Battle of Shire

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict= Battle of Shire
partof= the Second Italo-Abyssinian War


caption=
date= 29 February - 2 March 1936
place= Shire Province, Ethiopia
result= Decisive Italian victory, destruction of Ethiopian army of the left in the north
combatant1=
combatant2=
commander1=
commander2=
strength1=Approximately 47,000
strength2=Approximately 23,500
casualties1=Approx. 1,000 killed and wounded
casualties2=Approx. 4,000 killed and wounded
Almost entire army ultimately neutralized as a fighting force

The Battle of Shire was a battle fought on the northern front of what was known as the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. This battle consisted of attacks and counterattacks by Italian forces under Marshal Pietro Badoglio and Ethiopian forces under Ras Imru. This battle was primarily fought in what was the Shire Province of Ethiopia.

Background

On 3 October 1935, General Emilio De Bono advanced into Ethiopia from Eritrea without a declaration of War. De Bono had a force of approximately 100,000 Italian soldiers and 25,000 Eritrean soldiers to advance towards Addis Ababa. In November, after a brief period of inactivity and minor setbacks for the Italians, De Bono was replaced by Badoglio.

Emperor Haile Selassie I launched the Christmas Offensive late in the year to test Badoglio. By mid-January 1936, Badoglio was ready to renew the advance on the Ethiopian capital. Badoglio overwhelmed the armies of ill-armed and uncoordinated Ethiopian warriors with mustard gas, tanks, and heavy artillery. [John Laffin. "Brassey's Dictionary of Battles", pg. 28]

Preparation

In early January 1936, the Ethiopian forces were in the hills everywhere overlooking the Italian positions and launching attacks against them on a regular basis. Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was impatient for an Italian offensive to get under way and for the Ethiopians to be swept from the field. In response to his frequent exhortations, Badoglio cabled Mussolini: "It has always been my rule to be meticulous in preparation so that I may be swift in action." [Barker, A. J., "The Rape of Ethiopia 1936", p. 59]

The Ethiopians facing the Italians were in three groupings. In the center, near Abbi Addi and along the Beles River in the Tembien, were Ras Kassa with approximately 40,000 men and Ras Seyoum with about 30,000 men. On the Ethiopian right was Ras Mulugeta and his army of approximately 80,000 men in positions atop Amba Aradam. Ras Imru with approximately 40,000 men was on the Ethiopian left in the area around Seleclaca in the Shire Province. [Barker, A. J., "The Rape of Ethiopia 1936", p. 55]

Badoglio had five army corps at his disposal. On his right, he had the Italian IV Corps and the Italian II Corps facing Ras Imru in the Shire. In the Italian center was the Eritrean Corps facing Ras Kassa and Ras Seyoum in the Tembien. Facing Ras Mulugeta atop Amba Aradam was the Italian I Corps and the Italian III Corps. [Barker, A. J., "The Rape of Ethiopia 1936", p. 55]

Initially, Badoglio saw the destruction of Ras Mulugeta's army as his first priority. Mulugeta's force would have to be dislodged from its strong positions on Amba Aradam in order for the Italians to continue the advance towards Addis Ababa. But Ras Kassa and Ras Seyoumm were exerting such pressure from the Tembien that Badoglio decided that he would have to deal with them first. If the Ethiopian center was successful, the I Corps and III Corps facing Mulugeta would be cut off from reinforcement and resupply. [Barker, A. J., "The Rape of Ethiopia 1936", p. 59]

From 20 January to 24 January, the First Battle of Tembien was fought. The outcome of this battle was inconclusive, but the threat Ras Kassa posed to the I Corps and III Corps was neutralized.

From 10 February to 19 February, the Battle of Amba Aradam was fought. The outcome of this battle was a decisive Italian victory and the destruction of the army of Ras Mulugeta.

From 27 February to 29 February, the Second Battle of Tembien was fought. The outcome of this battle was a decisive Italian victory and the destruction of the armies of Ras Kassa and Ras Seyoum.

Battle

On 29 February, Badoglio launched the Battle of Shire using the Italian II Corps and the Italian IV Corps. But, after the defeat of Ras Kassa and Ras Seyoum, Ras Imru had already decided to withdraw and avoid being trapped. [Barker, A. J., "The Rape of Ethiopia 1936", p. 87]

The II Corps advanced from Axum to an area thirty miles south of the town where forces of Ras Imru were known to be operating. At the same time. the IV Corps moved south from the Eritrean border on Ras Imru's left flank. The ground both forces traversed was very rough and very inhospitable with few roads. At one point the II Corps was unexpectedly attacked while its units were strung out all along a single road. They were forced to fight in old-fashioned infantry squares and the Ethiopians were only driven off when the full weight of the heavy artillery and the Royal Air Force ("Regia Aeronautica") were brought to bear. The Italians then set up defensive positions much to the annoyance of Badoglio. [Barker, A. J., "The Rape of Ethiopia 1936", p. 87]

On 2 March, the advance of the II Corps began again but was stopped the same day when they ran into Ras Imru's rear-guard. By the time the artillery and air force were ready the next morning, the Ethiopians were gone. Neither the II Corps nor the IV Corps managed to close the trap on Ras Imru and, for all intents and purposes, the Battle of Shire was formally over as his army retreated to join up with Haile Selassie. [Barker, A. J., "The Rape of Ethiopia 1936", p. 87]

Aftermath

When the Royal Army ("Regio Esercito") did not succeed in destroying Ras Imru's army, Badoglio turned the job over to the Royal Air Force as was by now common practice. On 3 March and 4 March, Italian airplanes dropped 80 tons of high explosive and incendiary bombs on Imru's army as it crossed the Takkaze River. Beyond the river, the Ethiopians faced a rain of deadly mustard gas and strafing by low flying fighters. When the II Corps crossed the Takkaze days later, the effectiveness of the Italian air arm was made apparent by the thousands of putrefying corpses. [Barker, A. J., "The Rape of Ethiopia 1936", p. 91]

Ras Imru escaped the destructive attacks by the Royal Air Force with approximately 10,000 men only to have most of them slip away when the opportunity presented itself. By the time Imru reached Debra Markos, he was accompanied only by the 300 men of his personal bodyguard. His progress had been so slowed by constant harassment by the Italians that the Battle of Maychew was over before he could join the Emporer. [Barker, A. J., "The Rape of Ethiopia 1936", p. 87]

See also

* Ethiopian Order of Battle Second Italo-Abyssinian War
* Army of the Ethiopian Empire
* Italian Order of Battle Second Italo-Abyssinian War
* Royal Italian Army

Sources

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References