Biafran Armed Forces
Biafran Armed Forces | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Motto | The People's Army |
Founded | 1967 |
Disbanded | 1970 |
Service branches | ![]() Biafran Navy ![]() Biafran Air Force |
Headquarters | Enugu |
Leadership | |
Commander-in-Chief | Odumegwu Ojukwu |
Chief of General Staff | Philip Effiong |
Personnel | |
Available for military service | 150,000, age 15–49 |
Active personnel | 100,000 |
Reserve personnel | 50,000 |
Industry | |
Domestic suppliers | Biafra Research and Production(RAP) |
Foreign suppliers | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Related articles | |
History | Nigerian Civil War |
Ranks | Military ranks of Biafra |
TheBiafran Armed Forces(BAF) were the military of the Republic ofBiafra,which existed from 1967 until 1970.[1]
History
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/Disabled_Biafran_war_veterans.jpg/220px-Disabled_Biafran_war_veterans.jpg)
At the beginning of theNigerian Civil War,Biafra had 3,000 soldiers. This number grew as the war progressed, ultimately reaching 30,000.[2]No official support for the Biafran Army came from any other nation, although arms were clandestinely acquired.
Some Europeans served the Biafran cause: German-bornRolf Steinerwas a lieutenant colonel assigned to the 4th Commando Brigade, and WelshmanTaffy Williamsserved as a major throughout the conflict.[3]A special guerrilla unit, the Biafran Organization of Freedom Fighters, was established: designed to emulate theViet Cong,they targeted Nigerian supply lines, forcing them to shift resources to internal security efforts.[4]
Legacy
[edit]In course of theinsurgency in Southeastern Nigeriaof 2021, a separatist group known as "Biafran National Guard" (BNG) organized the "Biafran Supreme Military Council of Administration". The latter posed as high command of the restored Biafran Armed Forces, including the "Biafran Army, Biafran Navy, Biafran Air-Force and Biafran Detective Force".[5]
Branches
[edit]Army
[edit]At the peak of Biafran military power, the Biafran Army was made of 5 divisions; numbered 11th, 12th, 13th (later renumbered 15th), 14th and 101st. It also had 2 separate brigades, the S Brigade, aPretorian guardfor General Ojukwu,[6]and the 4th Commando Brigade (trained and commanded by mercenaries).[7]It was commanded by Brigadier Hillary Njoku[8]and later Major GeneralAlexander Madiebo.[9]
Air force
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Roundel_of_Biafra_%281967%E2%80%931970%29.svg/220px-Roundel_of_Biafra_%281967%E2%80%931970%29.svg.png)
The Biafrans set up a small, yet effective air force. Biafran Air Force commanders were Chude Sokey and later Godwin Ezeilo Ezeilo,[10]who had trained with theRoyal Canadian Air Force.[11]Its early inventory included twoB-25 Mitchells,twoB-26 Invaders,(one piloted by PolishWorld War IIaceJan Zumbach,known also as John Brown),[12]a convertedDC-3and oneDove.In 1968, Swedish pilotCarl Gustaf von Rosensuggested the MiniCOIN project to General Ojukwu.
By early 1969, Biafra had assembled fiveMFI-9BsinGabon,calling them "Biafra Babies". They were coloured green, were able to carry six 68 mm anti-armour rockets under each wing using simple sights. The five planes were flown by three Swedish pilots and three Biafran pilots. In September 1969, Biafra acquired four ex-Armee de l'Air North AmericanT-6Gs,which were flown to Biafra the following month, with another T-6 lost on the ferry flight. These aircraft flew missions until January 1970 manned by Portuguese ex-military pilots.[11]
During the war, Biafra tried to acquire jets. TwoFouga Magistersand severalGloster Meteorswere bought but never arrived in Biafra, being abandoned on foreign African airbases.[13]
Aircraft | Origin | Number | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
MFI-9B "Biafra Babies" | Sweden | 5[13] | |
Douglas B-26 Invader | USA | 2[14] | Provided byPierre Laureys[15][16] |
North American B-25 Mitchell | USA | 2[17] | |
de Havilland Dove | UK | 2[18] | |
Fokker F27 Friendship | Netherlands | 1[17] | ExNigerian Airwaysand used as an Improvised Bomber. |
Douglas DC-3 | USA | 1[17] | Improvised Bomber. |
North American T-6 Texan | USA | 4-6[13][11] | ex-Armee de l'Air.[11] |
Navy
[edit]Biafra had a small improvised navy, but it never gained the success of the air force. It was headquartered in Kidney Island,Port Harcourt,and was commanded by Winifred Anuku. The Biafran Navy was made up of captured craft, converted tugs, and armored civilian vessels armed with machine guns, or captured6-pounder guns.It mainly operated in theNiger Deltaand along theNiger River.[14]
Ship | Origin | commissioned | Fate | notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
