Resistance in the Desert
Part I

Problems of Supply

By Ian Croxall

The Forts

The French protected their hard won real estate by building a series of forts and blockhouses along the frontier roughly delineated by the wad Zousfana and wad Saoura. This left them in an intolerable situation of having a supply rout that ran parallel to the frontier. It led to a series of skirmishes over the next few years. The army would send its supply columns down the frontier. Attacks would be launched against them. The army was forbidden to attack towns in Morocco or pursue raids into Morocco across the Hammada de Guir.

Defeat at El Moungar

One of the most famous of these skirmishes was the battle of El Moungar. It was August of 1903 and the southern oases were again under siege and the fort at Taghit was assaulted by a band of 4000 Moroccans. A large relief column was en route with 3000 pack camels of supplies. Due to the large size of the relief column it had to be split into detachments as the water holes on the route were insufficient to supply such a large number of animals, and time had to be given for the wells to fill again before the next detachment arrived. One detachment of 572 camels was commanded by Captain Vauchez and his half (mounted) company of the 2nd Regiment Legion Etrangere comprising of 2 officers and 113 other ranks with a mounted detachment of 30 Spahis. On September 2nd Vauchez was camped on the plain of El Moungar. While preparing breakfast 400 Dawi Mani and Awlad Jarir detached from the harka at Taghit attacked them.

The French were split into three separate groups as the majority of the mules and camels stampeded. The second in command, a popular Danish subaltern named Selchauhansen formed his group into a square but was killed soon afterwards. During the seven-hour battle the three groups eventually managed to recombine behind a makeshift wall of dead mules. The French held off several hand to hand chargers. Vauchez himself received a mortal chest wound but continued to direct fire and command the defense against seemingly impossible odds.

Towards the evening the tribesmen broke off their attack Vauchez had managed at the start of the attack to send dispatch riders ahead and behind to contact other detachments of the column. It was the impending arrival of a mounted relief unit from the 1st regiment in the third echelon that saw off the attack. Vauchez died of his wounds and was buried on the field of battle along with Selchauhansen and 34 of their men. Almost all of the Legionaires were wounded, but 47 of these survived.

In an attempt to turn the tide, the brilliant Colonel Lyautey was posted to command the Ain Sefra sector. He established the bases along the frontier and from the forts at Bechar, Berguent and Forthassa. He continually harried the Moroccans across the border despite orders to the contrary form France, forcing the Arab and Berbers further westwards.

More Resistance in the Desert Part I

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