Battle of Rhodes (1912)
Map with all coordinates: 
Italian troops landing on Rhodes, May 4, 1912
| date | May 4 to May 16, 1912 |
|---|---|
| place |
Rhodes , Ottoman Empire 
|
| output | Victory for the Italians |
| consequences | End of Turkish rule on Rhodes after 391 years |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
|
|
|
| Troop strength | |
| 9,000-10,400 men | ~ 1,000 men garrison 10,000 militiamen |
| losses | |
|
4 dead |
~ 83 dead |
Tripoli - Mechiya Oasis - Al-Hani - Preveza - Kuwayfia - Tobruk - Ain Zara - Al-Qunfudha - Beirut - Al-Fwaihat - Derna - Rhodes - Zanzur - Misrata - Sidi Bilal
The Battle of Rhodes was fought in May 1912 as part of the Italo-Turkish War . Italian troops under Lieutenant General Giovanni Battista Ameglio landed on the island and fought against the Ottoman garrison. After thirteen days of fighting, the almost 400-year Ottoman rule over the island ended. The battle was the main operation of the Italian army in the Aegean Sea .
The strength of the Italian armed forces was about 9,000 to 10,400 men. They were supported by a fleet of Marina Regia warships . Many of the Italian soldiers were veterans of the campaigns in Libya relocated from Benghazi and Tobruk . The Regia Marina began the offensive a few days before landing at sea. On May 1st, the Italian fleet cut the communication cables connecting Rhodes to the mainland ( ⊙ ). The landing on Kalithea Beach began at 4:00 a.m. on May 4th and lasted until 2:00 p.m. when the Italians began to move their troops towards the city of Rhodes . Until then there was no resistance. The garrison of the Ottoman Army consisted of around 1,000 soldiers and officers who only had a small contingent of weapons at their disposal. Another 10,000 militiamen were recruited from the local Muslim population at short notice . Initially, the Italians overestimated the Ottoman garrison at 2,000 to 5,000 men and therefore waited until they had enough men together for the attack. Rhodes was protected by fortifications, but this was not used by the Turkish forces and did not play a role in the battle. The first line of defense of the Ottomans was on the Smith Plateau ( ⊙ ), where several hundreds were stationed. Italian forces attacked the positions while eleven Italian ships bombed the target. The Turks suffered heavy losses. On the Italian side, however, there were only seven wounded. The Ottoman forces withdrew into the mountains around Psithos during the night . The Italians moved within two kilometers of Rhodes and stopped at 7:00 p.m. When the city surrendered at 10:00 a.m. the next morning, the Italians marched in without resistance.
At the same time there was a second landing in the west at Kalavarda and Malona . On May 7, the Rhodes Wali was arrested along with more than 100 other officers by a command from the destroyer Ostro . The Turks tried to flee the island and were taken prisoner to Taranto on May 11th . Lieutenant General Ameglio led the offensive again on May 15 against the occupation around Psithos. Because of the troops that had landed at Kalavarda and Malona, it was easy for Ameglio to encircle the Turkish contingents from three sides, while the battleship Ammiraglio di Saint Bon bombed the troops from the fourth side. After a nine-hour battle, the Turks surrendered and the battle was over when the Turkish commanders officially surrendered the next day, May 16. 83 Turks were killed at Psithos, 26 wounded and 983 surrendered. The remaining 10,000 militiamen returned home. Four Italians were killed and 26 wounded in the battle. After 391 years of Muslim rule, Rhodes was again conquered by a Christian power.