I was asked this question in a PM on another site. I decided to post the question here to see if others had any insight.
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one question: do you know what was, roughly, the numerical strength of the Allied (British, Indian, Free French) forces that took Massawa in April 1941? How many men and, if possible, how many tanks?
I also have some doubts about the size of the Italian garrison. British sources say that 9,590 prisoners were taken, along with 127 guns. However, the Italian Navy official history ("Le operazioni in Africa Orientale"), while not providing an overall number, gives the following data: initial garrison in January 1941, ca. 3,000 men; then increased as follows: 1) one blackshirt battalion with 548 men; 2) one Guardia di Finanza mobilized group with 304 men; 3) one locally raised battalion of 722 men, plus another two companies with 350 men and later another two companies (number of men unspecified). Not very clear to me if these were part of the original 3,000 troops, however. 4) crew of the sunken destroyer Leone (ca. 200), 5) 2,300 troops coming from Keren and Ghinda, more precisely: 450 grenadiers of the 11th Regiment, 250 blackshirt of Seniore Belloni's battalion, 210 Alpini from the "Uork Amba" Battalion, 200 engineers, 50 bersaglieri, 40 artillerymen with a 65/17 group, 1,100 ascari of the Amhara battalions. The Amhara, however, were considered unreliable and thus disarmed and discharged before the final assault.
With this, the total seems to be around 7,500 men, including the Amhara (otherwise 6,400) and in the (possibly wrong) assumption that the 722+350+two other companies weren't already included in the original 3,000.
In addition to this, another battalion with civilian personnel from the workshops in the naval base was scheduled to be raised, but it is not very clear whether it was actually done or not. An article by Alberto Rosselli on regiamarina.net claims that the garrison numbered 6,500.
Finally, it is mentioned that the artillery in Massawa amounted to some 70 guns, not 127. Do you know the actual size of the garrison and whether the 9,590 POWs and 127 guns does indeed refer to Massawa or it also includes troops and equipment rounded up during the advance from Asmara to Massawa?
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one question: do you know what was, roughly, the numerical strength of the Allied (British, Indian, Free French) forces that took Massawa in April 1941? How many men and, if possible, how many tanks?
I also have some doubts about the size of the Italian garrison. British sources say that 9,590 prisoners were taken, along with 127 guns. However, the Italian Navy official history ("Le operazioni in Africa Orientale"), while not providing an overall number, gives the following data: initial garrison in January 1941, ca. 3,000 men; then increased as follows: 1) one blackshirt battalion with 548 men; 2) one Guardia di Finanza mobilized group with 304 men; 3) one locally raised battalion of 722 men, plus another two companies with 350 men and later another two companies (number of men unspecified). Not very clear to me if these were part of the original 3,000 troops, however. 4) crew of the sunken destroyer Leone (ca. 200), 5) 2,300 troops coming from Keren and Ghinda, more precisely: 450 grenadiers of the 11th Regiment, 250 blackshirt of Seniore Belloni's battalion, 210 Alpini from the "Uork Amba" Battalion, 200 engineers, 50 bersaglieri, 40 artillerymen with a 65/17 group, 1,100 ascari of the Amhara battalions. The Amhara, however, were considered unreliable and thus disarmed and discharged before the final assault.
With this, the total seems to be around 7,500 men, including the Amhara (otherwise 6,400) and in the (possibly wrong) assumption that the 722+350+two other companies weren't already included in the original 3,000.
In addition to this, another battalion with civilian personnel from the workshops in the naval base was scheduled to be raised, but it is not very clear whether it was actually done or not. An article by Alberto Rosselli on regiamarina.net claims that the garrison numbered 6,500.
Finally, it is mentioned that the artillery in Massawa amounted to some 70 guns, not 127. Do you know the actual size of the garrison and whether the 9,590 POWs and 127 guns does indeed refer to Massawa or it also includes troops and equipment rounded up during the advance from Asmara to Massawa?