Chélak Massacre

Chélak Massacre
Part of First Pan-Septentrion War and The Struggle
Two marine bodies uncovered, 2015
Date 9-10 October 1937 (Four hours) Location Chélak-Bibré Road, Husseinarti Result Total Husseinarti victory
Belligerents
Husseinarti	Sieuxerr
Commanders and leaders
Jean Yves Jerome	Jean-Luc Mignard †
Units involved
9th Battalion 10th Battalion Local militia	22nd Colonial Marine Infantry Regiment
Strength
~1,100 militia 3 Hotchkiss machine guns 10 roadside bombs	~1,500 marines
Casualties and losses
~50 total	Entire force killed

The Chélak Massacre was an ambush and then massacre of an entire regiment of Sieuxerrian Colonial Marines. The marines were marching from Chélak to Bibré and were ambushed with a mixture of effective machine gun fire and roadside bombs. Later survivors were assaulted by waves of Husseinarti militia armed with machetes, all survivors of the attack were later killed. The massacre was described as a "disgusting war crime" by then-Emperor Napoléon V, with later Husseinartian President Théodore Boulet Sawadogo describing it as a "righteous showing of Husseinartian resolve".

Background

For the past few months since the start of Sieuxerrian-involvement in the First Pan-Septentrion War, the colonial government in Husseinarti was attempting to quell the various riots that had sprung up as a result of the sudden lack of colonial troops, then the later implementation of conscription of the natives to fight in Casaterra. For the whole time since, the indigenous Husseinarti People’s Council had been locked in intense negotiations with the colonial government. The HPC wanted to avoid outright military conflict and instead force the colonial government to cede control to them as peacefully as possible, as it was perceived by the HPC that a peaceful ceding of power would give them an air of legitimacy on the international stage.

However the negotiations had gone almost nowhere since they had started, this is typically owed to the belligerent nature of colonial governor Lambert Girard. Governor Girard was noted by both Sieuxerrian and Husseinartians as an incredibly difficult person during these talks, typically resorting to tirads of racial slurs and general insults to the Husseinartian delegates. Following a relatively volatile exchange on 30 September, in which the governor had thrown porcelain tea cups at the Husseinartians, the delegates left and immediately began to plan a military operation to show the governor the resolve of the HPC.

At this time, the 22nd Colonial Marine Infantry Regiment had been preparing to move from Chélak to Bibré, where an understrength battalion-sized force of colonial marines and police had requested further support to help deal with rising tensions and riots in the city. The commander of the colonial marines, Major Jean-Luc Mignard, planned for a forced march starting from early 9 October and expecting to arrive in Bibré midday on 10 October. Major Mignard did not want to bivouac in the jungle at night, as he was worried of an ambush on his regiment if it did so. Information from native scouts had been leaked to the HPC about the move and it was decided to act on this information. Jean Yves Jerome, a college-educated Husseinartian, had been selected by the HPC to lead the operation. While Jean lacked a proper military background, he was well-red in military campaigns and when selected for the mission he immediately began to amass equipment and weapons and prepare modified 75mm artillery shells into bombs. He also was given three Hotchkiss machine guns, which were all the machine guns the HPC’s Emergency Army had at the time. As well, his force lacked sufficient rifles and ammo, instead he instructed his men that “The Sieuxerrians have very kindly brought us the rifles we need, we simply need to take them”.

He was given command of two battalions, the 9th and the 10th, as well as some 300 local militia who rallied to aid him. Of his forces, only the 400-man strong 9th Battalion was equipped with mostly rifles, but lacked ammo for a prolonged fight. Identifying the usefulness of the machineguns ahead of the rifles, he ordered the men to give up most of whatever ammo they had to the machine guns. At most the riflemen of 9th Battalion had five cartridges to themselves.

With the help of native scouts, a position on the road between Chélak and Bibré was selected. This selection of road bent at numerous positions, making clear supporting fire difficult to do for a marching force. As well, the jungle was at its closest to the road here, meaning that charging Husseinartian militia would have more cover and concealment before appearing on the sides of the Sieuxerrian marines. On the night of 9 October as colonial marines were marching, the road was prepared. The machine guns were positioned with intersecting fields of fire on the left side of the jungle, 9th Battalion would assemble on this as well. The 10th Battalion and the local militia, armed almost exclusively with machetes, were assembled on the right side. This would allow them to ambush the blindspot of the marines, who’d likely withdraw into the jungle to get cover from the machine guns. 75mm artillery shells that had been smuggled out of ammo depots were rigged with additional explosive charges to be detonated along various sections of the marching column to cause confusion.

Ambush

At roughly 10:30PM, Company B of the 22nd Colonial Marine Infantry Regiment approached the ambush site. Taking the bend in the road, the marines marched silently, as many were likely exhausted at this point. The marines had been marching without break for nearly ten hours now. The regiment however was still marching in good order and on the flanks and head of the column, torches allowed for decent visibility. Company A was behind Company B, with the command element for the regiment in the middle with Company C, D, and the regimental trains trailing behind. Husseinartian militia sat on the edge of the jungle line. At some point, the native scouts, having been the ones who leaked this information, abandoned the marine regiment and joined up with the ambushing force.

At 10:45PM the 75mm shells were detonated along most of the column. The regiment almost immediately halted as the explosions ripped through the companies. While the effect to the companies themselves was minimal, two 75mm shells detonated perfectly between the regimental command staff. Almost instantly Major Mignard and the majority of his staff officers were killed. Following this, the machine guns and riflemen on the left side of the jungle began to fire. The machine guns had been set up to achieve enfilading fire against the marching marines, and the losses to Company A were heavy as they were the ones hit first.

Companies B, C and D, which were mostly taking rifle fire, immediately rounded to face the fire and began to withdraw into the jungle behind them. However, just as the marines had taken cover and were firing back, the rifleman ceased firing, mostly due to the fact they had ran through all their ammunition, but as well this allowed for the machete armed militia behind the marines to charge onto them. The unsuspecting marines suddenly found themselves in a brutal melee fight.

In tight jungles, the Lebel-rifles of the marines were very unwieldy, with many dropping them to simply use their bayonets or pistols instead. However the confusion and lack of coherent command struggle meant companies were isolated and slowly picked apart by the attackers. As this went on, the riflemen of 9th Battalion drew their machetes and charged in as well. For the next three hours the battle went on. The tired and confused marines offered initially stiff resistance, but very quickly broke under pressure.

At some point marines attempted to surrender, but were cut down by the militia. The entire force was wiped out to a man within roughly four hours of the first bombs going off.