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The Midwest Invasion of 1967 or Midwest Offensive, codenamed Operation Torch, [1] was a military operation between Nigerian and Biafran military forces during the Nigerian Civil War. The invasion began on August 9 when 3,000 Biafran soldiers led by General Victor Banjo crossed the River Niger Bridge into Asaba .
With the Biafrans in retreat, the Nigerian 15th Brigade under Col. Ipoola Alani Akinrinade stationed at Bonny launched an attack on Port Harcourt. At the time, Port Harcourt was defended by the Biafran 52nd Brigade under Col. Ogbugo Kalu. After heavy fighting, Nigerian troops captured and dug in at Onne; their success would be short lived. A ...
The Biafrans managed to set up a small yet effective air force. The BAF commander was Polish World War II ace Jan Zumbach. Early inventory included four World War II American bombers: two B-25 Mitchells, two B-26 Invaders (Douglas A-26) (one piloted by Zumbach), [56] a converted Douglas DC-3 [57] and one British de Havilland Dove. [58]
On 17 October 1967 Nigerians invaded Calabar led by the "Black Scorpion", Benjamin Adekunle, while the Biafrans were led by Col. Ogbu Ogi, who was responsible for controlling the area between Calabar and Opobo, and Lynn Garrison, a foreign mercenary. The Biafrans came under immediate fire from the water and the air.
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 the Royal Canadian Air Force . [ 11 ] Its early inventory included two B-25 Mitchells , two B-26 Invaders , (one piloted by Polish World War II ace Jan Zumbach , known also as John Brown ...
The Biafran government rejected daylight aid flights and a proposed aid corridor. Its leader Ojukwu argued that these routes would allow the Nigerian government to poison Biafrans and enable the bombing of Biafra. However, another reason was to preserve the clandestine routes from which Biafra continued to import arms and ammunition. [5]
16 days after the Biafrans retreated Nzeogwu attempted to regain control of Nsukka on July 30 but was killed by Nigerian soldiers while driving down a road. The Nigerian Army were successful in their conquest of Nsukka, and then continued their onslaught towards Enugu though at a slower pace because of the invasion of the mid-western region.
In April 1968, the Commander of the 3 MCDO General Benjamin Adekunle began drawing up plans to invade the Biafran heartland and capture all remaining major cities. On 14 April the Nigerian 3rd Marine Division under Gen. Adekunle made their way north from their position in Calabar to Ikot Ekpene where they managed to capture the city after a stubborn Biafran defense.