Battle of Gargaresc (1912)

Battle of Gargaresc (1912)
Part of Italo-Turkish War
Italian flag on Fort of Gargaresc
Date 20 January 1912 Location Gargaresc, Tripoli, Libya 32°52′11″N13°06′28″E / 32.86972°N 13.10778°E / 32.86972; 13.10778 Result Italian victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Italy	Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Gustavo Fara	Unknown
Casualties and losses
	150 killed
Battle of Gargaresc class=notpageimage| Battle of Gargaresc (1912) Show map of Libya Battle of Gargaresc Battle of Gargaresc (Africa) Show map of Africa

The Battle of Gargaresc was fought on 20 January 1912 as part of the Italo-Turkish War.

Battle

In January 1912, the Italians decided to build some redoubts in Gargaresh to house several companies to defend the stone quarries from which materials for the construction of the port of Tripoli were being drawn. A contingent of troops and cavalry was sent to the area to set up the fortifications and garrison the area. The column, under the command of Colonel Amari composed of three battalions of the 52nd Infantry Regiment, a battalion of the 1st "Granatieri di Sardegna" Regiment, two squadrons of the "Cavalleggeri Guides", a mountain battery , a 75A artillery section , a sapper company of the Engineers and related services went to the oasis of Gargaresh. ^[1]

As soon as it arrived, the cavalry was greeted by fire from Arab-Turkish units hidden among the dunes but, when the Grenadiers battalion and the infantry of the 52nd intervened, the attacker retreated, abandoning his positions. The engineer personnel attached to the column began the work which was suspended shortly afterwards due to an offensive return of the Arab-Turks: in fact, these, with consistent forces, attacked the Grenadiers and the units of the 52nd and then retreated following the heavy fire of the troops and artillery. The remaining forces were finally put to flight also due to the arrival of reinforcements under the command of General Gustavo Fara, consisting of a battalion of the 11th Bersaglieri Regiment and one of the 82nd Infantry Regiment. ^[2] At the end of the clashes, as it had not been possible to complete the planned fortification works, the Italian command decided to temporarily withdraw the garrison on Tripoli. ^[3]

On January 20, it was decided to reoccupy Gargaresh with a larger force and the assistance of a warship, and the town was retaken without encountering resistance. ^[4] The advance was carried out by a brigade composed of the 82nd and 84th Infantry Regiments, two field batteries, one mountain battery, six cavalry squadrons consisting of the entire " Lancers of Florence " regiment, and two squadrons of the "Cavalleggeri Guides." Once the construction of the fortifications had resumed and been completed, a strong garrison remained on site, composed of contingents from the 84th and 82nd Infantry, and numerous artillery units supported by the redoubts. ^[5]

References

1. Società Editoriale Milanese.
2. Il Popolo d'Italia.
3. Italy, pp. 27.
4. Treves 1938.
5. Giglio 1935, pp. 432.

Bibliography

• L'Italia a Tripoli: Storia degli avvenimenti della Guerra italo-turca. Milan: Società Editoriale Milanese.

• Il Popolo d'Italia. Enciclopedia militare. Vol. 1. Milan: Il Popolo d'Italia.

• Treves, Fratelli (1938). La formazione dell'Impero Coloniale Italiano. Milan: Fratelli Treves.

• Giglio, V. (1935). Le Guerre Coloniali d'Italia. Milan: Francesco Vallardi Editore.

• Italy, Corpo di stato maggiore. The Italo-Turkish War, 1911–1912. Naval & Military Press.

• "Italian-Turkish War in Tripoli". The Argus. Melbourne.