Outbreak Ifni War

1 outbreak

1.1 storming of ifni

1.1.1 tiluin
1.1.2 telata


1.2 siege of sidi ifni
1.3 battle of edchera
1.4 clearance of spanish sahara

outbreak

violent demonstrations against spanish rule erupted in ifni on april 10, 1957, followed civil strife , widespread killings of loyal spain. in response, generalissimo franco dispatched 2 battalions of spanish legion, spain s elite fighting force, el aaiún in saguia el-hamra in june.

spanish military mobilisation resulted in royal moroccan army converging near ifni. on october 23, 1957, 2 villages on outskirts of sidi ifni, goulimine , bou izarguen, occupied 1,500 moroccan soldiers (moujahidine).

the encirclement of ifni beginning of ifni war. 2 more legionary battalions reached spanish sahara before opening of hostilities.

the storming of ifni

on 21 november, spanish intelligence in ifni reported attacks imminent moroccans operating out of tafraout. 2 days later, spanish lines of communication cut, , force of 2,000 moroccans stormed spanish garrisons , armories in , around ifni.

although moroccan drive sidi ifni repulsed, 2 nearby spanish outposts abandoned in face of enemy attacks , many others remained under heavy siege.

tiluin

at tiluin, 60 tiradores de ifni (locally recruited indigenous infantry spanish officers , specialist personnel) struggled hold off force of several hundred moroccans. on november 25, relief attempt authorised. 5 casa 2.111 bombers (spanish-built variants of heinkel he-111) bombed enemy positions, while equal number of casa 352 transports (spanish-built versions of junkers ju-52/3m) dropped force of 75 paratroopers outpost.

on 3 december, soldiers of spanish legion s 6th battalion (vi bandera) arrived, breaking siege , retaking airfield. military , civilian personnel evacuated overland sidi ifni.

telata

the relief of telata less successful. leaving sidi ifni on 24 november aboard several old trucks, platoon of spanish legion paratroop battalion under captain ortiz de zárate made slow progress through difficult terrain. problem compounded frequent moroccan ambushes, next day had left several men wounded , forced spaniards off road. on 26 november, food ran out. spanish, low on ammunition, resumed advance, dig in again in face of repeated enemy attacks.

rations dropped air, spanish casualties continued mount. 1 of dead captain ortiz de zárate. on 2 december, column of infantry, among them erstwhile defenders of telata, broke through moroccan lines , drove enemy off. survivors of paratroop detachment reached sidi ifni once more on 5 december. company had suffered 2 dead , fourteen wounded.

siege of sidi ifni

initial moroccan attacks had been successful. in space of fortnight, moroccans , tribal allies had asserted control on of ifni, isolating inland spanish units capital. simultaneous attacks had been launched throughout spanish sahara, overrunning garrisons , ambushing convoys , patrols.

consequently, moroccan units, resupplied , reinforced, tried surround , besiege sidi ifni, hoping incite popular uprising. however, moroccans underestimated strength of spanish defences. supplied sea spanish navy , protected kilometres of trenches , forward outposts, sidi ifni, boasting 7,500 defenders 9 december, proved impregnable. siege, lasting june 1958, uneventful , relatively bloodless, spain , morocco both concentrated resources on saharan theatres.

battle of edchera

in january 1958, morocco redoubled commitment spanish campaign, reorganising army units in spanish territory saharan liberation army .

on 12 january, division of saharan liberation army attacked spanish garrison @ el aaiún. beaten , forced retreat spaniards, army turned efforts southeast. opportunity presented next day @ edchera, 2 companies of 13th legionary battalion conducting reconnaissance mission. slipping unseen large dunes near spanish positions, moroccans opened fire.

ambushed, legionaries fought maintain cohesion, driving off attacks mortar , small arms fire. notable fighting seen 1st platoon, stubbornly denied ground moroccans until heavy losses forced withdraw. bloody attacks continued until nightfall, , fiercely resisted spanish, inflicted heavy casualties. nightfall, moroccans scattered , depleted of men continue assault, , retreated darkness.

clearance of spanish sahara

in february 1958, franco-spanish combined force launched offensive broke-up moroccan liberation army. between them, france , spain deployed joint air fleet of 150 planes. spanish 9,000 strong , french 5,000.

first fall moroccan mountain strongholds @ tan-tan. bombed above , rocketed below, liberation army suffered 150 dead , abandoned positions.

on february 10, 4th, 9th, , 13th spanish legion battalions, organised motorised group, drove moroccans edchera , advanced tafurdat , smara.

the spanish army @ el aaiún, in conjunction french forces fort gouraud, struck moroccans on february 21, destroying saharan liberation army concentrations between bir nazaran , ausert.