The advance of Platt's forces into Eritrea

Sketchmap of the Keren battlefield (not to scale)

The Battle of Keren (Cheren) was fought as part of the East African Campaign during World War II. The Battle of Keren was fought from 3 February 1941 to 1 April 1941 between the colonial Italian army defending Eritrea and the invading British and Commonwealth forces. In 1941, Keren was a town located in the Italian colony of Eritrea. Keren was of strategic importance to both the Italian and the British forces. The road and railway routes through Keren were the key to access the city of Asmara (colonial capital of Eritrea) and the Red Sea port of Massawa. Combatants United Kingdom Anglo-Egyptian Sudan British Somaliland British East Africa British India Gold Coast Nigeria N. Rhodesia S. Rhodesia Union of S. Africa Belgium Belgian Congo Free France Ethiopian irregulars Italy Italian East Africa German Motorized Company Commanders Archibald Wavell William Platt Alan Cunningham Duke of Aosta Guglielmo Nasi... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 682 pixel, file size: 130 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Hi ########, Im a big fan of wikipedia altough I never wrote articles for it, I just didnt know about the credit. ... is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links British_Raj_Red_Ensign. ... Anthem God Save The King-Emperor The British Indian Empire, 1909 Capital Calcutta (1858 - 1912) New Delhi (1912 - 1947) Language(s) Hindustani, English and many others Government Monarchy Emperor of India  - 1858-1901 Victoria¹  - 1901-1910 Edward VII  - 1910-1936 George V  - 1936 Edward VIII  - 1936-1947 George VI Viceroy... Image File history File links Flag_of_Free_France_1940-1944. ... Flag De Jure territory Capital Paris Capital-in-exile London, Algiers Government Republic Leader Charles de Gaulle Historical era World War II  - de Gaulles appeal June 18, 1940  - Liberation of Paris August, 1944 The Free French Forces (French: , FFL) were French fighters in World War II, who decided to... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy_(1861-1946). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Sir William Platt (born 1885; died 1975) was an officer in the British Army during World War I and World War II. Platt was educated at Marlborough College and Royal Military College, Sandhurst. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy_(1861-1946)_crowned. ... Fourth Indian division during world war two served first in egypt where with western desert force it fought the italians who had decided to invaded egypt. ... Indian 5th Infantry Division fought in several theatres of World War II and more than earned its nickname the Ball of Fire. Lord Louis Mountbatten said: When the Division came under my command in South-East Asia towards the end of 1943, it had already had three years hard fighting... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Combatants United Kingdom Anglo-Egyptian Sudan British Somaliland British East Africa British India Gold Coast Nigeria N. Rhodesia S. Rhodesia Union of S. Africa Belgium Belgian Congo Free France Ethiopian irregulars Italy Italian East Africa German Motorized Company Commanders Archibald Wavell William Platt Alan Cunningham Duke of Aosta Guglielmo Nasi... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... Keren is the third largest city in Eritrea, lying north west of Asmara, with a population of around 75,000 people. ... Asmara (English) (Geez: አሥመራ Asmera, formerly known as Asmera, or in Arabic: Asmaraa) is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 579,000 people. ... Location of the Red Sea The Red Sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ... Massawa in the 19th century Massawa or Mitsiwa (15° 36′ 33″ N 39° 26′ 43″ E) is a port on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. ...

Background

Originally colonised by the Italians in 1885, Eritrea was used as a staging ground for two Italian invasions of Ethiopia (or Abyssinia): The First Italo-Abyssinian War and the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. The second invasion was launched in 1935, four years before the outbreak of Word War II in 1939. The Italians conquered Ethiopia in 1936 and incorporated it into the Italian East African Empire. 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The First Italian-Abyssinian War was one of the very few instances of successful armed African resistance to European colonialism in the 19th century. ... Combatants Kingdom of Italy Ethiopian Empire Commanders Benito Mussolini Emilio De Bono Pietro Badoglio Rodolfo Graziani Haile Selassie Ras Imru Strength 800,000 combatants (only ~330,000 mobilized) ~250,000 combatants Casualties 10,000 killed1 (est. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Map of Italian East Africa Italian East Africa or Empire of Italian East Africa (Italian: Africa Orientale Italiana, AOI) was a short-lived (1936-1941) Italian colony in Africa consisting of Ethiopia (recently occupied after the Second Italo-Abyssinian War) and the colonies of Italian Somaliland and Eritrea. ...

