Senussi cavalry charging
48. The frontlines in 1921: North Africa and the Middle East -1-
As Spain was mustering and organizing the units that were to fight in France as part of the
Cuerpo Expedicionario Español (CEE - Spanish Expeditionary Corps) two rebellions burst out, one in Morocco and the other one in Libya. It happened in avery delicate moment, as the attention of the government was fixed in Europe and the transition form the premiership of Canalejas to Romamones was in full swing. Furthermore, the two uprisings took the government and the military completely by surprise. By then the Spanish army of Africa was made up by 24,776 soldiers: 19,756 were Spaniards and 5,020 were local troops.
On July 22, 1921, the Riff tribes of Beni Ulixek, Beni Said and Temsaman, whose loyalty had been bought during the creation of the Spanish Protectorate in Morocco, rose in arms against the colonial rule. Soon the situation spiralled out of control when, three days later, Abd-el-Krim led a general uprising in the Protectorate. The 3,000 strong garrison of Annual, led by Colonel Morales Reinoso , saw itself isolated when the fortified post of Ben Tieb was overwhelmed by 2,500 Riffian fighters, thus cutting the supply line between the Spanish positions of Annual and Melilla. However, this dangerous situation was aborted when forces of the Tercio (1) retook Ben Tieb on July 24. Then Abd-el-Krim began harassing the Spanish positions around Annual with ambushes. The Spaniards responded by dismantling their isolated small posts of Monte Abarrán, Sidi Dris, Abarran, Igueriben, Azru, Cheif and Buhafora to concentrating the forces present in the area in the fortified positions of Annual and Dar Drius. This move proved to be a mistake as it reinforced the morale of the Riffians and more tribes joined Abd-el-Krim. By August 2, 5,000 Spanish soldiers were trapped in Annual. Then, on August 6, 15,000 Riffians attacked Dar Drius, defended by 3,000 men led by Colonel Enrique Salcedo. After two days of heavy fighting, the fort was overrun, and only 120 survivors escaped to the nearby post at Dar Azugaj. 1,500 soldiers were taken prisoner, the remainder killed or missing.
The garrison of Tistulin, at the very end of the railwaythat departed from Melilla, was reinforced with an infantry batallion, while a relief force assembled at Monte Arruit under the command of General Felipe Navarro. It was made up by an infantry regiment and two Moroccan
tabores (2). This task force launched an intelligence raid, capturing prisoners who said a massive Riffian offensive was planned. Thus, General Manuel Fernandez Silvestre, in command of the Command of Melilla, ordered Reinoso at Annual to destroy his heavy equipment and evacuate towards Dar Drius. The plan was that Navarro would fight its way north from Titstulin to Dar Drius, to retake and hold it long enough to link up with the Annual garrison. On August 16, the Navarro task force set out from Monte Arruit. However, Abd-el-Krim had concentrated ten thousand men and several machine guns and guns around Dar Drius and rebuffed Navarro, who had to pull back and wait for rinforcements. Then Navarro renewed the attack on August 18, pushing soouthwest to baypass Dar Drius as the enemy numbers were overwhelming.
Meanwhile, Colonel Reinoso's group began to march in column from the Annual encampmentg on August 17; contrary to orders he took with him his heavy equipment. The group's movement was slowed by Riffian ambushes. After bitter fighting, they finally abandoned their heavy equipment and linked up with Navarro in the hills around Dar Azugaj on August 20. The only cavalry unit, the
Cazadores de Alcántara, conducted a fighting retreat to protect the rearguard. At Afrau, on the coast, Spanish warships were able to evacuate the garrison. At Zoco el Telata de Mtalsa in the south, Spanish troops and civilians were able to retreat to the French Zone. Under constant pressure from the enmy, the Spamish column retreated some 80 km to the fortified encampment of
Monte Arruit, located south of Melilla. Here General Navarro made a stand even if he was surrounded and cut off from supplies. However, the Riffian forces had largely dispersed following the capture of Annual, leaving Abd-el-Krim with insufficient men to lay siege to Monte Arruit. In addition, citizens of other European nations were living in Melilla, and he did not wish to risk international intervention. It was too late, as Spain quickly assembled about 14,000 reinforcements from elite units of the Army of Africa and transferred to Melilla by sea, these reinforcements enabled the city to be held and Monte Arruit to be rescued by early September.
