Battle of Bouzegza
 | This article may be a rough translation from French. It may have been generated, in whole or in part, by a computer or by a translator without dual proficiency. (October 2017) |
| Battle of Bouzegza | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Algerian War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 France |
 ALN | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Jacques Massu Jacques Allard[1] | Commander Azzedine | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
About 30 Killed (4 August) 10 Killed (12 August) | 108 killed[2] | ||||||
The Battle of Bouzegza took place during the Algerian War in the Berber-speaking region of the Adrar Azegzaw massif (Djebel Bouzegza, which means "Bouzegza Mountain"), at the far eastern end of the Mitidja Plain.
On August 4, 8 and 12, 1957, Ali Khodja of the National Liberation Army (ALN), reinforced with local units, faced French Army units commanded by several generals, including Jacques Massu[3]
Before 4 August 1957
According to the French, the battle followed an ambush near Médéa in late July 1957 against a section of the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment, in which 14 men were killed and eight wounded.[4] According to the Algerians, a medic from the local unit in Palestro commanded by Si Boualem, captured in a guerrilla action, told the French his unit was in Bouzegza. He knew it was not but did not know Ali Khodja was there.[5]
The battle August 4
In spite of its numbers and considerable resources, the French army suffered a heavy defeat on the 4th of August. The 2nd squadron of the 2nd Regiment of Dragoons, mistook Ali Khodja's fighters for French soldiers,[6][5]Boukhalfa Amazit (August 20, 2009). ""Le commandant Azzedine raconte la bataille de Bouzegza"" [Commander Azzedine Tells of the Battle of Bouzegza]. El Watan.</ref> and lost many men. Major Azzedine said an article in the daily Le Monde, published the day after the incident, reported French casualties in the order of 600 dead, wounded and disappeared, and the fighters of the Wilaya IV deplorable only a few wounded.[5] The article quoted French military authorities [7], saying 21 French were killed and 18 wounded. The history of the 2nd Dragoon Regiment (France) says the losses were 29 killed, 12 wounded and 2 missing.[8]. According to the FLN, the commandos suffered only one wounded, the rebels killed by the French army being moussebiline premises and civilians.
New French closure in August 12
Ali Khodja was joined by other units. The NLP soldiers were severely attacked on the 12th by the paratroopers[5] of the 2nd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment and the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment[9], the French recovering on this occasion some of the weapons captured by the rebels[2]. According to Commander Azzedine, some ferkas under the orders of Si Boualem were practically decimated, while the commando lost a dozen killed. Thanks to his information networks and his knowledge of the terrain, Ali Khodja managed to disengage and retreat with the least damage possible (according to Commander Azzedine: a few killed and a dozen wounded).[5]
Bibliography
- Yves Courrière, La guerre d'Algérie, Fayard, 2001 (ISBN 2213611211).
- Benjamin Stora; Renaud de Rochebrune (October 13, 2016). La guerre d'Algérie vue par les Algériens. Vol. 2. Editions Denoël. p. 36. ISBN 9782207111932.
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External links
- Article in Le Monde on the battle: "Un ancien officier d'Algérie commente la bataille du Bou-Zegza". Le Monde (in French). August 10, 1957.
See also
References
- ^ "Violent combat au sud d'Alger" [Violent Combat in Southern Algeria], Le Monde, August 6, 1957 (in French)
- ^ a b "Huit cents rebelles ont été mis hors de combat depuis le 5 août" [800 Rebels Knocked Out of Action Since August 5]. Le Monde (in French). 13 August 1957. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
- ^ Yves Courrière, La guerre d'Algérie [The War in Algeria], p. 424 (in French)
- ^ Patrick de Gmeline, Nouvelle histoire de la Légion étrangère [New History of the Foreign Legion], Perrin, 2016 (in French)
- ^ a b c d e Boukhalfa Amazit, "Le commandant Azzedine raconte la bataille de Bouzegza" [Commander Azzedine Recounts the Battle of Bouega], El Watan, August 20, 2009 (in French)
- ^ "Violent combat au sud d'Alger" [Violent Fight South of Algiers] (in French). Le Monde. August 6, 1957.
- ^ "Vingt et un militaires tués et dix-huit blessés Seize morts chez les rebelles" (in French). Le Monde.
- ^ Lt Col (H) Aïcardi (August 22, 2010). Fiche Algérie 1954-1964 du 2e dragons [The Algeria File 1954-1964 by the 2nd Dragoons] (in French). Retrieved July 21, 2017.
- ^ Patrick de Gmeline, Nouvelle histoire de la Légion étrangère, Perrin, 2016, 652 p. [1] (in French)