Following the Italian declaration of War on 10 June 1940, the Italian dictator, Mussolini had ordered his troops to take aggressive action which had resulted in the capture of British Somaliland and border towns in the Sudan and Kenya. In response, the British had by early February 1941 built up a force of more than two divisions in Sudan and three in Kenya. The Sudan-based forces, commanded by Lieutenant-General William Platt and under the overall command of General Archibald Wavell (Commander-in-Chief British Middle East Command), had launched an attack into Eritrea through Kassala on 18 January and by 1 February had captured Agordat some 100 miles east of Kassala. Late on 30 January Gazelle Force, Indian 4th Infantry Division's mobile reconnaissance and fighting force commanded by Colonel Frank Messervy, was ordered to make pursuit of the enemy retreating down the road to Keren. is the 161st day of the year (162nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Benito Mussolini created a fascist state through the use of propaganda, total control of the media and disassembly of the working democratic government. ... Flag Capital Aden Religion Islam Political structure Protectorate History  - Established 1884  - Independence June 26, 1960  - Somaliland established 18 May, 1991 Currency British pound British Somaliland was a British protectorate in the north part of the Horn of Africa, and later part of Somalia and presently the unrecognized Republic of Somaliland. ... Sir William Platt (born 1885; died 1975) was an officer in the British Army during World War I and World War II. Platt was educated at Marlborough College and Royal Military College, Sandhurst. ... Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell (May 5, 1883 _ May 24, 1950) was a British General and the commander of British Army forces in the Middle East during World War II. He led British forces to victory over the Italians, only to be defeated by the German army. ... During World War II The British Middle East Command was based in Cairo with responsibility for the Middle East theatre which included North Africa, East Africa, Persia, the Middle East, and the British forces in the Balkans and Greece. ... Kassala is the capital of the state of Kassala in northeastern Sudan. ... is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Agordat (also Akordat or Akordat, Geez ኣቆርዳት) was the former capital of the now defunct Barka Province of Eritrea (present day Gash-Barka). ... is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Indian 4th Infantry Division a. ... General Sir Frank Messervy General Sir Frank Walter Messervy, KCSI, KBE, CB, DSO, (1893 - 1974) was a British officer in both the First and Second World Wars and was the first Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan Royal Army (15 August 1947 – 10 February 1948 or Aug 1948?). He became...

Keren had no built-in fortifications or defensive structures but it is surrounded on most sides by a jumble of steep granite mountains and sharp ridges which gave the defending forces on the high ground a distinct advantage whilst providing their artillery with perfect observation of any attacking formations. The narrow Dongolaas Gorge at 15°45′34″N 38°25′16.8″E / 15.75944, 38.421333 (Dongolaas Gorge) through which both the road and railway from Agordat to Keren passed was dominated on the south eastern side by the massif of Mount Zeban and Mount Falestoh on which stood the imposing defenses of Fort Dologorodoc at 15°45′14.9″N 38°25′30.6″E / 15.754139, 38.425167 (Fort Dologorodoc). The other side of the gorge was commanded by the mass of Mount Sanchil with a saddle of secondary summits, Brig's Peak, Hog's Back and Flat Top stretching north westwards towards Mount Sammana. In front of the Sanchil feature on its south western side was a secondary ridge, feature 1616, which became known as Cameron Ridge, overlooking the Ascidera Valley and the railway line.^[3] Keren is the third largest city in Eritrea, lying north west of Asmara, with a population of around 75,000 people. ...

