22 TURCO-ITALIAN WAR 



THE TURCO-ITALIAN WAR, 1911-12 



On September 28, 1911, the Italian ultimatum demanding that Turkey should permit 

 the military occupation of Tripoli was presented to the Porte, and on the agth the Italian 

 Government declared war. Italy, having taken the initiative in the dispute, was .in 

 advance of Turkey with her preparations. In order to give the Italian expedition a 

 national character, a special force was formed of contingents from different army corps, 

 and was assembled at Naples, Genoa and Palermo. The Italian fleet had been practical- 

 ly ready since September ist, and needed only to summon its reservists. Lieut. -General 

 Caneva was appointed Supreme Commander of the naval and military forces, composed 

 as follows: 



Navy. Commander in-Chief, Vice-Admiral Aubry. First and Second Squadrons 

 (ist, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Divisions). First Squadron: 4 battleships, 4 cruisers, 8 destroyers; 

 Second Squadron: 4 battleships, 5 cruisers, 8 destroyers; Training Division: 4 battleships, 

 i cruiser; Independent Division: \ battleship, 3 cruisers, and a torpedo flotilla; Red Sea 

 Division: 5 cruisers, 6 torpedo craft. 



Expeditionary Army Corps, ist Division, (ist and 2nd Brigades); 2nd Division, (3rd 

 and- 4th Brigades); Army Troops, 7 battalions infantry, 6 mountain batteries, besides tech- 

 nical troops, 2 dirigibles and 6 aeroplanes. Total: 31 battalions, 6 squadrons, 18 batteries, 

 about 40,000 men. Steps were taken to mobilise a 3rd, and subsequently a 4th Division. 



The Turkish Navy consisted of 4 battleships, 2 protected cruisers and 27 torpedo 

 craft, besides some old gun boats in the Red Sea. The inefficiency of the personnel 

 rendered this fleet a negligible factor. The Turkish force in the vilayet of Tripoli con- 

 sisted of the 42d Independent Division, (14 battalions, 10 squadrons, 6 batteries) with 

 an actual strength of about 5000, to which must be added some 3000 Redifs. The coast 

 defences of Tripoli town were old fashioned masonry forts armed with obsolete guns. 

 Munir Pasha was in command of the troops. Three Turkish divisions were stationed 

 in Yemen, whence a raid might seem possible against Eritrea. 



The Libyan coastline is rocky, and difficult of access. Marsa Tobruk is the best 

 harbour. Tripoli itself is exposed in northerly winds; Benghazi and Derna are open 

 roadsteads. The country consists of an arid plateau divided into two portions, corre- 

 sponding to Tripolitana and Cyrenaica, by the deep indentation of Sydra Bay. Caravan 

 roads enter the province on the east from Sollum and Siwa; on the west along the coast 

 by Zuara, and further inland by Nalut to Gharian. Important oases in the interior are 

 Azizie and Gharian, in the west, and Aujila in the east. The population of the interior 

 consisted of Berbers and nomad Arabs. The chief influence among the latter was that 

 of the Senussi sect. 



Naval Operations. During the first week of the war, the Duke of the Abruzzi's 

 Independent Division sank or blockaded in their ports, all the Turkish torpedo craft in 

 the Adriatic. In deference to Austrian sentiment, these operations were then suspended. 

 On the 4th of October part of the ist Squadron seized Marsa Tobruk, which was re- 

 quired as a base. The Turkish fleet had left Beyrout on September 28th and had only 

 learned of the outbreak of war when off Rhodes next day. No attempt was, apparently, 

 made by the Italians to intercept it, and it reached the Dardanelles on October ist. On 

 October 3d, when the exodus of Italian subjects was complete, the 2d Squadron and 

 Training Division bombarded the coast forts of Tripoli; the garrison, except for a few 

 gunners, had withdrawn inland towards Gharian. On the 4th, the forts were finally 

 silenced and on the 5th the town was occupied by a naval brigade. A blockade of the 

 Libyan coast was declared on the 3d of October. 



Transport of the Italian Expeditionary Force. Some 40 transports had been chartered 

 for the expedition; tonnage was allowed at the rate of 1300 tons per battalion; 900 per 

 squadron and noo per battery. About 1000 infantry and artillery of the 2d Division 

 sailed on October 5th to garrison Marsa Tobruk. But for the rest of the force a pause 

 of some days ensued. Meanwhile the situation at Tripoli was critical, as the enemy were 

 showing signs of activity; five infantry battalions were therefore hurried on in advance, 

 reaching Tripoli on the i ith of October. The transport of the bulk of the ist Division 

 commenced on the Qth and was concluded on the i8th, by which time about 20,000 



