antiquated weapons, on most indifferent carriages, and could not under any circumstances be expected to perforate the thinnest armor afloat in the English fleet.

The Egyptians had abundance of ammunition, though from the way in which their shells dropped short of the English ships or flew over them, it is probable either that their powder was not in good condition, or that the charges were carelessly weighed out. They had plenty of submarine mines, but owing to the presence of the ironclads inside the harbor, and the vigilance of Admiral Seymour, had not been able to lay any down. Thus one complica