Battle

First battle: 5 February - 8 February

At 8 a.m. on 1 February 1941, Gazelle Force was held up in crossing the River Baraka some 40 miles from Keren where the Ponte Mussolini had been blown and the approaches to the river heavily mined.^[4] By noon on 2 February however, they were across the river and winding up the Ascidera Valley until brought to a halt at the Dongolaas Gorge, some 4 miles from Keren, where the road had been blocked by the retreating Italians who had blown the overhanging crags to fill the gorge with boulders and rocks. is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

4th Indian Division's 11th Brigade arrived on 3 February, and having made reconnaissance the next day, launched their offensive to the left of the gorge on 5 February. The 2nd Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders fought their way to the top of the ridge, feature 1616, in front of Sanchil and the next night, 6 February, the 3rd/14th Punjab Regiment passed through them and advanced onto Brig's Peak but were counter attacked by the Savoy Grenadiers who forced them from their newly taken positions back towards Cameron Ridge which was being reinforced by 1st (Wellesley's) 6th Rajputana Rifles. The ridge became a focus of fighting for the next ten days. The ridge was overlooked in front by Sanchil, to the left by Mount Sammana and even from behind by other mountains along the Ascidera Valley. The Cameron Highlanders and Rajputana Rifles narrowly hung on to their positions despite being under near constant attack and having to carry all food, water and ammunition up 1,500 feet across the exposed terrain.^[5] is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

By 6 February 4th Indian Division's 5th Brigade had arrived. On 7 February they attacked the Dologorodoc feature east of the gorge, looping right through the Scescilembi Valley (sarcastically renamed the Happy Valley by the attacking troops) and then thrusting from the south east towrds the ridge joining Mount Zelele and Mount Falestoh, known as Acqua Col. On the night of 7 February a company of the 4th (Outram's) 6th Rajputana Rifles led by Subadar Richhpal Ram (who had assumed command when the company commander had been wounded) took the Col and held it until 04.30 when they ran out of ammunition and were driven back to the rest of the battalion on a lower feature. In turn, later on 8 February and having spent most of the day under heavy artillery and mortar fire, they were obliged to withdraw back to their starting positions.^[6] is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Subedar is a mid-level rank in the Indian Army and the Pakistan Army. ... is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Second battle: 10 February - 13 February

On 10 February afternoon 3rd/1st Punjab Regiment attacked Brig's Peak and by the morning of 11 February were on top of Sanchil. However, the requirement for men to handle and carry supplies, ammunition and wounded meant there were only two platoons to hold the feature.^[7] Having endured heavy shelling and mortar fire throughout the day, they were forced off Sanchil and Brig's Peak with heavy casualties by a determined counter attack from the Savoia Grenadiers. Once again the attackers were thrown onto desperate defence on Cameron Ridge. is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Despite the failure by the Punjabis to hold the important observation posts on Sanchil, the renewed attack on Acqua Col, planned for 12 February went ahead. 5th Division's 29th Brigade was brought up from Barentu and put under command of 4th Division's Major-General Beresford-Peirse and held in readiness to exploit the hoped-for break-through. At 05.30, supported by an intensive artillery barrage, 4th/6th Rajputana Rifles once again led the way. This time Richhpal Ram was less fortunate and having gained the crest, had a foot blown off and shortly thereafter was mortally wounded. He was warded a posthumous Victoria Cross for his exploits on the Col. Meanwhile, the 4th/11th Sikhs were pushing up around the side of Acqua Col but the overall attack could not be carried through, lacking the extra impact that might have come from the 2nd/5th Mahrattas which had been diverted to reinforce the hard-pressed defences on Cameron Ridge.^[7] is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Richhpal Ram was an Indian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ... For other uses, see Victoria Cross (disambiguation). ...

Third battle: 15 March - 27 March

Platt decided to pause, regroup and train before making a further attempt at Keren. Indian 5th Division's 10th Brigade had completed the mopping up around Agordat and were brought forward and its 9th Brigade, was able to be brought from Gallabat because the Italian forces at Metemma, realising the main British thrust was to the north, had withdrawn to Gondar and were no longer a threat to Gedaref. From the north, Briggs Force, comprising of two battalions from 4th Indian Division's 7th Brigade and two Free French battalions had arrived and provided not only a third potential direction of attack to occupy the Keren defenders but also created a threat to Massawa on the coast and pinning valuable reserves there.^[1] is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 86th day of the year (87th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Gallabat is a village in the Sudanese state of Al Qadarif. ... Metemma is a village in western Ethiopia, on the border with Sudan. ... Overview of the city with Fasilides castle in the center. ... The Free French Forces (Forces Françaises Libres in French) were French fighters who decided to go on fighting against Germany after the Fall of France and German occupation and to fight against Vichy France in World War II. General Charles de Gaulle was a member of the French Cabinet in... Massawa in the 19th century Massawa or Mitsiwa (15° 36′ 33″ N 39° 26′ 43″ E) is a port on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. ...

