Battle of Bir Tabraz

Last updated
Battle of Bir Tabraz
Part of Italo-Turkish War
Date19 December 1911 [1]
Location
Result Senussi victory
Belligerents
Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg  Kingdom of Italy Flag of Cyrenaica.svg Senussi
Commanders and leaders
Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg Gustavo Fara Unknown
Strength
1,500 men
or
2,780 men
200–300 men
Casualties and losses
150 killed
250 wounded
or
11 killed
91 wounded
11 killed
40 wounded

The Battle of Bir Tabraz was fought in December 1911 during the Italo-Turkish War between the Kingdom of Italy and Senussi forces in a place near Tripoli in modern Libya, the Senussi successfully forced to Italians to withdraw.

Contents

Battle

Bir Tabraz was one of the most important positions the Senussi had near Tripoli after the Battle of Ain Zara happened on December 4. Bir Tabraz's position was garrisoned by 200-300, according to Italian reports; this alarmed the Italians alongside other Senussi gathering positions, which harassed the Italian forces resisting them. [2] [3] An expedition was launched led by General Fara with a force of 2,780 [4] [5] or 1,500 men [6] at 2-2:30 a.m. on December 19 and didn't reach that position until 9:00 a.m. after a long floundering on the way. [7] [8]

It wasn't until they marched to meet the Senussi that they were attacked by them, and according to Italian reports, the Senussis focused on the right and left wings of the army. Though the Senussi forces weren't equivalent to the Italians, they went from a defensive to an aggressive stance and almost cut off the escape route of the Italians and communication lines to Ain Zara, which forced the Italians to avoid a battle with unwanted results. [9] [10]

The Italians attempted to march to some heights, but the Senussi prevented them and forced them to engage and attack from all sides. This situation made it impossible for the enemy to retreat back to Ain Zara due to the success of the Senussi. Panic struck the camp, fearing they would lose their supplies and their retreat route. The Italians, however, managed to retreat during the night. However, they kept facing the Senussi, which forced them to ask for reinforcements to cover their retreat which did not arrive. [11] [12]

The Italians retreated at 7:25 a.m. the next day, the battle had lasted for the entire day. [13] The Italians lost around 150 killed and 250 wounded [14] [15] or 11 killed and 91 wounded, [16] while the Senussi lost 11 deaths and 40 wounded. [17] [18] [19]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Senusiyya</span> Libyan Sufi mystic order in Sunni Islam

The Senusiyya, Senussi or Sanusi are a Muslim political-religious Sufi order and clan in Libya and surrounding regions founded in Mecca in 1837 by the Grand Sanussi, the Algerian Muhammad ibn Ali al-Sanusi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Italo-Turkish War</span> 1911–1912 war in Libya

The Italo-Turkish or Turco-Italian War was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Ottoman Empire from 29 September 1911 to 18 October 1912. As a result of this conflict, Italy captured the Ottoman Tripolitania Vilayet, of which the main sub-provinces were Fezzan, Cyrenaica, and Tripoli itself. These territories became the colonies of Italian Tripolitania and Cyrenaica, which would later merge into Italian Libya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omar al-Mukhtar</span> Libyan resistance leader (1858–1931)

Omar al-Mukhtār Muḥammad bin Farḥāt al-Manifī, called The Lion of the Desert, known among the colonial Italians as Matari of the Mnifa, was a Libyan revolutionary and Imam who led the native resistance in Cyrenaica under the Senussids, against the Italian colonization of Libya. A teacher-turned-general, Omar was a prominent figure of the Senussi movement and is considered the national hero of Libya and a symbol of resistance in the Arab and Islamic worlds. Beginning in 1911, he organised and led the Libyan resistance movement against the Italian colonial empire during the First and Second Italo-Senussi Wars. Externally, he also fought against the French colonization of Chad and the British occupation of Egypt. After many attempts, the Italian Armed Forces managed to capture Al-Mukhtar near Slonta when he was wounded in battle by Libyan colonial troops, and hanged him in 1931 after he refused to surrender.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Italian colonization of Libya</span>

The Italian colonizationof Libya began in 1911 and it lasted until 1943. The country, which was previously an Ottoman possession, was occupied by Italy in 1911 after the Italo-Turkish War, which resulted in the establishment of two colonies: Italian Tripolitania and Italian Cyrenaica. In 1934, the two colonies were merged into one colony which was named the colony of Italian Libya. In 1937, this colony was divided into four provinces, and in 1939, the coastal provinces became a part of metropolitan Italy as the Fourth Shore. The colonization lasted until Libya's occupation by Allied forces in 1943, but it was not until the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty that Italy officially renounced all of its claims to Libya's territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Senussi campaign</span> Military campaign of World War I

The Senussi campaign took place in North Africa from November 1915 to February 1917, during the First World War. The campaign was fought by the Kingdom of Italy and the British Empire against the Senussi, a religious order of Arabic nomads in Libya and Egypt. The Senussi were courted by the Ottoman Empire and the German Empire. Recognising French and Italian threats, the Ottoman Sultan, Abdul Hamid II, had twice sent his aide-de-camp Azmzade Sadik El Mueyyed to meet Sheikh Muhammed El Mehdi El Senussi to cultivate positive relations and counter the west European scramble for Africa. In the summer of 1915, the Ottomans persuaded the Grand Senussi, Ahmed Sharif as-Senussi, to declare jihad, attack British-occupied Egypt from the west and encourage insurrection in Egypt, to divert British forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Italian Tripolitania</span> 1911–1934 Italian possession in North Africa

Italian Tripolitania was an Italian colony, located in present-day western Libya, that existed from 1911 to 1934. It was part of the territory conquered from the Ottoman Empire after the Italo-Turkish War in 1911. Italian Tripolitania included the western northern half of Libya, with Tripoli as its main city. In 1934, it was unified with Italian Cyrenaica in the colony of Italian Libya. In 1939, Tripolitania was considered a part of the Kingdom of Italy's 4th Shore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Italian Cyrenaica</span> 1911–1934 Italian possession in North Africa

Italian Cyrenaica was an Italian colony, located in present-day eastern Libya, that existed from 1911 to 1934. It was part of the territory conquered from the Ottoman Empire during the Italo-Turkish War of 1911, alongside Italian Tripolitania.

