Post by Diarist on Nov 11, 2015 15:52:50 GMT 1
Northern Front
On the Italian left the 30th "Sabauda" Division of I Army Corps marches south along the main route to Adrigat. With it are the Corps, HQ and most of the Corps support troops. There is little resistance except where roads have been blocked by rocks. The sides of the steep mountainous slopes on both sides of the 'road' have been dynamited by engineers. Occasionally incoming artillery shells or machine-gun nests are encountered but there is no determined defence. To the left of this column is the 2nd (28th of October) CCNN Division. The roads here are nothing more than tracks and because of the rough terrain progress is slow. There are also many road blocks but almost no rear-guard action by the Abyssinians. The advance-guards are the X and XV Battalions indigeni, (Eritrean Ascari), who are taking the casualties. Italian air power has absolute superiority.
The Italian II Army Corps on the right wing advancing south towards Adwa has more resistance. The small village Rama is full of booby-traps and anti-personnel mines inside and to both sides of the village. There is a lot of incoming artillery and machine-gun nests control the heights to the south of village. Italian air power eventually forces the Abyssinians to retire but a lot of time has been lost and casualties were relatively high with over 250 dead.
In the centre the Eritrean Corps advances slowly primarily due to the difficult terrain and the many road blocks. There are only a few casualties.
Along the border with Sudan a detachment of the XXVII Battalion indigeni is overwhelmed by superior Abyssinian forces advancing north from N. Gondar towards Tesseny.
There is fierce fighting west of Assab in southern Eritrea but the Abyssinians hold their position.
Southern Front
General Rodolfo Graziani initiates his "Milan Plan". The limited objectives of this plan are to remove Ethiopian forces from various frontier posts and to test their reaction to the probes. Heavy fighting has been reported in Dolo. The attackers are mainly indigenous troops while Italian forces are deployed further north around Beledweyn. After border clashes they are slowly advancing towards Kelafo, Dagnerai, Gerlogubi, and Gorahai in Ogaden. The limited objectives of this plan are to remove Abyssinian forces from various frontier posts and to test the reaction to the probes.
On the Italian left the 30th "Sabauda" Division of I Army Corps marches south along the main route to Adrigat. With it are the Corps, HQ and most of the Corps support troops. There is little resistance except where roads have been blocked by rocks. The sides of the steep mountainous slopes on both sides of the 'road' have been dynamited by engineers. Occasionally incoming artillery shells or machine-gun nests are encountered but there is no determined defence. To the left of this column is the 2nd (28th of October) CCNN Division. The roads here are nothing more than tracks and because of the rough terrain progress is slow. There are also many road blocks but almost no rear-guard action by the Abyssinians. The advance-guards are the X and XV Battalions indigeni, (Eritrean Ascari), who are taking the casualties. Italian air power has absolute superiority.
The Italian II Army Corps on the right wing advancing south towards Adwa has more resistance. The small village Rama is full of booby-traps and anti-personnel mines inside and to both sides of the village. There is a lot of incoming artillery and machine-gun nests control the heights to the south of village. Italian air power eventually forces the Abyssinians to retire but a lot of time has been lost and casualties were relatively high with over 250 dead.
In the centre the Eritrean Corps advances slowly primarily due to the difficult terrain and the many road blocks. There are only a few casualties.
Along the border with Sudan a detachment of the XXVII Battalion indigeni is overwhelmed by superior Abyssinian forces advancing north from N. Gondar towards Tesseny.
There is fierce fighting west of Assab in southern Eritrea but the Abyssinians hold their position.
Southern Front
General Rodolfo Graziani initiates his "Milan Plan". The limited objectives of this plan are to remove Ethiopian forces from various frontier posts and to test their reaction to the probes. Heavy fighting has been reported in Dolo. The attackers are mainly indigenous troops while Italian forces are deployed further north around Beledweyn. After border clashes they are slowly advancing towards Kelafo, Dagnerai, Gerlogubi, and Gorahai in Ogaden. The limited objectives of this plan are to remove Abyssinian forces from various frontier posts and to test the reaction to the probes.