13 Years in Somaliland—New Chapter in R. A. F. History A narrative remarkable in the history of war was related by Colonel Amery, Under Secretary for the Colonies, in the House of Commons on February 18, in a brief statement he made announcing the complete annihilation of tha power of the Dervishes, in British Somaliland. The "little war" in. the country, which has on going on practically since 1907, was taken seriously in hand last month, and_ in three weeks had ended in a British victory as complete as it could possibly be. The arm principally engaged was the Royal Air Force, which attacked the Dervishes by aeroplane, bombed their forts,—machinegunned their armies, and throughout the brief campaign acted as the primary strikingeforce of the small British expedition.
Ever since the Colonial Office took over the administration of British Somaliland in 1903 the situation in the protectorate had been one of great difficulty. From 1907 onwards hostilities by the Mullah had been continuous. During the war an expedition against the Mullah was obviously impracticable, but a few months ago the whole situation was carefully reviewed in the light of the experience gained in the war-
It was decided that the opera tions should take the form of an attack from the air, followed up. if successful, by advanced patrols of mounted forces, with infantry supports. These operations had now been carried out.
The air attack opened January 21, when aeroplanes attacked the fort at Jidali and the Mullah's Camp at Medisho, inflicting casualties and damages. Subsequent bombardments on January 23 practically destroyed the camp and set it on fire, the Dervishes fleeing to the hills to the north and northwest. On January
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.