Plan of attack

The scene was set for a set-piece battle with Major-General Noel Beresford-Peirse's 4th Infantry Division concentrated on the Sanchil side of the gorge and Lewis Heath's 5th Infantry Division on the Happy Valley side. The Keren defences had been reinforced and amounted to 25,000 strong facing an attacking force which had grown to more than 13,000.^[1] Beresford-Pierce would launch 11th Brigade, expanded to five battalions under command, against the peaks of the Sanchil mass and 5th Brigade against Mount Sammana on the left of his front. Noel Monson de la Poer Beresford-Pierce, KBE CB DSO (Born 22nd December 1887 - Died 14th January 1953 ) was a British Army officer. ... Lieutenant-General Sir Lewis Macclesfield Heath, KBE, CB, CIE, DSO, MC (1885-1954) was a British Army officer and general during World War II. Having achieved some success as GOC 5th Indian Division during the East African Campaign, Heath was appointed to command III Indian Corps during the Battle of...

On the 5th Division front the Italian reinforcements on Dologorodoc meant Happy Valley was dominated by the defenders and the attackers' artillery had had to be withdrawn from their forward positions in the valley to safer locations. Without the artillery it was no longer considered practical to continue the flanking attack through Acqua Col to threaten the Dologorodoc lines of supply. Instead, Major-General Lewis Heath, determined that Fort Dologorodoc would be the key odjective for his Indian 5th Infantry Division. Gaining the fort would not only give the attacking forces the artillery observation post to direct fire on both sides of the gorge but would expose the reverse slopes of the Dologorodoc mass (which had been immune to his artillery fire and so a haven to the defenders for supplies and reserves) to direct fire from the fort.^[1][8] Lieutenant-General Sir Lewis Macclesfield Heath, KBE, CB, CIE, DSO, MC (1885-1954) was a British Army officer and general during World War II. Having achieved some success as GOC 5th Indian Division during the East African Campaign, Heath was appointed to command III Indian Corps during the Battle of...

The two offensives were planned to take place one after the other on 15 March so that the full force's artillery could be employed for the preliminary bombardment of them both. At the final meeting on 14 March with his commanders Platt said^[8] is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 73rd day of the year (74th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Platt attacks

At 07.00 on 15 March the British and Commonwealth troops of Indian 4th Infantry Division attacked from Cameron Ridge making for Sanchil, Brig's Peak, Hog's Back and the three peaks of Mount Sammana. Through the night of 15 March the battle ebbed and flowed with attack and counter-attack inflicting very heavy casualties on both sides.^[9] is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Meanwhile, on the right, Indian 5th Infantry Division launched its attack on the Dologorodoc feature at 10.30 on 15 March. 2nd Highland Light Infantry led the attack on the lower features ("Pimple" and "Pinnacle") but made no progress in the daylight because of fire from the overlooking Sanchil peak where the Italian defenders had resoloutly beaten off the 11th Brigade assault. They were pinned down, taking casualties and without supply until darkness provided the opportunity to withdraw.^[8] is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

By moonlight that evening the attack on Dologorodoc was taken up by 9th Brigade, now commanded by the recently promoted Brigadier Messervy. Heath and Messervy planned a near two battalion attack on Pimple and Pinnacle with a third battalion ready to pass through and strike for the fort.

The capture of Pinnacle that night by the 3rd/5th Mahratta Light Infantry led by Lieutenant-Colonel Denys Reid (with 3rd/12th Frontier Force Regiment less two companies under command to take Pimple) is described by Compton Mackenzie in Eastern Epic, his official history of the British Indian Army during the war, as The 12th Frontier Force Regiment was part of the British Indian Army . ... A group of native Indian Muslim soldiers posing for volley firing orders. ...

