Northern Front

General William Platt launches his assault from Sudan today. The aim is to seize Eritrea and deny the Italians the ability to threaten Red Sea lines of communication, particularly the port of Massawa (Eritrea). To that end he has two Indian divisions—the 4th and 5th Indian Infantry Divisions—and an armoured squadron, B Squadron of the 4th Royal Tank Regiment, equipped with Matilda light tanks.

Four Bristol Blenheim Mk IVs of No.14 (RAF) Squadron carry out a bombing raid on Massawa (Eritrea) during the night of 18/19 January (22:00–02:40). During the operation they drop propaganda leaflets in an unsuccessful attempt to incite the local population to rise. Three direct hits are claimed on the naval base searchlights.[1]

After a long interruption, No.237 (Rhodesia) Squadron resumes activity. Three aircraft (Lysander L4676, Hawker Hardy K4314 and K5921) spend the day over the Kassala (Sudan) and Tesseney (Eritrea) sectors, supporting the reconnaissance troops of the 4th Indian Infantry Division.[2] Gloster Gladiators and Hawker Hurricanes of No.1 (SAAF) Squadron fly several sorties during the day to keep enemy fighters at bay. Late in the morning, a contact with five Fiat CR.42s is reported, but no engagement ensues.[3]

Southern Front

In preparation for the next attack on El Yibo (Kenya), the 8th S.A. Field Battery, together with additional armoured cars from No.2 S.A. Armoured Car Company and the 2nd S.A. Field Force Battalion, are sent forward during the night of 18/19 January. The renewed attack opens at 08:15, when the South African artillery, equipped with 18-pounder guns, fires on the Italian positions for about thirty minutes. At 08:50, three Hartbees arrive on station over the sector to support the ground troops. As on previous days, soldiers of the Natal Mounted Rifles charge with the bayonet, shouting Zulu war cries, and press home frontal assaults.[4]

According to a pilot of No.40 (SAAF) Squadron:

« We airmen could not understand why the commander did not outflank the position but persisted in a frontal attack… in the event when we saw the bayonets of the NMR glinting as they went forward there was not a shot against them. We could see the dead sprawled in the trenches from our bombing and the artillery »[5]

 

Douglas Baker’s diary is very brief on this last assault:

« the birds had flown the night before. »[6]

 

The South Africans find few men left on the spot: one Italian officer and nineteen irregulars are killed; two others are wounded. In the early afternoon, the 2nd S.A. Field Force Battalion secures the well at El Sardu (Italian Somaliland), but it has been sabotaged and they are forced to abandon it.

South African newspapers accordingly announce the resounding victory of their troops, who capture a formidable Italian position without a single loss:

« a feat that will be hard to match in British military annals ».

Nevertheless, the reality quickly becomes apparent from the interrogation of one of the few prisoners: El Yibo (Kenya) and El Sardu (Kenya) are held only by a detachment of seven Italians and about a hundred Banda irregulars, with nine machine guns. The remainder fall back on Hobok (Ethiopia).[7]

It hardly needs saying that General George E. Brink (1st South African Division) is far from satisfied on reading the initial reports. General Alan G. Cunningham remarks that “given its results, the Brigade would probably be more at home defending a golf course”. He adds that “the use of machine guns was plainly inadequate and orders were often contradictory”. He further notes that “officers did not deem it necessary to conduct a prior appreciation before the assault, and displayed a blatant lack of ingenuity in adapting”.