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Re: Question about Khartoum's Defenses

In detail:
https://tabletopdeutschland.com/2012/12/07/khartoum-im-sudan/

The article deals not only with the fortifications, but also with what the city's buildings looked like and how life was. The illustrations could be very useful, too. You might want to use an online translator just like I did for the following. Regards, Pa

"Defenses

The barely significant defenses of the city, which were created in the summer of 1883 under the leadership of Governor-General Abd-al-Qadir Pasha Hilmi, was only after the destruction of the army under Hicks Pasha in conditions and expanded. A ditch and wall of 4,500 meters in length had been placed in a semicircle around the city. When Gordon reached the city, the plant had a length of about 6,000 meters. The two ends of this defensive system hit the Blue Nile to the northwest and the White Nile to the east, securing the city from an attack from the south and southwest. However, large parts of the Wall were destroyed by the Nile flood in the West. The defense system consisted of a ditch, a small embankment and a mound, which had a catwalk on the inside. At regular intervals, a total of four bastions were set up, which enabled firing along the entire ramparts thanks to their advanced ramparts. The city could be entered through three gates, which initially consisted only of a passage in the wall and a small wooden bridge. The trench over which these bridges led was 2 to 3 meters deep and 4 meters wide. The embankment behind it had a wall thickness of about one meter and the final wall a height of 2.5 meters, and a depth of 5 meters.

About a mile east of the city on the banks of the White Nile, people came across the small river settlement Burri. In this direction, the ring wall of the city fortification had a passage, which was expanded under Gordon as gate, the Burri gate. He had iron gates inserted and destroy the wooden bridge that led across the ditch. 150 meters beyond the rampart was Fort Burri to the east, a square earth fortress with bastions at each of the four corners that enclosed several two-storey buildings. On the open space between the city's dwellings and the defensive war stood several barracks and arsenals. From the Burri Gate further west, after 1000 meters you will come across the Masallamiya ( Messalamieh ) gate and bastion of the same name. This was the main access to the city and for this reason Gordon left the wooden bridge intact.

Another 1,000 meters to the west lay the Kalakla Gate and, as with the other gates, the associated bastion, which usually secured it about 200 meters away from the entrance. Finally, after another 1,000 meters, we reached the fourth bastion, which had no name and marked the highest point of the summer flood. Behind it were 1,500 meters further wall and ditch systems, but most of them were flooded or destroyed. At both ends of the defenses, where they encountered the rivers, two or three riverbanks armored with wood and metal plates were moored in the water. They were equipped with light guns and a wooden tower for riflemen.

Before the Wall Graben system, several other defenses were set up. Directly in front of the ditch was a barbed wire fence and tripwires, followed by three rows of improvised land mines. It was followed by a broad strip of broken glass and one with scattered crow's feet.

In addition to the defenses in the south, there were also some military facilities to the north. On the headland at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile was Fort Mogahran . This fort was relatively simple, made of earth and clay and of course exposed to the high water of the summer. On the other side of the river to the west was the Omdurman Fort, which had been particularly elaborately expanded by its exposed location. The walls were made of stone and the whole complex was enthroned on a V-shaped embankment above the river. Opposite the governor's palace, on the north bank of the Blue Nile, was the "northern" fort. Here stood two two-storey buildings, which were secured by a square wall with corner bastions."

Re: Question about Khartoum's Defenses

This is a terrific article, both interesting on its own and very helpful for cobbling together the relevant wargaming terrain and structures. Thanks so much for pointing me there.