Battle of Wofla

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Battle of Wofla
Date August 28, 1542 Location modern Amhara Region, Ethiopia Result Muslim victory
Combatants
Muslims	Portuguese expeditionary force to Ethiopia
Commanders
Imam Ahmad Gragn	Christovão da Gama
Strength
between 600-900 Ottoman musketeers, 20 Ottoman horsemen, several thousand foot	about 290 Portuguese musketeers, unknown number of Ethiopian infantry
Casualties
unknown	160 Portuguese killed, unknown number of Ethiopians; countless wounded

The Battle of Wofla was fought on August 28, 1542 near Lake Ashenge in the modern Ethiopian Region of Amhara, between the Portuguese under Christovão da Gama and the forces of Imam Ahmad Gragn. Reinforced with a superiority not only in numbers but in firearms, Ahmad Gragn was victorious and forced the Portuguese, along with Queen Sabla Wengel and her retinue, to flee their fortified encampment and leave their weapons behind.

While fleeing the battlefield with 14 soldiers, da Gama was captured by followers of Ahmad Gragn. An eye-witness described how, shortly before his capture, he 'had been shot in the right knee and was fighting with his sword in his left hand, for his right arm had been broken by another shot.'^[1] He was then 'brought into the presence of the Moorish general Gragn, who loaded him with reproaches; to whom he replied with such a share of invectives that the Moor, in the violence of his passion, drew his sword and cut off his head with his own hand.'^[1]