By then, Spain had lost 4,800 soldiers killed and wounded, 2,000 missing or captured and 1,000 Moroccan soldiers killed, wounded or captured. Rif casualties were reportedly 1,400. Materiel lost by the Spanish, in the summer of 1921 and especially in the Battle of Annual, included 5,000 rifles, 1,600 carbines, 20 machine guns, 200 horses, 150 mules, 50 cannons, and a large quantity of ammunition.
Abd el Krim remarked later: "
In just one night, Spain supplied us with all the equipment which we needed to carry on a big war." Some sources state that Germany had supplied the Riffians with 20,000 Mauser rifles and 100 MG08 machine guns.
Retreat of the Spanish troops to Melilla after the battle of Annual
Meawnhile, in Libya, the Ottoman Empire decided to take revenge from the humilliation suffered in 1916 and, with German support, Turkish and German offciers made their way to at Siwa Oasis to met a Senussi force of 5,000 combatants, supported by mountain guns and machine-guns, led by the Grand Senussi Ahmed Sharif as-Senussi himself. They were to attack Tobruk. Thus, on 15 August, just as Annual was close to be abandoned, the Senussi opened fire against Sollum with artillery and machine-guns. Suddenly, as the first shells rained against the defences of Tobruk, several Spanish patrols were ambushed outside of Badia, Tripoli and Bengazhi in the following days. The worst was to come on August 30, when a reconnoisance force from the Tripoli garrison was caught by surprise by the Senussi and defeated. Even if their losses were light, their disorganized withdrawal let much weaponry and ammunition in enemy hands. Then, on September 5, a German submarine torpedoed the British steamer
Moorina and handed over the crews to the Senussi at Port Suleiman in Cyrenaica. When the British complained about it, the Grand Sennussi feigned ignorance, but the crews were returned, two weeks later, with any explanation about its whereabouts during those days.
Then, on September 17, just as the Senussi fired into the Spanish camp at Tobruk, civil unrest began at Tripoli. By then, there were 40,000 Spanish troops in Libya. The garrison of Derna repulsed an attack late on September 22 November but then retreated before dawn, arriving at Badiah on the 24 and 125 soldiers of the colonial corps deserted to the Senussi with their equipment and 176 camels. As soon as Derna was evacuated, Ottoman ships arrived full of munitions for the Senussi , By October 3, a Spanish brigade landed in Tripoli as reinforcement with two artillery batteries and two L
ohner Pfeilflieger aircraft from the 4 Squadron, which began operations two days later.
Thus, from October 11 onwards Spanish flying columns, made up with infantry, artillery and armoured and light cars plus cavalry forces, began to move to secure the west part of the Libyan coast. One of those columns was received with small-arms fire at Sirte, but with the support of the artillery the Senussi were driven back and the armoured cars cut their withdrawal and massacred them. From a force of about 300 Senussi only seven prisoners were taken and the rest killed during the fight or when they fled, as the Spanish soldiers were in a quite sanguine mood after hearing what had happened in Morocco. Their losses were 16 killed and 17 wounded. By October 30, the Spanish columns were at Marsa Breda. They had suffered 9 killed and 65 wounded , along the way, for 250 Senussi prisoners and unknown number of enemy losses. Bad weather would prevent operations from September 6-17, time used to reorganize the columns and to bring reinforcements and supplies
The Senussi could not stand their ground and apart from a small Ottoman contingent, fled into the desert. The Ottomans were overrun and killed, thirty prisoners were taken along with three field guns, nine machine-guns and 250,000 rounds of ammunition, for no Spanish casualties. The armored cars pursued the enemy for 20 km, shooting down the Senussi as they ran. Meanwhile, the British army reinforced his position at Sidi Barrani with two battalions at Bardia in case that the Senussi crossed the Egyptian border. Thus the operations came to and end in Lybia, as the Spanish command decided to carefully study the situation. Ironically, a seemingly unrelated event in Arabia was to modify their plans.
(1) The Spanish Foreign Legion.
(2) A tabor (battalion) was made up with 3 to 4 Goums (companies).
