Silvestre had spread out his troops in 144 forts and blockhouses ("blocaos") from Sidi Dris on the Mediterranean across the Rif to Annual and Tizi Azza and on to Melilla. A typical blockhouse held about a dozen men while the larger forts had about 800 men. Silvestre, known for his boldness and impetuosity had pushed his men too deep into the mountains hoping to reach Alhucemas Bay without undertaking the necessary work to built a logistical support network capable of supplying his men out in the "blocaos" up in the Rif mountains. Krim had sent Silvestre a letter warning him not to cross the Amekran River, or he would die. Silvestre commented to the Spanish press about the letter: "This man Abd el-Krim is crazy. I'm not going to take seriously the threats of a little Berber "caid" whom I had at my mercy a short time ago. His insolence merits a new punishment". Krim allowed Silvestre to advance deep into since he knew that the Spanish logistics were, in the words of the Spanish historian Jose Alvarez, "tenuous" at best.