Battle of Tres Forcas
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Tres Forcas was a battle on 7 August 1856 between boat crews from the Prussian Navy
corvette SMS Danzig
(then on a foreign cruise, commanded by Prince Adalbert of Prussia) and the Riffians
, a Moroccan
tribe of Berbers. It occurred at Cape Tres Forcas
and was one of the first examples of Prussian or German gunboat diplomacy
.
The Treaty of Paris
of 1856 had decided that a Prussian warship should be deployed to the River Danube's outlet into the Black Sea
and, on its way there, Prince Adalbert decided to explore the Rif
coast of Morocco. There, four years earlier, on 7 December 1852, the Prussian warship Flora had been shot at by pirates, with one sailor killed and its captain injured.
On 7 August 1856 Prince Adalbert manned two boats and deployed them along the coast. After the boats came under fire from the Riffians, the Danzig moved to only 600 metres from the shore to give the boat crews supporting fire. Adalbert then ordered a landing operation by 14 officers and 53 non commissioned officers, sailors and marines, led by Adalbert in person. Around noon, he led a surprise attack on a steep rock face nearly 40 metres high under heavy enemy fire. This attack was successful and the Riffians were forced back to a plateau. However, they were also receiving continuous reinforcements and so Adalbert finally decided to withdraw, in case he and his troops were cut off from the shore.
Prussian casualties were 7 dead and 22 wounded, including Adalbert, shot in the thigh. A subscription from the whole Prussian Navy raised a monument to the dead of the battle in Gibraltar
in the form of an eagle, set up in 1863. Despite being a complete tactical failure, the landing and Adalbert and his sailors' courage were praised for decades to come by the Prussian people and particularly within the Prussian and German Imperial
navies.
Prussian Navy
Throughout the centuries, Prussia’s military consistently concentrated on its land power, and never sought a similar power at sea. Yet historically there were always Prussian naval forces , beginning in the days when "Prussia" meant only the Margraviate of Brandenburg.- The Navy of Electoral...
corvette SMS Danzig
SMS Danzig (1851)
The SMS Danzig was the first steam-powered warship in the Prussian Navy. It is most notable for its part in the battle of Tres Forcas in 1856...
(then on a foreign cruise, commanded by Prince Adalbert of Prussia) and the Riffians
Riffian people
The Rifians are a Berber people who inhabit the Rif in northern Morocco. The mother tongue of the Rifians is called Rifian, though many speak Moroccan Arabic, Spanish or French as second or third languages.-Physical anthropology:...
, a Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
tribe of Berbers. It occurred at Cape Tres Forcas
Cape Tres Forcas
Cape Tres Forcas is the commonly used Anglicized name for a headland on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco and Spain.The Catalan name , the French Name , and the Arabic name all signify the same thing, the Cape of Three Forks.The cape is a large mountainous promontory of North Africa into the...
and was one of the first examples of Prussian or German gunboat diplomacy
Gunboat diplomacy
In international politics, gunboat diplomacy refers to the pursuit of foreign policy objectives with the aid of conspicuous displays of military power — implying or constituting a direct threat of warfare, should terms not be agreeable to the superior force....
.
The Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1856)
The Treaty of Paris of 1856 settled the Crimean War between Russia and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the British Empire, Second French Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The treaty, signed on March 30, 1856 at the Congress of Paris, made the Black Sea neutral territory, closing it to all...
of 1856 had decided that a Prussian warship should be deployed to the River Danube's outlet into the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
and, on its way there, Prince Adalbert decided to explore the Rif
Rif
The Rif or Riff is a mainly mountainous region of northern Morocco, with some fertile plains, stretching from Cape Spartel and Tangier in the west to Ras Kebdana and the Melwiyya River in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the river of Wergha in the south.It is part of the...
coast of Morocco. There, four years earlier, on 7 December 1852, the Prussian warship Flora had been shot at by pirates, with one sailor killed and its captain injured.
On 7 August 1856 Prince Adalbert manned two boats and deployed them along the coast. After the boats came under fire from the Riffians, the Danzig moved to only 600 metres from the shore to give the boat crews supporting fire. Adalbert then ordered a landing operation by 14 officers and 53 non commissioned officers, sailors and marines, led by Adalbert in person. Around noon, he led a surprise attack on a steep rock face nearly 40 metres high under heavy enemy fire. This attack was successful and the Riffians were forced back to a plateau. However, they were also receiving continuous reinforcements and so Adalbert finally decided to withdraw, in case he and his troops were cut off from the shore.
Prussian casualties were 7 dead and 22 wounded, including Adalbert, shot in the thigh. A subscription from the whole Prussian Navy raised a monument to the dead of the battle in Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
in the form of an eagle, set up in 1863. Despite being a complete tactical failure, the landing and Adalbert and his sailors' courage were praised for decades to come by the Prussian people and particularly within the Prussian and German Imperial
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
navies.