In the early hours of 16 February the defenders of Fort Dologorodoc made a fierce counterattack on Pinnacle and Pimple which went on for several hours. Crucially this left the defences at the fort weakened and whilst the counterattack was taking place, the 2nd West Yorkshire Regiment had made their way over a seemingly impossible knife-edge to surprise the fort's defenders and after a savage fight the fort was captured by 06.30.^[11][8] Finally, Platt had the artillery observation point so greatly needed. is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Through 16 March the Italians repeatedly counterattacked whilst 29 Brigade made an unsuccessful attack in the evening to Falestoh and Zeban which was abandoned after dark on 17 March^[11] after a day exposed to blistering heat, fierce fighting and no supply.^[8] is the 75th day of the year (76th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 76th day of the year (77th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Meanwhile on the Sanchil feature 4th Division, having been given 10th Brigade under command, continued to batter away to no avail. On the night of 17 March, having sustained heavy losses, they withdrew from the slopes of Sanchil and Brig's Peak and the damaged 10th Brigade returned to 5th Division to reform. 4th Indian Division continued to hold Hog's Back and Flat Top. Over the next three days the Italian forces continued to make fierce counter-attacks on both sides of the gorge involving desperate, often hand to hand, fighting.^[12] is the 76th day of the year (77th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Final assault

Platt and his commanders decided that the supreme attack should be made through the Dongolaas Gorge. Heath felt that because of its physical defensive advantages, the Italians may have neglected their defenses. During the nights of 16 March and 17 March escorted engineers reconnoitered the road block and attempted to make a start to clear it. This failed because of interfering fire from the Italian lines. However, the information gathered made clear to Heath that the key to the gorge was not Sanchil but two smaller features (informally named the Railway Bumps) which overlooked the roadblock and could be approached with much less opposition along the railway line from the tunnel below Cameron Ridge.^[13] is the 75th day of the year (76th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 76th day of the year (77th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

An attack on the defenders at the head of the gorge was planned to give the sappers and miners the 48 hours they needed free of interference from mortar and machine-gun fire required to clear the road. For this Heath would need his full division and had to wait until 10th Brigade had refitted after its mauling on the Sanchil feature. The plan was for 10th Brigade to advance into the gorge whilst 9th Brigade (which was holding the Fort Dologorodoc positions) would move down to take three smaller hills overlooking the far end of the gorge and 29th Brigade would then attack to take Mount Zeban and beyond it to the east Mount Canabai, which looked down on Keren and guarded the road to Asmara. Command of 10th Brigade was taken over by one of Heath's divisional staff officers, Thomas "Pete" Rees whilst his predecessor, Lieutenant-Colonel Bernard Fletcher was released to form Fletcher Force, a mobile force comprising Central India Horse and twelve Matilda II tanks, which would be used to exploit the planned break-through in the gorge and move rapidly into the defenders' rear position and attack their reserves.^[13] Thomas Wynford Rees CB, CIE, DSO, MC, DL (born 1899; died 1959) was an officer in the British army and the Indian Army during World War I, the inter-war years, World War II, and post-war. ... Bernard Campbell Fletcher (born 1898) was an officer in the British Indian Army during World War II. During the East African Campaign, Brigadier Fletcher commanded both the Indian 10th Infantry Brigade and the Indiab 9th Infantry Brigade, both of the Indian 5th Infantry Division. ... The Central India Horse is a tank regiment of the Indian Army. ...

