Battle of Agordat (1941)

Battle of Agordat
Part of The East African Campaign (World War II)
British invasion of Eritrea, 1941
Date 26–31 January 1941 Location Agordat, Eritrea Governorate, Italian East Africa 15°32′55″N 37°53′12″E / 15.54861°N 37.88667°E / 15.54861; 37.88667 Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom  India  Sudan	Italy  Italian East Africa
Commanders and leaders
Archibald Wavell William Platt Noel Beresford-Peirse	Duke of Aosta Orlando Lorenzini
Units involved
Gazelle Force 4th Indian Division 5th Indian Division (less one brigade)	2nd Colonial Division
Strength
2 infantry divisions Sudan Defence Force (elements)	6,000–7,000 men
Casualties and losses
	1,500–2,000 prisoners 14 tanks 43 guns
Agordat class=notpageimage| Agordat in the Gash-Barka region, Eritrea. Capital of the former Barka province, between the modern Gash-Barka and Anseba.

The Battle of Agordat was fought near Agordat in Eritrea from 26 to 31 January 1941, by the Italian army and Royal Corps of Colonial Troops against British, Commonwealth and Indian forces, during the East African Campaign of the Second World War. The British had the advantage of breaking Italian codes and cyphers before the offensive and received copious amounts of information from Italian sources on the order of battle and plans of the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) and the Italian army.

After the garrison of Italian and colonial troops at Kassala in Sudan was ordered to withdraw in mid-January, the British offensive into Eritrea due in February 1941 began in mid-January instead. Agordat was an excellent defensive position and the British advance was slowed by delaying actions and mined roads but the attack began on 28 January on the left (northern) flank, which was repulsed. Determined fighting took place on the hills and plain below until 31 January, when the British attacked behind four Matilda tanks and Bren Gun Carriers, which easily destroyed the Italian Fiat M11/39 tanks and forced the infantry to retreat.

To avoid being cut off the Italians began a disorderly retreat to Keren, leaving behind 1,000 prisoners, several guns and 14 knocked out tanks; another 1,000 men were taken during the British pursuit. The Battle of Agordat saw some of the most determined and effective defensive operations of the war by the Italian and local forces. The battle was the first big victory in the British offensive against Italian East Africa and was followed by the Battle of Keren (5 February – 1 April), which led to the fall of the Eritrea Governorate.