Zawiat at-Taban, or Taban ; also An-Nayan or Wadi Sammalus, is a checkpoint in the District of Jabal al Akhdar in north-eastern Libya. It is located on the cross-roads between the Charruba–Mechili–Timimi desert road and the Marawa–Wadi Sammalus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahmed Sharif as-Senussi</span> Libyan supreme leader of the Senussi order (1873–1933)

Ahmed Sharif as-Senussi was the supreme leader of the Senussi order (1902–1933), although his leadership in the years 1917–1933 could be considered nominal. His daughter, Fatimah el-Sharif was the Queen consort of King Idris I of Libya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Italo-Senussi War</span> Conflict in Libya (1922–1932)

The Second Italo-Senussi War, also referred to as the Pacification of Libya, was a conflict that occurred during the Italian colonization of Libya between Italian military forces and indigenous rebels associated with the Senussi Order. The war lasted from 1923 until 1932, when the principal Senussi leader, Omar al-Mukhtar, was captured and executed. The Libyan genocide took place during and after the conflict.

The Battle of Gasr Bu Hadi occurred during the Italian colonization of Libya. It was the worst Italian defeat since the Battle of Adwa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battles of Zanzur (1912)</span> Battles that occurred during the Italo-Turkish War

The Battles of Zanzur or Battles of Janzur, were a series of battles that took place in 1911–1912 at Zanzur oasis, near Tripoli during the Italo-Turkish War. During the battles, the Italians unsuccessfully attacked the Turkish-Arab stronghold located approximately twelve miles from the Italian lines at Tripoli until finally achieving a victory on 20 September 1912.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle and massacre at Shar al-Shatt</span> A battle and massacre that occurred during the Italo-Turkish War in 1911

The battle and massacre at Shar al-Shatt occurred on 23 October 1911 in the village of Shar al-Shatt on the outskirts of Tripoli, Libya during the Italo-Turkish War. 503 Italians were killed in Shar al -Shatt, of which 125 in the following massacre of soldiers who had surrendered. The incident became known as the "Massacre of Italians at Sciara Sciat."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Benghazi (1911)</span> A battle that occurred during the Italo-Turkish War

The Battle of Benghazi occurred during the Italo-Turkish War when the Kingdom of Italy attacked and took possession of the major cities of the Ottoman Empire's North African Tripolitania province, now Libya. Benghazi was one of the five strategic cities captured and held by the Italians during the entire length of the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Ain Zara</span> A battle that occurred during the Italo-Turkish War

The Battle of Ain Zara was fought in December 1911 during the Italo-Turkish War between the Kingdom of Italy and Ottoman Empire forces for the control of the oasis of Ain Zara, near Tripoli in modern Libya, where the Ottomans had established a fortified base.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ain Zara</span> Town in Libya

Ain Zara is a town and oasis in western Libya, located in the region of Tripoli.

The Battle of Al-Rahiba was a military engagement between the Senussi order led by Omar al-Mukhtar and the Italians. The Senussi won a resounding victory against the Italians.

The Battle of Wadi Marsit was a military engagement between the Senussi order and the Italians. The Senussi won a major victory against the Italians.

The Battle of Safsaf was fought in July 1913 between the Kingdom of Italy and Senussi forces in a place near Safsaf, Libya in modern Libya. The Senussi succeeded in defeating two Italian forces.

The Battle of Bir Bilal was a military engagement between the Senussi order and the Italians. The Senussi won a resounding victory against the Italians.

References

  1. Charles Stephenson, A Box of Sand The Italo-Ottoman War 1911-1912, p. 125
  2. Kalifa Tillisi, A Dictionary for Italian Colonial Battles on the Libyan Soil 1911–31, 1972. p. 158
  3. Charles Stephenson, p. 125
  4. Muḥammad Imḥammad Ṭuwayr, The history of liberation movements from colonialism in the world during the modern era: in the Arab world-Africa-Asia-Europe and the Americas, p. 49
  5. Kalifa Tillisi, p. 158
  6. Charles Stephenson, p. 125
  7. Charles Stephenson, p. 125
  8. Kalifa Tillisi, p. 158
  9. Kalifa Tillisi, p. 158
  10. Charles Stephenson, p. 126
  11. Kalifa Tillisi, p. 158-9
  12. Charles Stephenson, p. 126
  13. Kalifa Tillisi, p. 159
  14. Mustafa Hamed Rahoma, Arab-Islamic solidarity with the Libyan resistance against the Italian invasion - 1911-1931 AD, p. 147
  15. Muḥammad Imḥammad Ṭuwayr, p. 49
  16. Charles Stephenson, p. 126
  17. Mustafa Hamed Rahoma, p. 147
  18. Muḥammad Imḥammad Ṭuwayr, p. 49
  19. Charles Stephenson, p. 127