Abyssinian Order of Battle

[Diarist]

Abyssinian Army 1935

Addis Ababa

Emperor Haile Selassie

. 3 Battalions of the Imperial Guard (Kebur Zabangna)

. Cadet school (Can be mobilized as a Guard battalion with Cadets as officers with militia soldiers.)


Northern front

Army of the Left - Ras Imru Haile Selassie (Grazmach = "General/Commander of the Left")

 . 24 British 18-pounders

 . Gojjam Provincial Armed Forces (Sefari) - Ras Imru Haile Selassie 13,000 regulars

. Wolqayt and Semien Sefari - Fitawrari Ayalew Birru 10,000 mountaineers

. Gojjam Levies - Dejazmach Gessesse Belew 12,000 men


Mahel Sefari (Army of the Center) (70,000 regulars) - Ras Mulugeta Yeggazu of Illubabor

. 36 British 18-pounders

. Amino Provincial Sefari

. Gubba Provincial Sefari

. Gurage Provincial Sefari

. Jimma Provincial Sefari

. Mui Provincial Sefari

. Om Hajer Provincial Sefari

. Sela Provincial Sefari

. Sodo Provincial Sefari

. Welega Provincial Sefari

Army of the Right - Ras Kassa Haile Darge (Qegnazmach = "General/Commander of the right")

. 36 British 18-pounders

. Begemder Sefari - Ras Kassa Haile Darge/Shum Wondosson Kassa 53,000 men

. Tigray Sefari - Leul Ras Seyum Mangasha 15,000 men

. Wag Sefari - Dejazmatch Haile Kebbede 7,000 men 

. Lasta Sefari - Fitawrari Andarge ? men

. Yejju Sefari - Dejazmach Admassu Birru ? men


Danakil region - Dejazmach Kassa Sebhat

    400 trained men
    100 regulars

     12 Bridish 18-pounders
       5 machineguns

Reinforcements

 . Ifrata Sefari - Ras Kebbede

 ? Shewan levies

 . Welega-Ardjo Sefari - Bitwoded Makonnen Demissie

 12,000 men (best armed of the Northern armies, also had Oerlikon AA guns)

 . Kaffa Sefari - Ras Getachew Abate
    ? men

 . Wollo Sefari - Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen Tafari

    from Wollo - Nevraid Aregai 1,000 men
    from Lekemt - Dejazmach Hapte Gabre Mariam Gabre 1,000 men

Southern front

Ogaden

Ogaden Sefari - Grazmach Afawarq Walda Samayat

. less than 2,000 men - Fitawrari Badde / Balambaras Ali Nur
. Some hundreds of Somali rebels - Omar Samanthar
. 2 Guard Battalions - Fitawrari Simu and Kebbede 1,000 men with machineguns and mortars
. 9,000 walwal & warder. Fitawrari Walde Amanuel.

. 24 British 18-pounders

Total 12000 men.

Reinforcements

. Hararghe Sefari - Dejazmach Nasibu Emmanual

. 1 Guard Battalion

 . Illubabor Sefari - Dejazmach Makonnen Endelkachew 12,000 men

 . Gemu Gofa Sefari - Dejazmach Abebe Damtew 3,000 men (described as having scarcely a modern rifle, with ocher and pink headresses)

 . Arusi Sefari - Dejazmach Amde Mikael 3,000 men (provincial levies)

 . Kula Sefari - Dejazmach Hapte Mikael 1,000 men

Webi Shebelle front

 . Bale Sefari - Dejazmach Beine Merid 4,000 men

Juba Front

 . Dolo Garrison - 300 men

 . Sidamo Sefari - Ras Desta Damtew 20,000 men (well armed) - Fitawraris Ademe Anbassu and Tedeamme Zelleka

 . Guards Battalion - Qegnazmach Bezibibeh Sileshi

   Oerlikon AA guns

Source: Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_order_of_battle_in_the_Second_Italo-Ethiopian_War

[Diarist]

There are 11 squadrons of aircraft destined for Abyssinia if attacked by Italian forces. The vast majority are Fairey IIID's but two squadrons have Hawker Horsley II's. Personnel for two more squadrons are being trained by 4th Flying Training School at Abu Suier in Egypt. Most of crews are Abyssinians but all of the squadron leaders are British or French. Since April ammunition, fuel and some spare parts have been delivered to the following airfields:

Humera, Gondar, Lalibela and Mekele in the north plus Kebri Dar, Gode and Shilavo in Ogaden.

The aircraft are to be transferred to the above airfields before dark during day 1 of the Italian invasion. They should be ready for sorties on day 2.

A total of 120 18-pdr howitzers have been delivered, as well as 96 mortars and 120 LMG's. Abyssinians officers from the Imperial Guard have been trained in Kenya and Sudan then went home to train the remaining crews. It is not known how effective these units will be. Approximately75,000 Enfield Rifles have been sent from Britain and the United States. The French have shipped 35,000 Lebel Model 1886 rifles. 

There are also numerous British and French 'specialists' in Abyssinia acting as advisors.