BNSVigilance | ex-NNSIbadan | 30 May 1967 | Sunk on 10 September 1967[19] | Ford-class seaward defence boat |
NSS Bonny | ex-HMSGifford | 1968 | Preserved at theNational Nigerian War Museum | Ford-class seaward defence boat |
Ikwerre | ex-Nigerianport authoritytugboat[20] | 1967[21] | Armed with a 105mm howitzer[20] | |
PC101 | ex-Nigerianport authoritycutter[22] | 1968 | Lost in July 1968[21] | Armed with6-pounderandBofors gun[23] |
PC202 | Nigeriantugboat[22] | 1968 | Lost in July 1968[21] | Armed with a 105mm howitzer[24] |
PC203 | Nigeriantugboat[22] | 1968 | Sunk in September 1968[21] | |
PC204 | Nigerian civilian craft | 1969[21] |
Weapons and equipment used by Army and militias
[edit]Type | Origin | notes |
---|---|---|
Pancerovka P-27 | Czech-made | [25] |
Type 56 RPG | Chinese-made[26] | |
SARPAC | French-made | Some from 1968[25] |
OgbunigweLauncher | Biafra Research and Production | [27] |
Type | Origin | notes |
---|---|---|
2-in mortar | ex-Nigerian Army | [25] |
Ordnance ML 3 inch mortar | ||
L-N 81mm mortar | Spanish-made | At least 6[25] |
MO-120 AM-50 | French-made | [25] |
Type | Origin | notes |
---|---|---|
Canon de 75 modèle 1897 | Never used in combat (unable to fire)[28] | |
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon | Hispano-Suiza(Spain) | [28] |
M18/49 105mm howitzer (upgraded10.5 cm leFH 18/40) | Czech-made | |
Ordnance QF 6-pounder | ex-Nigerian Army | |
Bofors 40 mm gun | ||
OTO Melara Mod 56 |
Type | Origin | Number | notes |
---|---|---|---|
AML-60 | ex-Nigerian Army | At least 1 | [28] |
AML-90 | At least 1 | ||
Ferret armoured car | At least 1 | ||
Alvis Saladin | At least 2 | ||
Alvis Saracen | 1 | ||
Universal Carrier | Frenchtrader | A small number | |
Red Devils | Biafra | 4 | Many designs[28] |
Armoured Scorpion Bazooka | Biafra | 1 | Only one design made |
Biafra Armoured Car | Biafra | 1 | Only one design made |
Ranks
[edit]See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Jowett 2016.
- ^"Operation Biafra Babies".Archived fromthe originalon 14 October 2008.Retrieved19 August2008.
- ^"The Last Adventurer" by Steiner, Rolf (Boston:, Little, Brown 1978)
- ^Jowett 2016,p. 16.
- ^John Owen Nwachukwu (24 May 2021)."We are taking over Biafran territories starting from Anambra on May 30 – BNG claims".Daily Post.Retrieved24 August2021.
- ^Jowett 2016,p. 13.
- ^Jowett 2016,p. 15.
- ^Baxter, Peter (2015).Biafra: the Nigerian Civil War, 1967-1970.Helion and Company. p. 23.ISBN978-1909982369.
- ^Iliffe, John (2011).Obasanjo, Nigeria and the World.Boydell & Brewer. p. 108.ISBN978-1847010278.
- ^Okpe, August (2009).The last flight: a pilot remembers the Air Force and the Biafran air attacks.Aeromax.ISBN9789789004140.
- ^abcdAir EnthusiastNo. 65 September–October 1996 pp 40–47 article by Vidal, Joao M.Texans in Biafra T-6Gs in use in the Nigerian Civil War
- ^Michael Robson."The Douglas A/B-26 Invader - Biafran Invaders".Vectaris.net. Archived fromthe originalon 9 May 2013.Retrieved15 February2013.
- ^abcJowett 2016,p. 19.
- ^abJowett 2016,p. 17.
- ^Dan Hagedorn; Leif Hellström (1994).Foreign Invaders: The Douglas Invader in Foreign Military and US Clandestine Service.Midland Pub. p. 108.ISBN978-1-85780-013-5.
- ^Griffin, Christopher (2014). "French military policy in the Nigerian Civil War, 1967–1970".Small Wars & Insurgencies.26(1): 119.doi:10.1080/09592318.2014.959766.ISSN0959-2318.S2CID143967690.
- ^abcJowett 2016,p. 18.
- ^"All-Time Aircraft Used Listing | Biafran Air Force".
- ^Colledge, J. J.;Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969].Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy(Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. p. 219.ISBN978-1-86176-281-8.
- ^abOdu 2009,p. 111.
- ^abcde"Biafra Navy, 1967-70".marinavasca.eu.Retrieved2018-05-13.
- ^abcOdu 2009,p. 154.
- ^Odu 2009,p. 153.
- ^Odu 2009,pp. 158, 166–167.
- ^abcdeJowett 2016,p. 23.
- ^Chinese-made weapons may have come fromZambiaorTanzania(Jowett 2016,p. 23)
- ^Jowett 2016,p. 33.
- ^abcdJowett 2016,p. 24.
Bibliography
[edit]- Daly, Samuel Fury Childs.A History of the Republic of Biafra: Law, Crime, and the Nigerian Civil War,(Cambridge University Press, 2020)online review
- Jowett, Philip (2016).Modern African Wars (5): The Nigerian-Biafran War 1967-70.Oxford:Osprey PublishingPress.ISBN978-1472816092.
- Odu, P.J. (2009).The Future That Vanished: A Biafra Story.Xlibris(self-published).ISBN9781441539724.
- Vidal, João M. (September–October 1996). "Texans in Biafra: T-6Gs in Use in the Nigerian Civil War".Air Enthusiast(65): 40–47.ISSN0143-5450.
- Venter, Al J. (2015).Biafra's War 1967-1970: A Tribal Conflict in Nigeria That Left a Million Dead.Helion & Company.ISBN978-1-910294-69-7.