Alhucemas landing

Overview

The Alhucemas landing was a military amphibious landing which took place on 8 September 1925 at Alhucemas by the Spanish Army and Navy and, in lesser numbers, an allied French naval and aerial contingent, that would put an end to the Rif War. It is considered the first amphibious landing in history involving the use of tanks and massive seaborne air support. Alhucemas is seen as a precursor of the Allied amphibious landings in World War II, and the first successful combined operation of the 20th century.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Alhucemas landing of September 1925 brought the Rif War toward its close, delivering a combined Spanish and French force of some 13,000 troops onto the Riffian coast and threatening Abd el-Krim's position from a direction that broke the strategic deadlock. Facing a defending force of roughly 9,000, the Spanish sustained over 2,300 casualties, indicating the resistance encountered. The operation is identified as the first amphibious landing in history to employ tanks alongside massive seaborne air support, and is regarded as the first successful combined joint operation of the twentieth century. Its techniques and lessons are recognized as precursors to the Allied amphibious landings of World War II, placing Alhucemas at the origin of modern combined-arms amphibious doctrine.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (5)