Battle of Agordat (1941)

Battle of Agordat
Part of East African Campaign (World War II)
Modern map of Eritrea
Date 26–31 January 1941 Location Agordat, Eritrea 15°32′55″N 37°53′12″E / 15.54861°N 37.88667°E / 15.54861; 37.88667Coordinates: 15°32′55″N 37°53′12″E / 15.54861°N 37.88667°E / 15.54861; 37.88667 Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom Anglo-Egyptian Sudan  India	Italy Italian East Africa
Commanders and leaders
Noel Beresford-Peirse	Orlando Lorenzini
Strength
1 infantry division Sudan Defence Force (elements)	6,000 to 7,000 men
Casualties and losses
	2,000 prisoners 14 tanks 43 guns
Agordat Outline map of Eritrea

 United Kingdom

Italy

The Battle of Agordat was fought near Agordat, Eritrea, from 26 to 31 January 1941, between Italian and Royal Corps of Colonial Troops forces and British Commonwealth forces, during the East African Campaign. It was the first big victory in the Allied offensive against Italian East Africa and was followed by the Battle of Keren, which marked the fall of Italian Eritrea.

In January 1941, after a period of Italian initiative (with the capture of some towns, forts and villages in Kenya and Sudan and later the Italian conquest of British Somaliland) followed by a long stalemate, the Commonwealth forces in East Africa launched their counter-offensive against the Italian forces stationed in Italian East Africa, and at the same time Ethiopian patriots started an insurrection all over the country. The situation rendered the Sudanese towns of Kassala and Gallabat, captured by the Italian forces during the previous summer, untenable, leading to the decision by Italian commands to abandon them and withdraw the troops to Ethiopia and Eritrea.