Battle of Misrata (1912)

During the Italo-Turkish War the town of Misrata (known to the Italians as Misurata), located on the Libyan coast halfway between Tripoli and Sirte, became an important base for smuggling by sea of war material used to bolster Ottoman-Arab resistance in Libya. The Italian command had planned the capture of the town already in December 1911, but adverse sea conditions, that would impede a landing, had prevented this decision from being implemented.

In June 1912 the Italian commands finally decided to carry out the operation; the 1st Special Division was formed, with seven infantry battalions from the 40th, 50th, and 63rd Infantry Regiments, the Alpini Battalions "Verona" and "Mondovì", an Askari company from the 5th Eritrean Battalion, a Squadron of the 16th Light Cavalry Regiment "Lucca", four artillery batteries (one of field artillery and three of mountain artillery) and other units.[1]

On 16 June 1912 the troopships carrying the Special Division, escorted by the battleships Re Umberto, Sicilia and Sardegna and by the torpedo boats Airone and Clio, arrived near the coast of Misrata and landed a battalion of seamen, as well as other units, near the village of Bu Sceifa. The landing troops, supported by gunfire from Re Umberto, overcame the resistance of some groups of Ottoman and Arab troops entrenched behind the dunes on the beach, captured Bu Sceifa and ventured till the margins of the Misrata oasis.[2] After the other troops were landed, Qasr Ahmad was occupied and turned into a base where further reinforcements, sent by sea, arrived.

On 8 July 1912 the Italian infantry, supported by the cavalry squadron, started their advance; after fierce fighting the village of Ras Zarrugh was taken, and shortly thereafter Misrata itself was captured; the Italian troops hoisted the Italian flag upon the castle. Overall, in the battle for Misrata Italian casualties had consisted of seven officers and 128 soldiers, of whom 23 were killed and 112 wounded; Ottoman-Arab casualties were estimated in some 500 killed and an equal number of wounded.

After capturing Misrata, the Italian forces fortified the area with units from the 50th and 63rd Infantry Regiment, the Alpini Battalions "Verona" and "Mondovì", a company of Eritrean Askari, some artillery batteries as well as engineers and service personnel. Ras Zarrugh was garrisoned by troops from the 35th Infantry Regiment.

Misrata remained in Italian hands until August 1915, when, in the face of the widespread Libyan rebellion and the impossibility for Italy, now involved in World War I, to send reinforcements, all Italian troops were withdrawn from the town. Misrata would be eventually recaptured by Italian forces in 1922, during the Pacification of Libya.[3]

• E. Scarpa, Storia delle fanterie italiane Vol. IV. Le Fanterie Italiane nelle guerre coloniali, Rome, Italian Army General Staff, 1952.
• M. Gabriele, La Marina nella guerra Italo-Turca, Rome, Italian Navy Historical Branch, 1998.
• V. Giglio, A. Rivenni, Le Guerre Coloniali d'Italia, Milan, Francesco Vallardi Editore, 1935.

• Italo-Turkish War