Atlas of Battles

battle, Cold War

Battle of Massawa

Battle of Massawa was a battle fought in 1977 in what is now Eritrea; it ran into the following year. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at its recorded location. It was part of the Eritrean War of Independence, which ran from 1961 to 1991. The recorded result: Ethiopian victory.

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Fought1977ran into the following year
WhereEritrea15.600N, 39.433E, placed at the location, approximate
OutcomeEthiopian victory
BelligerentsEPLFagainstEthiopia
Casualties and lossesAt least 2,000 dead; 400 woundedandUnknown
Part ofEritrean War of Independence1961 to 1991

Where it sits in the Eritrean War of Independence

Battle of Adal, 1961Battle of Omal, 1961Battle of Halhal, 1962Battle of Ansaba, 1963Battle of Togoruba, 1964Siege of Nakfa, 1976Battle of Massawa, 1977Siege of Barentu, 1977Battle of Afabet, 1988Battle of Massawa, 199019611990Battle of Massawa, 1977
10 placed engagements of the Eritrean War of Independence in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1977 (year precision)
to 1978
PlaceEritrea
15.600N, 39.433E
KindBattle, Cold War
Casualties and lossesAt least 2,000 dead; 400 woundedUnknown
Commanders
  • Mesfin Hagos
  • Merid Negussie
Battle of MassawaBattle of MassawaAttack on Convoy BN 7Battle of HalaiBattle of AfabetBattle of KerenBattle of AgordatBattle of HalaiBattle of AfabetBattle of KerenBattle of AgordatAsmaraMendefera100 km15.600N, 39.433E
Placed at its recorded location; the exact site is not recorded. with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1977

Battle of Massawa is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 23 in present-day Eritrea.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q4349238, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article First Battle of Massawa, revision 1370618781, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.