East Africa Campaign 1940-41: The Battle for the Horn of Africa

A fascinating study of one of the often overlooked World War II campaigns as British/Commonwealth, Indigenous and Italian forces battled for control of the Horn of Africa.

In mid-1940, Italy's East African colonies posed a significant threat to the British Empire, and in particular to the flow of supplies through the Red Sea to Egypt. British High Command feared moves from Italian East Africa and so sent reinforcements to its positions in Kenya and Sudan. Thus began a series of clashes across East Africa, with the British attempting to keep the Italians isolated and unable to threaten British supply lines. In March 1941, British theatre commander General Archibald Wavell opted for a lightning campaign to eliminate the Italian threat for good.

Italian military historian Pier Paolo Battistelli provides a fresh account of this campaign, from the initial Italian attacks to the Allied counter-offensive into Eritrea, Ethiopia and Italian Somaliland. Among the actions covered are Addis Ababa, Amba Alagi, Gondar, Tug Argan, and Keren. This work presents an assessment of the forces involved of both sides, including Orde Wingate's Gideon force, pro-Selassi? Ethiopian irregulars and Eritrean and Somalian troops, as well as Indian, South African, British and Italian regular forces. With colourful artwork, detailed maps and diagrams, this book highlights an overlooked World War II campaign and the bloody fight for the Horn of Africa.

Author: Pier Paolo Battistelli
Publisher: Osprey Publishing (UK)
Published: 12/17/2024
Pages: 96
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.00lbs
Size: 9.76h x 7.24w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9781472860712

About the Author
Dr Pier Paolo Battistelli is a military history scholar and researcher with a special interest in the Axis powers in World War II. A freelance author and consultant, he has previously written and co-written several titles for Osprey, including two recent Campaign series titles on the Balkans 1940-41. He has also authored several entries for the Oxford Bibliographies in Military History, edited by Dennis Showalter.