1924 retreat from Chefchaoun

1924 retreat from Chefchaoun
Part of the Rif War
Rif war map, where Tetuan and Chefchaoun can be seen
Date 15 November – 13 December 1924 Location Chefchaouen, Morocco Result Rifian victory
Belligerents
Republic of the Rif	Spain
Commanders and leaders
Abd el-Krim	Castro Girona Federico Berenguer (WIA) Colonel Ovila General Serrano † Francisco Franco
Strength
7,000 men	40,000+ men
Casualties and losses
Unknown

The 1924 retreat from Chefchaoun was the retreat of the Spanish forces from Chefchaouen during the Rif War. After the major defeat at Annual, the prime minister and the military dictator, Miguel Primo de Rivera, decided to withdraw his troops to the coast of Morocco. A major evacuation took place at Chefchaoun where a relief force escorted the garrison to Tetuan. During their march, the Spanish suffered constant attacks by the Riffian force, suffering heavy casualties. The retreat was a disaster for the Spanish army, suffering another devastating loss in the war.

Background

In the year 1921, the Spanish army suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Annual by the Rif forces of Abdul Karim. After this victory, Abdul Karim established a line of defense at the high elevations of Wadi Kart instead of pressing the attack on the Spanish coastal cities like Melilla, allowing the Spanish to reinforce and re-occupy the lowlands below. In 1923, the Spanish general, Primo de Rivera, launched a coup and took power as a prime minister, establishing a military dictatorship.

On July 24, 1924, Primo de Rivera visited the Moroccan colony and inspected the frontlines. He also inspected the cities in the colony. Before his trip to Morocco, Primo had already decided to withdraw the Spanish army from Morocco, however, the Africanist faction strongly opposed this, including General, Fransico Franco. In the end Primo decided to withdraw the army to the coasts to not make them vulnerable to the Riffians.

Prelude

Castro Girona

The long-awaited withdrawal finally began in September 1924, M’ter and Wad lau were evacuated on September 8, followed by the evacuation of Alcacer Quiber to Tangiers. The only major evacuation was Chefchaouen which had a garrison of 10,000 men and needed escort to Tetuan. On September 16, the relief was carried by the generals, Castro Girona and Federico Berenguer who managed to capture the undefended heights of Gorgues. Having Gorgues secured, the main army marched south to the valleys of Beni Hassan on the 23rd. A column from Larache was supposed to arrive but it never did, as soon as they marched, they were attacked by unaffiliated Riffians, causing them heavy losses, and retreated.

The relief force of Tetuan consisted of three flanks, the left was led by Castro Girona, the middle by Colonel Ovila, and the right by General Serrano. Federico Berenguer led the reserve forces. The relief force under Serrano successfully reached Chefchaoun on 30 September, followed by the other generals later. The main body of the relief army rested while others scouted the area. No major attack by the Riffians but their snipers existed everywhere, hunting any Spanish on their way.

Retreat

On the night of November 15, the Spanish army evacuated Chefchaoun quietly without being alarmed by the Riffians. Castro Girona led the advanced guard who reached Zoco el Arba on the 18th. The remaining troops, more than 40,000 men, were between Zoco and Chefchaoun. The rear guard was led by Franco who left the base on the 17th. As the Spanish were retreating, the Riffians were watching their movements and, on the 19th, a heavy storm and rains slowed down the Spanish march. A strong Riffian force of 7,000 men, led by Muhammad Abdul Karim was waiting for this moment. They heavily attacked the Spanish with full might.

Riffian men

The Spanish had to fight their way while Castro's advanced guard was lucky to reach the reserve station at Beni Karrich. At Dar Coba, the Spanish were annihilated, and on Sheruta, General Serrano and 1,000 men were killed. The rest reached Zoco where they decided to rest after heavy combat. For three weeks, the Spanish were surrounded at Zoco, preparing the resume their march. The Riffian forces attacked them daily and frequently, inflicting heavy losses. This was due to supply problems, many of the Spanish were inexperienced and had low morale.

At Wad Nakhla, three armored vehicles were covering the retreat, they were ambushed and held for three days, after that only 6 soldiers out of 14 survived and were taken prisoners, where they were admired by Abdul Karim for their bravery. During the retreat, the wounded soldiers who lay in the mud were killed by the Riffians. Arriving at Wad Habana, the Riffians easily picked off any Spanish on their sight. Desperate fighting occurred and the last column who arrived at Tetuan were reinforced by airplanes and forces from Tetuan. The Spanish march finally ended on December 13. The victorious Riffians chased them and killed 500 of Franco's troops.

Aftermath

Federico Berenguer

Riffian casualties were unknown, but for the Spanish, they were severe, they lost 800 officers and 17,000 men. Another source puts their casualties at 20,000. Federico Berenguer was wounded on the march. The retreat from Chefchaoun was a disaster for the Spanish, the Arab and the Berber tribes were united under Abdul Karim's leadership, the prestige of the Riffians went high, and the rebellion was running at full tide. The capture of Chefchaoun and the partial destruction of the relief force gave the Riffians a large number of weapons and supplies. The Riffian state doubled its size. The Spanish and the French watched for unpleasant events to come.

Sources

• Jonathan Wyrtzen (2016), Making Morocco: Colonial Intervention and the Politics of Identity.[1]
• David S. Woolman (1968), Rebels in the Rif: Abd El Krim and the Rif Rebellion.[2]
• Tony Jaques (2006), Dictionary of Battles and Sieges, A Guide to 8,500 Battles from Antiquity Through the Twenty-first Century [3 Volumes].[3]
• C. R. Pennell (2000), Morocco Since 1830, A History.[4]