Battle of Maychew The Battle of Maychew ( also known as the Battle of Mai Ceu ) was the last major battle fought on the northern front during the Second Italo - Abyssinian War . The battle consisted of a failed counterattack by the Ethiopian forces under Emperor Haile Selassie making frontal assault s against prepared Italian defensive positions under the command of Marshal Pietro Badoglio . The battle was fought near Maychew ( Mai Ceu ) , Ethiopia , in the modern region of Tigray . Background . On 3 October 1935 , General Emilio De Bono advanced into Ethiopia from Eritrea without a declaration of war , leading a force of approximately 100 , 000 Italian and 25 , 000 Eritrean soldiers towards the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa . In December , after a brief period of inactivity and minor setbacks for the Italians , De Bono was replaced by Badoglio . Under Badoglio , the advance on Addis Ababa was renewed . Badoglio overwhelmed the armies of ill - armed and uncoordinated Ethiopian warriors with mustard gas , tanks , and heavy artillery . He defeated the Ethiopian armies at the Battle of Amba Aradam , the Second Battle of Tembien , and the Battle of Shire . Quorom and Maychew . On 1 March 1936 , Emperor Haile Selassie arrived by foot at his new headquarters in Quorom . He arrived forty years to the day from the decisive Ethiopian victory at Adwa during the First Italo - Ethiopian War . On 19 March , both " Ras " Kassa Haile Darge and " Ras " Seyum Mangasha made their way to Quorom to join the Emperor . In addition , " Ras " Getachew Abate arrived with a fresh army from Kaffa Province . The Emperor divided his army into four groups . He arranged that one group would be commanded directly by himself and that the other three groups would be commanded by " Ras " Kassa , " Ras " Seyum , and " Ras " Getachew . Compared to other Ethiopian forces , Haile Selasie ' s army was extremely well armed . He had an artillery regiment of twenty 75 mm field guns , some Oerlikon 37 mm guns , and even a few 81 mm Brandt mortars . However , compared to the resources available to Badoglio , Haile Selasie ' s army was hopelessly outmatched . To even things up , the Emperor handed out between ten to fifteen dollars and distributed other gifts to the Azebu Galla . In exchange , they swore their allegiance to him and agreed to attack the Italian flanks . Badoglio had the four divisions of the Italian I Army Corps and the three divisions of the Eritrean Corps at Maychew . Before the battle , the Marshal explained : " The Emperor has three choices . To attack , and be defeated ; to wait for our attack , and we will win anyway ; or to retreat , which is disastrous for an army that lacks means of transport and proper organization for food and munitions . " Badoglio also enjoyed the intelligence edge of being able to intercept most of the Ethiopian radio communications . On 21 March , Haile Selassie sent a radio message to his wife , Empress Menen Asfaw : As soon as Badoglio intercepted this message indicating that Haile Selassie had decided to advance , he cancelled orders for his own proposed offensive . Instead , Badoglio would prepare defensive positions for an Ethiopian attack . On 23 March , looking across a lush green valley towards the Italian positions at Maychew , the Emperor contemplated his decision to strike first . His army was the last intact Ethiopian army between Badoglio and Addis Ababa . He decided he would direct the attack personally in accordance with tradition and the expectation of his followers . Six battalions of the Imperial Guard ( " Kebur Zabangna " ) would be part of his force of approximately 31 , 000 fighters . Haile Selassie chose to attack against the advice of his foreign experts and against his own better judgement . Had Haile Selassie attacked on 24 March as he originally planned , things may have gone differently ; many of the Italians had only recently arrived at Maychew after the fall of Amba Aradam . But , during a week frittered away by the Ethiopians in war councils , banquets , and prayers , the Italians had time to strengthen their defenses and time to bring up reserves . Battle . At dawn on 31 March 1936 , the attack was launched . It was St . George ' s Day . The attack began at 0545 hours and continued for thirteen hours with little or no let up . The Italians had been " standing to " in the front line positions all night , alerted to the attack by an Ethiopian deserter . The mountain troops ( " Alpini " ) of the 5th " Pusteria " Mountain Division were dug in on the slopes of Amba Bokora for the Italian I Corps . The rest of the I Corps was in reserve , the 26th " Assietta " Infantry Division , the 30th " Sabauda " Infantry Division , and the 4th " 3rd January " Blackshirt Division . The two Eritrean divisions of the Eritrean Corps held Mekan Pass , the 1st Eritrean Division and the 2nd Eritrean Division . The 1st " 23rd March " Blackshirt Division was in reserve for the Eritrean Corps . The Ethiopians advanced in three columns of 3 , 000 men each . In the first attacks , the Ethiopians hurled themselves at the Italian positions in waves . The fury of the attack and surprisingly accurate mortar fire carried the Ethiopians well into the defensive lines of the " Pusteria " Division . But the mountain troops struck back and soon the front lines were stabilized . Switch to the left flank . The Ethiopians switched the focus of their attack and fifteen thousand men under " Ras " Kassa advanced against the Eritreans holding Mekan Pass on the Italian left flank . Haile Selassie hoped to face less resistance from the Eritreans . From 0700 to 0800 hours , the Ethiopians kept up a steady onslaught and , despite taking heavy casualties , were beginning to make gains . But at 0800 Badoglio unleashed the bombers of the Italian Royal Air Force ( " Regia Aeronautica " ) and the Ethiopians could hear the ominous engine roar as they