The Fifth Expedition of the Somaliland Campaign, which took place in 1920, was the final British expedition against the Dervish forces. Although the majority of the combat took place in January, British troops had begun preparations for the assault as early as November 1919. The British forces included elements of the Royal Air Force and the Somaliland Camel Corps. After three weeks of battle, Diriye Guure's[1] Dervishes were defeated, bringing an effective end to their 20-year resistance.[2]
Background
The British had previously conducted three expeditions to British Somaliland against the dervishes from 1900 to 1904 with limited or no success. In 1913, the Dervishes had previously defeated British forces at the Battle of Dul Madoba.[2] Following the end of World War I, the British once again turned their attention to the ongoing violence in British Somaliland.
British plans
In 1919, the unrest in British Somaliland alarmed the British Government enough for Lord Milner, the Colonial Secretary, to consider sending a military expedition to the protectorate. The Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Sir Henry Wilson, advised Milner that at least two divisions would be required and this was likely to cost several million pounds. Such a cost was seen as being prohibitively expensive in the conditions of post-war austerity.[2]
Lord Milner then turned to the newly formed Royal Air Force, asking the Chief of the Air Staff, Sir Hugh Trenchard, if he could suggest a solution. Trenchard who at that time was most eager to ensure that the air force remained as a separate service, immediately proposed that the RAF should take responsibility for the whole operation.[2] Milner argued that some ground troops would be needed and Trenchard replied that the local colonial forces which were already in Somaliland would be sufficient.[3]
A meeting was arranged to discuss the coming campaign. In attendance were: Winston Churchill who was Secretary of State for War and Air, Leo Amery the Colonial Under-Secretary who deputized for Milner, Sir Henry Wilson and Sir Hugh Trenchard. Wilson was strongly opposed to a campaign being conducted by the Colonial Office and the Air Ministry which would draw upon the War Office's soldiers. However, when Amery and Trenchard stated that under no circumstances would they request troops, Wilson withdrew his objection and consented to the RAF taking the lead.[2]
Order of battle
A Z Force DH9 being used as an air ambulance
By the January 1920, the following British forces were assembled:[4]
"Z Force" ('"Z" Unit' in some sources)[5] provided by the RAF in Egypt. The force consisted of:[6]
By 1 January 1920 the Z Force had constructed a temporary aerodrome at Berbera from where they operated.[6] On 21 January RAF aircraft bombed Jideli. Many of the dervish forces had never seen an aircraft before and were terrified by the aerial bombardment to the extent that they fled into the hills.[2] It was also during that first bombardment that Hassan came close to being killed, narrowly avoiding death when an unfortunate camel shielded him from a nearby bomb blast.[6] After the next five days had passed the Z Force had destroyed three Dervish forts; they then provided air support and communications for the ground forces.[9] This battle established the tactics of aerial bombardment followed by attacks by ground forces, and of using aircraft to provide support for ground troops during concurrent attacks. These tactics are among the primary methods of wartime operations to this day.
On 28 January the Camel Corps occupied Jideli and Hassan retreated to his main fort at Taleh. After combined land and air operations, the British took Taleh on 9 February. Dervish forces suffered great losses and were scattered, his forts were damaged and he escaped with only four of his followers to the Ogaden. Hassan lost some of his greatest generals during the battle, including his right-hand man Haji Sudi and Commander Ibrahim Boghl.[2][10]
Defeat
In the beginning of 1920, the British struck the Dervish settlements with a well-coordinated air and land attack and inflicted a stunning defeat. The forts of the dervishes were damaged and the army suffered great losses. The Dervish retreated in to the Ogaden territory in Abyssinia and raided the Ogaden Bah Hawadle clan who were under Habr Yunis protection, reacting to this incident, Haji Warabe of the Reer Caynaashe assembled an army composed of 3000 warriors. The army set out from Togdheer, on the dawn of July 20, 1920, his army reached Shineleh where the Dervish were camped and proceeded to attack them. The Dervish numbering about 800 were quickly defeated, 700 being killed in the battle, the few remaining survivors fled south.
Aftermath
Haji and his army captured 60,000 camels and 700 rifles from the defeated Dervish. During the midst of the battle Haji Warabe entered Hassan's tent but found the tent empty with Hassan's tea still hot.[11] He had fled to Imi[12] and on 21 December 1920, he died of influenza at the age of 64.[13]
References
^Omar, Mohamed (2001). The Scramble in the Horn of Africa. p. 402. This letter is sent by all the Dervishes, the Amir, and all the Dolbahanta to the Ruler of Berbera ... We are a Government, we have a Sultan, an Amir, and Chiefs, and subjects ... (reply) In his last letter the Mullah pretends to speak in the name of the Dervishes, their Amir (himself), and the Dolbahanta tribes. This letter shows his object is to establish himself as the Ruler of the Dolbahanta
^Boyle, Andrew (1962). "Chapter 13". Trenchard Man of Vision. St. James's Place London: Collins. pp. 366 to 367.
^Finn, C. J., ed. (2004). "Chapter 2"(PDF). Air Publication 3003 – A Brief History of the Royal Air Force. HMSO. p. 63. Archived from the original(PDF) on 12 October 2011.
^"RO-7 Ark Royal". GlobalSecurity.org Web Site. GlobalSecurity.org. 27 April 2005. Retrieved 13 January 2008.
^Barrass, Malcolm (29 September 2007). "Air Commodore R Gordon". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Archived from the original on 14 February 2008. Retrieved 13 January 2008.
Bowyer, Chaz (1988). "Chapter Three: 'Z' Force and the Mad Mullah". RAF Operations 1918–1938. London: William Kimber. ISBN0-7183-0671-6.
Newton, R. D. (2019). The RAF and Tribal Control: Airpower and Irregular Warfare between the World Wars. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. ISBN978-0-7006-2871-1.
Omissi, David E. (1990). Air Power and Colonial Control: The Royal Air Force, 1919–1939. New York: Manchester University Press. ISBN0-7190-2960-0.