On 24 March diversionary attacks were made on Sanchil whilst just before midnight the West Yorkshires and the 3rd/5th Mahrattas in Fort Dologorodoc moved down to take the lower hills overlooking the gorge. The West Yorkshires were able to take their hill unopposed but the Mahrattas met heavy opposition which was well dug-in. However, by 07.30 all three hills were taken and the gorge's defenses on its south eastern side silenced.^[13] is the 83rd day of the year (84th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

At 03.00 on 25 March the 2nd Highland Light Infantry and the 4th/10th Baluch Regiment on their right advanced from the shelter of the railway tunnel, prviously cleared by the sappers and miners, up the gorge. A 100 gun artillery bombardment was raining down on the ridge on Sanchil above and the attack in the gorge achieved complete surprise, with the defenders' attention focused on Sanchil. The 3rd/2nd Punjab Regiment then advanced between the Baluchis and the West Yorkshires to finally clear the gorge. By 05.30 the railway bumps and most of the objectives were captured and the defenders no longer held positions from which to direct fire into the gorge below.^[14],^[13] is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The sappers and miners laboured on the road while the battles on the Sanchil and Dologorodoc features continued. By midday 26 March they had completed remaking the road through the gorge.^[14] March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

In the early hours of 27 March the British artillery turned onto Zeban and Falstoh. 29th Brigade passed through 9th Brigade's positions to launch their attack at 04.30 but when they made their assault, found the defenders had withdrawn and were able to occupy Falestoh Ridge and the two Zeban summits unopposed.^[13] is the 86th day of the year (87th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Italian position was now untenable and by first light the RAF was reporting their withdrawal along the road from Keren to Asmara. The defenders on the Sanchil ridge were less fortunate and now effectively cut off the Savoia Grenadiers and Bersaglieri were left with no option but surrender. Fletcher Force was in Keren by 10.30 and was then sent in pusuit along the Asmara road.^[13]

Aftermath

Determined Italian troops retreated to Adi Tekelezan. Their new position, however, was considerably less tenable than Keren had been, and Italian forces finally surrendered to British forces on 1 April 1941. Within a week of the Italian surrender at Adi Tekelezan, both Asmara and Massawa were surrendered despite orders from Italian dictator Benito Mussolini to continue to fight. Adi Tekelezan (in Tigrinya, Ad Tekelezan in Tigre) is a small town in the Anseba region of Eritrea. ... is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... Asmara (English) (Geez: አሥመራ Asmera, formerly known as Asmera, or in Arabic: Asmaraa) is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 579,000 people. ... Massawa in the 19th century Massawa or Mitsiwa (15° 36′ 33″ N 39° 26′ 43″ E) is a port on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. ... Mussolini redirects here. ...

Massawa, fallen due to the loss of Keren, was subsequently used as a staging port for both British and American naval forces. Massawa in the 19th century Massawa or Mitsiwa (15° 36′ 33″ N 39° 26′ 43″ E) is a port on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. ...

The battle is still today considered a positive episode in Italian military history, despite its outcome, thanks to the bravery of the Italian and colonial troops and the skilled leadership shown by the defeated commander, General Carnimeo. In the account of the battle written in Eastern Epic, Compton Mackenzie wrote: The military history of Italy chronicles a vast time period, lasting from the overthrow of Tarquinius Superbus in 509 BC, through the Roman Empire, Italian unification, and into the modern day. ... A drawing of an East African Askari in German service by Wilhelm Kuhnert Askari is an Arabic, Turkish, Persian and Swahili word meaning soldier (Arabic: ‘askarī). It was normally used to describe indigenous troops in East Africa and the Middle East serving in the armies of European colonial powers. ...

See also

• Order of Battle, East African Campaign (World War II)

The Order of Battle, East African Campaign (World War II) shows the ground forces available on both sides in East Africa when the Italians declared war. ...

References

• Brett-James, Antony (1951). Ball of fire - The Fifth Indian Division in the Second World War. Gale & Polden, 481 pages. 
• Dear, I.C.B.; Foot, M.R.D. (eds) [1995] (2005). Oxford Companion to World War II. Oxford University Press, USA, 1064 pages. ISBN 978-0192806703. 
• Mackenzie, Compton (1951). Eastern Epic. Chatto & Windus, London, pp.52-64. 

"The Brits Enter, the Italians Exit", The Eritrean Newsletter, Vol. 1, No. 34. (1979) Sir (Edward Montague) Compton Mackenzie, (1883–1972), was an Scottish novelist. ...

Footnotes

Italian military cemetery