Battle of Ridge 61

Battle of Ridge 61
Part of the East Africanna Campaign of the Second Europan War
Zanarkian troops near Ridge 61
Date 21 December 1937 - 24 December 1937 (Offensive Stage) 25 December 1937 - 30 January 1938 (Defensive Stage) Location Ridge 61, Archadian Arithea Border Result Allied Victory Allied Forces Push into Archadian Arithea
Belligerents
Zanarkand New Akiba Relief Force United Kingdom Free Bethausia	Archadia-Archedes Archadian East Africanna
Commanders and leaders
Edward Samegawa Roy Peterson Tsukuyo Kushineda Yukio Kushineda V	Hugo Cavallero Enrico Luca Italo Lorenzini Nico Henrici
Units involved
XX Zanarkian Corps 7th Armoured Division Long Range Desert Group	17th Esercito 3rd Bersaglieri Corps Royal Corps of Colonial Troops
Strength
20,000	45,000
Casualties and losses
350 troops 5 guns 12 tanks	2,552 troops 12 guns 40 tanks

The Battle of Ridge 61 was a battle that took place near the Archadian Arithean border. The ridge was initially held by a handful of Archadian troops that were overrun once ZANAC troops attacked, disabling both Archadian forces at the base of the ridge and on the top of the ridge by Christmas Eve. Although it was unexpected that Archadian forces would commence several counteroffensives to retake the Ridge, as it served as the last natural barrier before Archadian-occupied Aethiopia and Archadian Arithea.

Although the Zanarkians were successful in taking the ridge, Gen. Hugo Cavallero mounted a thrust to cut off the ZANACs from being reinforced. As a result, the ridge was besieged. Instead of mounting a breakout, as Brigadier Tsukuyo Kushineda ordered, Brigadier Edward Samegawa fortified the ridge and held it for a month in order to buy time for Sugiyama to send in reinforcements. Although ZANAC forces came under heavy assaults and barrages, the ZANACs would continue to hold the ridge until late January. Reinforcements came to the ridge as early of mid-January in the form of a small token force from the LRDG under Kushineda's older brother, Col. Yukio Kushineda Jr..

By late January, the Archadian forces could not push the Allies out of the Ridge. Having exhausted men, munitions, and equipment, Cavallero would be forced to call off the siege and retreat further into Aethiopia and Arithea, allowing Sugiyama to commence his assaults on the two Archadian-held regions in East Africanna.