TNT History Archives: Ottoman POWs in Italy During Libya War (1912)

In 1912, the Italian Ministry of War published a 39-page list of 

Ottoman officers and soldiers captured during the war with Turkey in 

Libya, although the majority of the 1,436 POWs were seized by the 

Italians on the Aegean Sea island of Rhodes and surrounding

islands in May of that year.  

Some Turks were captured in the Red Sea and Adriatic Sea areas,

while others were taken at Derne, Benghazi, Tripoli and Ain Zara

in Libya proper.  Two Turks were listed as having been taken

prisoner in the Mediterranean Sea in August 1912.  

"Ministry of War, Commission for POWs, List of Names of  Ottoman

POWs captured since the beginning of hostilities, July 1912."

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"Summary: (across top) rank, caught, repatriated, dead, present in 1912.

(left column): officers, health officers, Gendarmerie officers, officers

appearing on page 39, NCOs, Gendarmerie NCOs, Corporals, 

Gendarmerie corporals, soldiers, soldiers appearing on page 39

Gendarmerie, Gendarmerie appearing on page 39.

(1) referred to military tribunal."

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"list number, rank and name, regiment, place of capture, date of 

capture, rendition site, date of arrival at rendition site, remarks.

Officers"

(Rodi = Rhodes; Mar Rosso = Red Sea; Adriatico = Adriatic)

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(final page 39: officers and soldiers captured in 1911, some

in Brindisi, Italy.)

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Italian invasion of Rhodes  click here for the first part of a five-

part TNT series on this topic.

tobruk click here for a two-part TNT series on Italy's choice of

Tobruk as its eastern Libya port for the war.

air warfare in Libya click here for a 4-part TNT series on Italy's

use of balloons and airplanes in the war.

Italian Navy probed Çanakkale click here for a 2-part TNT

series on this aspect of the war.

NOTE: In January 1912, the two French cargo ships, 'Carthage' and 

'Manouba',  were seized by the Italians in the Mediterranean Sea on 

suspicion of carrying airplanes and other supplies to the anti-Italian 

fighters in Libya and the Ottoman officers found on board were taken 

prisoner.  

French ships seized by Italy click here for a TNT report on this

incident which occurred in January 1912.

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