closed in with poison gas . Imperial Guard sent in . Haile Selassie now played his trump card . The Imperial Guard , under the command of " Ras " Getachew Abate , was sent in against the Eritreans . The training and discipline of this elite force was apparent in the methodical mode of their advance over the open ground . For three hours they struggled to roll up the Italian flank . The X Battalion of the 2nd Eritrean Division was virtually annihilated . In the end , the Italian commander of the unit called down concentrated artillery fire onto his own overrun positions and saved the day . Last attack . By 1600 hours , it was apparent that the Imperial Guard was not going to be able to capture their objectives and Haile Selassie played his last card . He ordered an attack along the entire front . This last desperate action was again made by three columns , it was made under a heavily overcast sky , and it was made with little chance of success . The Ethiopians attacked everywhere and were driven back . It was at this point that the Azebu Galla , who had been on the sidelines , made their allegiance clear and attacked the withdrawing Ethiopians . Haile Selassie ' s order to retreat was to be late in coming . He placed " Ras " Getachew Abate as " Asmach " . But the Ethiopians had lost many front line commanders , the soldiers had not eaten since before dawn , and discipline had understandably broken down . To make matters even worse , as the Ethiopian fled from the battlefield , they were mercilessly bombed from above by the Italian Royal Air Force and harassed on the ground by the Azebu Galla . After the battle . On the evening of 31 March , Haile Selassie sent another message to his wife : Many of the Ethiopian commanders now prepared to make for their own lands . " Dejazmach " Wondosson Kassa , one of " Ras " Kassa ' s sons , was to go to Lasta south of Wag , his grandfather ' s country . In Lasta the inhabitants were both warlike and loyal to the " Shoan Emperor , " Haile Selassie . " Dejazmach " Aberra Kassa , one of " Ras " Kassa ' s other sons was to go to the Kassa fief of Salale in northern Shoa . " Ras " Seyum was ordered to return to Tigray and wage guerrilla war . " Ras " Kassa and " Asmach " Getachew , with the remnants of their own forces and with the remnants of the Guard , accompanied Haile Selassie as he made his way into the friendly highlands of Wag and Lasta and away from the snarling Azebu Galla . Retreat . On the night of 2 April , the Emperor finally ordered a retreat . The retreating columns set off before dawn the next day towards Lake Ashangi and the highlands of Quorom . Haile Selassie , wearing a pith helmet , rode a white horse and the retreat was initially not chaotic . In the early morning , circumstances changed as two latent threats materialized . The Azebu Galla started attacking the flanks and Italian aircraft arrived . The Imperial Guard , as part of the rear guard commanded by " Asmach " Getachew , lost more men over the next two days than were lost during the battle . Late on 3 April , the Ethiopian columns reached Quorom and the relative safety of the highlands . It was now decided that the columns would be dispersed . As a result , all semblance of order and organization were lost . In the early morning of 4 April , the battle weary and thirsty survivors of the Emperor ' s army struggled towards Lake Ashangi . Roughly 20 , 000 Ethiopians crossed the open plain towards Lake Ashangi and , due to brutal attacks from the Azebu Galla and due to near continuous attacks from the air , thousands would be lost before they got close to the lake ' s shore . Worse , the water of Lake Ashangi had been sprayed with deadly chemicals by the Italian Royal Air Force and it was poison by the time the Emperor ' s army arrived . Late on 4 April , Haile Selassie looked with despair upon the horrific sight of the dead bodies of much of his army ringing the poisoned lake . Pilgrimage to Lalibella and plan to stand at Dessie . It was believed among the Ethiopians that it might be possible to make a stand at Dessie . The Crown Prince Asfa Wossen had been sent there to raise a new army . With the Crown Prince in Dessie were " Shum " Wadajo Ali and " Fitawrari " Fikremariam . Wadajo Ali was the " real " Governor of Wollo and Fikremariam commanded the Guard and the Shewa n garrison at Dessie . Ammunition and supplies were accumalated in anticipation of protracted operations in the north . Before getting to Dessie , the Emperor decided to make a pilgrimage to the holy city of Lalibella . Included in the Emperor ' s retinue was Coptic " Abuna " Petros , Etchage Gabre Giyorgis , " Ras " Kassa , " Dejazmach " Adafersaw Yenadu , " Dejazmach " Wondosson Kassa , and " Dejazmach " Aberra Kassa . From 12 April the Emperor spent three days there in prayer . On 15 April , Haile Selassie left Lalibella and rejoined his army as it continued its plodding march towards Dessie . At Magdala , the Emperor was to learn that the Crown Prince had abandoned Dessie on 14 April without firing a shot . He also learned that the city was already occupied by the Eritreans . The Emperor ' s column turned towards Worra Ilu , but runners then brought the news that Worra Ilu had fallen too . By forced march , the Emperor and his party made their way to Fikke in Salale . On 20 April , Marshal Badoglio flew to Dessie . He noted great strips of cloth stretched across the decorated streets . On the cloth , the local population had written : " The Hawk has flown . " On 26 April , when Badoglio launched his " March of the Iron Will " towards Addis Ababa , he faced no meaningful Ethiopian resistance . Addis Ababa . From Fikke , Haile Selassie made his way towards Addis Ababa . By 1 May , he had arrived in the capital . This was one month after the Battle of Maychew . With him were " Ras " Kassa and " Asmach " Getachew . When the Emperor arrived , he found a city in a state of near panic .