They all knew of the example made of the city of Alexandria when in 1882, this other Eastern City was bombarded for six hours without pause by the Imperial Navy. There may even been a few grizzled veterans among the Sultans' foreign artillery men who had seen action against the British in that battle some 14 years earlier.
Wote walijua mfano ulifanywa wa jiji la Alexandria ambapo mwaka 1882, hili jiji lingine la mashariki lilishambuliwa kwa saa sita mfululizo bila kupumzika na Jeshi la Maji la Uingereza. Huenda kulikuwa na maveteran/wazoefu wachache wazee mingoni mwa wanamizinga wa kigeni wa Sultan ambao walikuwa wameona hatua dhidi ya waingereza katika mapambano hayo miaka 14 hapo kabla.