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On 5 December the
Biafrans launched a two-day offensive on Owerri in which 50,000 rounds of ammunition, 300 mortars, 200 howitzer shells, and 20 anti-tank weapons were fired by the Biafrans but the Nigerian 16th Division under Col. Etuk managed to stay put in their original positions. On 15 January 1969 the Biafran 60th Brigade entered Owerri and forced the Nigerians within the city to retreat across the Otamini Bridge. Hungry and half-naked Biafran soldiers discovered the Nigerians’ food and clothing supplies and decided to stay and have their fill while the Nigerians regrouped and launched a counter-attack, causing the Biafrans to retreat. By 31 March 1969 the Biafrans had control over 70% of Owerri while the remaining 300 Nigerian soldiers fled the city on 25 April.
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Marine
Division would be at risk of annihilation, but they never arrived. Nearly 15,000 Nigerian soldiers had either been killed or wounded in the Umuahia sector, and on 1 October the 3rd Marine Division retreated to Port Harcourt while the 16th Division was left isolated in Owerri. Instead of pursuing the retreating Nigerians to Port Harcourt the Biafrans slowly made their way up the Aba-Umuahia road and managed to capture Aba on 15 October.
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the city. Adekunle's strategy for gaining Aba was to surround the city, cut off food shipments, and starve the city into submission. On 24 August two
Nigerian battalions and their Soviet advisers crossed the Imo River Bridge and began making their way towards Owerri. The Biafran 4th Commando Brigade under the Welsh mercenary Maj.
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the
Biafran Brigadier Alexander Madiebo encircled Owerri, trapping the 3,000-man Nigerian 16th Division inside the city. For the next several months attacks were launched by Biafran soldiers on Nigerian defensive positions around the city which allowed them to inch closer to Owerri with every battle.
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was made commander of the 63rd
Brigade. In a letter sent from Generalissimo Ojukwu to Col. Kalu he states "Your role in the Port Harcourt disaster is still fresh in the minds of people. You must clear the enemy from Obinze in 24 hours or submit your resignation from the army." Only a few hours later
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On 30 July Gen. Adekunle began making plans to capture Biafra's remaining major cities, even boldly stating that he would be able to capture Owerri, Aba, and
Umuahia in two weeks. In August 1968 the Nigerian Army set up positions along the Aba-Umuahia road and cut off all food shipments from entering
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Although Shuwa's 1st
Division successfully captured Okigwe and the Obiangwu airstrip, the operation resulted in disaster for Adekunle's 3rd Marine Division in which it lost over 20,000 of its 35,000 soldiers, over two thirds of the entire division, and found itself in short supply of both men and
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On 2 September
Nigerian artillery began shelling Aba while ground forces began to enter the city under heavy Biafran fire. For twelve days bloody house-to-house fighting ensued and bodies filled Red Cross hospitals before the final Biafrans surrendered on 14 September. On 13 September the Biafran
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The terrain around
Umuahia consisted of areas of vast jungles and rivers that were littered with mines and Biafran soldiers. For 14 days, the two sides exchanged gunfire and artillery, resulting in mass casualties on both sides. Adekunle radioed in that he needed reinforcements or his entire 3rd
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mine the
Nigerian advance was halted and Obinze was captured. The 5th, 21st, 22nd, and 44th battalions of the Nigerian 1st Division began making their way northwards towards the Obiangwu airstrip from to axes after overrunning Biafran positions on the banks of the
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threw themselves headfirst against the Nigerian attack. For three days light machine gun and repeater rifle fire did not stop, and neither side gave an inch until the Biafrans ran out of ammunition and were forced to retreat to Aba.
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Due to the swiftness of the Nigerian advance the Biafran 63rd Brigade retreated from the Obiangwu airstrip on 22 September, leaving the bulk of its equipment to the Nigerian 22nd and 44th battalions. The same day, the Biafran Maj.
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attempted a counterattack at the Obiangwu airstrip, but was swiftly repulsed by the Nigerian 22nd Battalion. On 30 September the Nigerian 21st battalion outflanked the defending Biafran 13th Division and captured
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began drawing up plans to invade the Biafran heartland and capture all remaining major cities. On 14 April the Nigerian 3rd Marine Division under Gen. Adekunle made their way north from their position in
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On 17 September the Nigerian 3rd Marine Division began making their way towards Umuahia but were intercepted outside the city by a division of Biafran soldiers and a bloody battle ensued.
568:. Operation OAU was an intermittent battle that may have resulted in over 25,000 deaths on both sides. Although the Biafran soldiers were outnumbered, they were able to retain control of
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on 19 May. The Nigerian Army and Navy bombarded the city before carrying out an amphibious assault led by the 31st, 32nd and 33rd battalions. This led to the retreat of Biafran forces.
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564:(2 September – 15 October 1968) was a battle between Nigerian 3 Marine Commando Division (3MCDO) and Biafran 12 Division in modern day south-eastern
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where they managed to capture the city after a stubborn Biafran defense. For 36 days the 3rd Division pushed their way west through the
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and retreated from the city, leaving Owerri open to Col. Etuk's 16th Division. After Owerri's capture Colonel
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14th Division came under heavy artillery fire from the Nigerian 16th Brigade under the command of Colonel
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On 18 September, after a fierce five-day stand, the Biafran 14th Division abandoned fighting in
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openly voiced his support for the Biafran cause and began shipping weapons to Biafra.
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Colonel Kalu ordered a Biafran counterattack and with the assistance of the
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743:"Federal Nigerian Army Blunders of the Nigerian Civil War - Part 10"
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649:was made commander of the 14th Division and Col.
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676:town. In mid-September, the French President
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206:(1 month, 1 week and 6 days)
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721:"Images of Biafra:Land of the Rising Sun"
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
572:and eventually recapture the cities of
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16:1968 battle of the Biafran War
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204:2 September–15 October 1968
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189:Operation OAU (Nigeria)
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280:Commanders and leaders
369:Casualties and losses
43:improve this article
770:Nigerian Civil War
416:Nigerian Civil War
785:Conflicts in 1968
719:Effiong, Philip.
678:Charles de Gaulle
651:Lambert Iheanacho
590:Benjamin Adekunle
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60: –
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54:Find sources:
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32:This article
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746:. Retrieved
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724:. Retrieved
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695:Yakubu Gowon
693:food. While
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247:Belligerents
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41:Please help
36:verification
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647:Ogbugo Kalu
603:Niger Delta
599:Ikot Ekpene
478:2nd Onitsha
452:1st Onitsha
316:Ogbugo Kalu
131:Biafran War
99:August 2018
764:Categories
706:References
463:Tiger Claw
69:newspapers
688:Aftermath
661:Imo River
656:Ogbunigwe
629:E.A. Etuk
549:Tail-Wind
507:Hiroshima
748:7 August
726:7 August
622:Invasion
513:Blockade
356:Strength
211:Location
129:Part of
595:Calabar
584:Prelude
570:Umuahia
566:Nigeria
534:Umuahia
528:Leopard
488:Abagana
436:UNICORD
261:Nigeria
228:Nigeria
224:Umuahia
183:Umuahia
83:scholar
674:Okigwe
643:Obinze
574:Owerri
501:Owerri
374:21,500
361:35,000
274:Biafra
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235:Result
222:, and
216:Owerri
155:Owerri
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639:Ohoba
457:Asaba
446:Enugu
90:JSTOR
76:books
750:2013
728:2013
641:and
576:and
541:1970
520:1969
471:1968
429:1967
201:Date
62:news
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597:to
578:Aba
495:OAU
220:Aba
169:Aba
45:by
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406:e
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