The Battle of Salemata Trench was a battle fought between the Imperial German Army and the French Senegalese Tirailleurs on the Western Front of World War I in 1916.
Hoping to break the deadlock in Picardy, the Germans dispatched eight regiments to launch an offensive against the 115th, 111th, 3rd, 27th, 98th, 101st, 72nd, and 65th Battalions of French West African soldiers at their jumpoff trench, affectionately named after the Senegalese town of Salemata. The Germans were initially successful in overwhelming the Senegalese trench, although not before suffering heavy losses. The Senegalese repeatedly charged uphill and reclaimed Salemata Trench, holding it against German counterattacks until the German forces were compelled to withdraw to their jumpoff line. The Senegalese proceeded to charge across no man's land and employ chlorine gas to weaken the German defenses. The brave African soldiers were able to defend the German trench against several spirited attacks from German soldiers emerging from their wooded trenches, and the Senegalese were able to hold their ground until the German attacks ceased. The Senegalese were left in control of an additional line of trenches, although both sides had lost nearl 1,000 men in the slaughter.
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