Bombardment of Chefchaouen explained

Conflict:Bombardment of Chefchaouen
Partof:Rif War
Date:September 17, 1925
Place:Chefchaouen, Morocco

The Bombardment of Chefchaouen was an aerial bombardment of Chefchaouen, Morocco carried out in the middle of the Rif War by a rogue American squadron in the service of the French colonial empire, the Escadrille Cherifienne, on September 17, 1925.[1]

Motivation

The motivation to bomb Chefchaouen specifically was to drive the Jebala people out of the war, as it was a city the tribe considered holy.[2]

Reflections

Paul Ayres Rockwell later wrote: "The city looked lovely from the air, hugging its high mountain and surrounded with many gardens and green cultivations… I looked down upon the numerous sanctuaries, the six mosques, the medieval dungeon, the big square with its fountain playing and fervently hoped none of them had been damaged."

References

  1. Web site: History : When an American squadron violated US neutrality laws, bombing Chefchaouen. Yabiladi.com. en.yabiladi.com. 2019-07-14.
  2. Book: Charles Sweeny, the Man Who Inspired Hemingway. Roberts. Charley. Hess. Charles P.. 2017-09-08. McFarland. 9781476669946. 154. en.