Battle of Mek'ele

Battle of Mek'ele Part of the First Italo-Ethiopian War The fort at Mek'ele after the siege Date January 1896 Location Mek'ele, Ethiopia Result Ethiopian victory Belligerents Kingdom of Italy Ethiopian Empire Commanders and leaders Giuseppe Galliano Ras Makonnen Strength 1,183 1,000 Askari and 183 Italians Unknown Casualties and losses Unknown costly assaults [1]

The Battle of Mek'ele, sometimes known as the siege of Mek'ele, took place in January 1896 during the First Italo-Ethiopian War. Italian forces surrendered a partially completed fort at Mek'ele, a city in the northern Tigray Region of Ethiopia which they had occupied since 1895, to Ethiopian forces.

The Italians numbered by 20 officers, 13 non-commissioned officers, and 150 in the ranks, supported by 1,000 Askari and two mountain guns. After two weeks of bombardment by Ethiopian artillery - which possessed a longer reach than that of the Italians - the Ethiopians managed to cut off the fort's water supply, prompting the defenders surrender.^[1]

References

Notes

1. McLachlan, Sean (2011). Armies of the Adowa Campaign 1896. Colchester. p. 12.

Written sources

• McLachlan, Sean (2011). Armies of the Adowa Campaign 1896: The Italian Disaster in Ethiopia. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1849089388.