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Battle of Erego

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Battle of Erego
A charge of Somali horsemen - ILN 1902
A charge of Somali horsemen
DateOctober 6, 1902
LocationHodayo (modern-day Somalia)
Result Dervish victory[1]
Belligerents
Dervish Somali flag Dervish Movement Flag of the United Kingdom British empire
Commanders and leaders
Dervish Somali flag Mohamed Abdullah Hassan British Empire Colonel Swayne (WIA)
Strength
600 or more riflemen accompanied by spearmen.[2]

2,360 British troops

1,189 reinforcements[3]
Casualties and losses

15 riflemen killed; 200 wounded

Heavy amount of spearmen killed or injured[4]

Hundreds of troops killed or wounded, 2 high-ranking officers killed, 99 levy and communication troops killed[5]

2 maxim guns lost[6]

The Battle of Erego (also known as Beerdhiga) occurred on October 6, 1902, in Hodayo, about 70 miles north of Galkacyo. The clash involved British colonial forces led by Colonel Swayne and the Somalis troops (known as Dervishes) under the command of Haji Muhammad Abdullah Hassan. The Dervishes achieved victory after ambushing the British forces.[7]

Battle[]

British forces were on a mission to locate the Mullah, and their pursuit led them to Erego, there they fell victim to an ambush by the Mullah's forces.[8]

At the beginning, Colonel Swayne, who was leading the British column, believed that he had defeated the ambush. Filled with confidence that the capture of the Mullah was within reach, he dispatched sanguine messages of victory to London. However, things took a turn for the worse as the Mullah launched an attack from the rear, cutting off Colonel Swayne's communication with the coast, destroying the Zariba on which Swayne relied for supplies, and ultimately forcing him to retreat.[9]

Transmuting it into a resounding Dervish victory.[10]

Aftermath[]

This expedition, costing the British empire more than $300,000 and resulting in a considerable loss of lives, proved to be a failure.[11] In response, the House of Commons offered Muhammad Abdullah Hassan $15,000 per year on the condition that he cease the war. However, declined the offer.[12]

Colonel Swayne, who spearheaded the operations against the Dervishes, was recalled by The War Office for consultations.[13]

The victory at Erigo brought considerable recognition to the Dervish cause. Frederick Quelch who fought in Somaliland, reported:

"If the Mad Mollah wins a victory, the other Mohammedans are at once more impressed with the divine character of his leadership, and they flock to his standard where they might otherwise have remained passive. The recent victory of the Mad Mollah over Colonel Swayne's detachment presages, therefore, large fanatic hordes to his forces. The trouble the British will have in subduing him will be proportionately increased by each victory." [14]

Muhammad Abdullah Hassan was commonly referred to as the 'Mad Mullah' by the media until the defeat at Erego. Following this event, there was a shift in perception.[15] The Daily news noted that:

'the "Mad Mullah"... seems to be showing increasing signs of sanity', and that, 'for a mad man, the Mullah planned his tactics skilfully... he is no fool, this Mad Mullah'.[16]

References[]

  1. ↑ Sanderson, Edgar (1910) (in en). King Edward VII, His Life & Reign: The Record of a Noble Career. Gresham Publishing Company. pp. 114. https://books.google.com/books?id=GEMJAAAAIAAJ. 
  2. ↑ Moyse-Bartlett, Lieutenant-Colonel H. (2012-02-10) (in en). The King's African Rifles - Volume 1. Andrews UK Limited. pp. 168. ISBN 978-1-78150-661-5. https://books.google.com/books?id=Q3C-BAAAQBAJ&q=Erego+1902. 
  3. ↑ Mukhtar, Mohamed Haji (2003-02-25) (in en). Historical Dictionary of Somalia. Scarecrow Press. pp. 55. ISBN 978-0-8108-6604-1. https://books.google.com/books?id=DPwOsOcNy5YC&q=October+1902+victory+dervish%7D%7D&pg=PA55. 
  4. ↑ "SOMALILAND.". Daily Telegraph. 1902-11-18. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article236816819. 
  5. ↑ Mukhtar, Mohamed Haji (2003-02-25) (in en). Historical Dictionary of Somalia. Scarecrow Press. pp. 55. ISBN 978-0-8108-6604-1. https://books.google.com/books?id=DPwOsOcNy5YC&q=October+1902+victory+dervish%7D%7D&pg=PA55. 
  6. ↑ Parliament, Great Britain (1903) (in en). The Parliamentary Debates. Reuter's Telegram Company. https://books.google.com/books?id=6TZVAAAAYAAJ&q=1902+October+swayne+troops. 
  7. ↑ Mukhtar, Mohamed Haji (2003-02-25) (in en). Historical Dictionary of Somalia. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-6604-1. https://books.google.com/books?id=DPwOsOcNy5YC&q=October+1902+victory+dervish. 
  8. ↑ (in en) The Speaker. Mather & Crowther. 1904. pp. 97. https://books.google.com/books?id=3X44AQAAMAAJ. 
  9. ↑ (in English) The chronicle (1911-02-10). J. Mewhort. 1911-02-10. http://archive.org/details/CFA_1911021001. 
  10. ↑ Aguiar, Marian (2005-04-07). "Somali Songs and Poetry". African American Studies Center. Oxford University Press. Digital object identifier:10.1093/acref/9780195301731.013.43443. ISBN 978-0-19-530173-1. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acref/9780195301731.013.43443. 
  11. ↑ Littlefield, Walter (1910-04-10). "MAD MULLAH TURNS AGAIN TO FANATIC SLAUGHTER; English Evacuation of Somaliland and the Death of King Menelik Encourage Him to Go on the Warpath." (in en-US). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. https://www.nytimes.com/1910/04/10/archives/mad-mullah-turns-again-to-fanatic-slaughter-english-evacuation-of.html. 
  12. ↑ (in English) The chronicle (1911-02-10). J. Mewhort. 1911-02-10. http://archive.org/details/CFA_1911021001. 
  13. ↑ Beckett, Ian Frederick William (1989) (in en). Johnnie Gough, V.C.: A Biography of Brigader-General Sir John Edmond Gough, V.C., K.C.B.. Tom Donovan. pp. 85. ISBN 978-1-871085-01-3. https://books.google.com/books?id=DESgAAAAMAAJ. 
  14. ↑ "War on Mad Mullah | Ann Arbor District Library". https://aadl.org/node/451328. 
  15. ↑ Wilkinson, G. (2002-12-13) (in en). Depictions and Images of War in Edwardian Newspapers, 1899-1914. Springer. pp. 19. ISBN 978-0-230-59837-9. https://books.google.com/books?id=neuGDAAAQBAJ&dq=October+1902+defeat+hassan&pg=PA19. 
  16. ↑ Wilkinson, G. (2002-12-13) (in en). Depictions and Images of War in Edwardian Newspapers, 1899-1914. Springer. pp. 20. ISBN 978-0-230-59837-9. https://books.google.com/books?id=neuGDAAAQBAJ&dq=October+1902+defeat+hassan&pg=PA19. 
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