Battle of Rhodes (1912)
Battle of Rhodes | |||||||
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Part of the Italo-Turkish War | |||||||
Italian troops landing at Rhodes on May 4 of 1912. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Kingdom of Italy | Ottoman Empire | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Giovanni Ameglio | Major Abdullah Bey [1] | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
9,000[2]-10,400[1] |
~1,800 men garrison 10,000 local militia | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
4 killed 20 wounded |
~83 killed ~26 wounded 983 captured, 144 rifles 200 cases of ammunition | ||||||
An Italian fleet participated in the battle. |
The Battle of Rhodes or Invasion of Rhodes was fought in May 1912 as part of the
Italian forces numbered about 9,000-10,400 Rhodes was protected by a castle but it was not utilized by the Turks and played no part in the battle.
The first line of Turkish defenses was at Smith Plateau, where a few hundred men were stationed. Italian troops attacked the position, while eleven Italian ships bombarded the area. The Turks were routed with significant losses though the Italians reported that only seven of their men were wounded. Ottoman forces retreated that night to the mountains around Psithos and the Italians advanced to within two kilometers of Rhodes and stopped at 7:00 pm. When the city was surrendered the following morning at 10:00 am, the Italian army marched in without opposition.[2][3]
Meanwhile, additional unopposed landings took place at Kalavarda and Malona Bay, both about thirty miles south of Rhodes. On May 7, the Wali of Rhodes was captured with over 100 Turkish officials by the Italian destroyer Ostro. The Turks were trying to flee the islands, but instead ended up going to Taranto on 11 May as prisoners. Lieutenant General Ameglio took the offensive again on 15 May against the enemy forces around Psithos. With the landings at Kalavarda and Malona Bay completed Ameglio and his main force were able to surround the Turkish position on three sides while the battleship Ammiraglio di Saint Bon bombarded troop concentrations from the fourth. After a nine-hour battle the Ottomans were defeated and the battle for Rhodes came to an end when the Turkish commanders surrendered the next day on 16 May. Eighty-three Turks were killed at Psithos, twenty-six were wounded and 983 surrendered. The remaining 10,000 militiamen returned to their homes. Four Italians were reported to have been killed in the final engagement and twenty-six men were wounded. After 390 years of Muslim rule, Rhodes was once again controlled by Christian forces.[2][3]
Citations
References
- Beehler, Commodore W.H. (1913). The History of the Italian-Turkish War, September 29, 1911 to October 18 1912. Annapolis: The Advertiser-Republican.
- Irace, Tullio (1912). With the Italians in Tripoli. J. Murray Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85077-967-4.
- Kurtcephe, Dr. Israfil. "Rodos ve Oniki Ada'nın İtalyanlarca işgali" [Italian occupation of Rhodes and the Dodecanese] (PDF) (in Turkish). OTAM (Journal of Ankara University Ottoman History Research and Application Center). Retrieved 6 June 2021.