Gallabat Northern front, East Africa, 1940

gallabat fort lay in sudan 200 mi (320 km) south of kassala opposite metemma on ethiopian border beyond boundary khor, dry river bed steep banks covered long grass. british orders forbade firing across frontier if war declared platoon in gallabat heard on wireless had begun , fired 13,000 rounds ridge overlooking metemma. both places surrounded field fortifications , gallabat held colonial infantry battalion. metemma had 2 colonial battalions , banda formation, under command of lieutenant-colonel castagnuola. 10th indian infantry brigade, field artillery regiment, b squadron, 4th rtr 6 infantry tanks , 6 light tanks, attacked gallabat on 6 november @ 5:30 a.m. raf contingent of 6 wellesley bombers , 9 gladiator fighters thought sufficient overcome 17 italian fighters , 32 bombers believed in range. infantry assembled 1–2 mi (1.6–3.2 km) gallabat, garrison unaware attack coming, until raf bombed fort , put wireless out of action. field artillery began simultaneous bombardment, changed target after hour , bombarded metemma. night previous, 4th battalion, 10th baluch regiment occupied hill overlooking fort flank guard. troops on hill covered advance @ 6:40 a.m. of 3rd royal garwhal rifles followed tanks. indians reached gallabat , fought hand-to-hand granatieri di savoia division , eritrean troops in fort.

at 8:00 a.m. 25th , 77th colonial battalions counter-attacked , repulsed 3 british tanks knocked out mines , 6 mechanical failures caused rocky ground. defenders @ boundary khor dug in behind fields of barbed wire , castagnuola contacted gondar air support. italian bombers , fighters attacked day, shot down 7 gladiators loss of 5 fiat cr-42s , destroyed lorry carrying spare parts tanks. ground hard , rocky dig trenches , when italian bombers made biggest attack, infantry had no cover. ammunition lorry set on fire burning grass , sound taken italian counter-attack behind; when platoon advanced towards sound fixed bayonets, troops thought retreating. part of 1st battalion, essex regiment @ fort broke , ran, carrying of gahrwalis them. many of british fugitives mounted transport , drove off, spreading panic , of runaways reached doka before being stopped. italian bombers returned next morning , evening, slim ordered withdrawal gallabat ridge 3 mi (4.8 km) westwards less exposed ground. sappers 21st field company remained behind demolish remaining buildings , stores in fort. artillery bombarded gallabat , metemma , set off italian ammunition dumps. british casualties since 6 november 42 men killed , 125 wounded. italian 27th colonial battalion thought have been destroyed 600 killed or wounded.

the brigade patrolled deny fort italians , on 9 november, 2 baluch companies attacked, held fort during day , retired in evening. during night, italian counter-attack repulsed artillery-fire , next morning british re-occupied fort unopposed. ambushes laid , prevented italian reinforcements occupying fort or hills on flanks, despite frequent bombing regia aeronautica. brigade re-occupied ridge 3 days later made no attack on metemma. caravan routes ethiopia needed supply arbegnoch , gideon force remained under italian control. 2 months, 10th indian brigade , 9th indian brigade simulated division, slouch hats of garhwal rifles being taken sign australian division had arrived. brigades blazed communication trails eastwards 80 mi (130 km) gedaref , created dummy airfields , stores depots, convince italian military intelligence british offensive sudan towards gondar in south , attack @ kassala eritrea bluff.

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