Battle of Shire - Battle

Battle

Ras Imru had little knowledge of the battles taking place to his west. Messages routed through Gondar took an average of eleven days to reach him. On 29 February, Badoglio launched the Battle of Shire using the Italian II Corps and the Italian IV Corps. But, after the defeat of Ras Kassa and Ras Seyoum, Ras Imru had already decided on his own to withdraw and avoid being trapped.

The II Corps advanced from Axum to an area thirty miles south of the town where forces of Ras Imru were known to be operating. At the same time. the IV Corps moved south from the Eritrean border on Ras Imru's left flank. The ground both forces traversed was very rough and very inhospitable with few roads. At one point the II Corps was unexpectedly attacked while its units were strung out all along a single road. They were forced to fight in old-fashioned infantry squares and the Ethiopians were only driven off when the full weight of the heavy artillery and the Royal Italian Air Force (Regia Aeronautica Italia) were brought to bear. The Italians then set up defensive positions much to the annoyance of Badoglio.

On 2 March, the advance of the II Corps began again but was stopped the same day when it ran into Ras Imru's rear-guard. By the time the artillery and air force were ready the next morning, the Ethiopians were gone. Neither the II Corps nor the IV Corps managed to close the trap on Ras Imru and, for all intents and purposes, the Battle of Shire was formally over as his army retreated to join up with Haile Selassie.

Ras Imru's army withdrew from the battlefield relatively intact. A comparison of the damages it had suffered to the damages it had done was far better than was typical on the northern front. The Ethiopians in the Shire had suffered approximately four casualties for every Italian casualty. While costly, this was far better than the ten Ethiopian casualties per one Italian casualty which had become expected elsewhere on the northern front.