TNT History Archives: Italy's Choice of Tobruk as Its Eastern Libya Port (1911)/Part II/FINAL

 //Ed. note: Tobruk was important for the Italian Navy with regard

to anti-Ottoman operations in Rhodes and the Turkish Straits:

Rhodes click here for the first of a multi-part TNT series.

Çanakkale click here for the first of a multi-part TNT series,

both of which were based on this same source: the report on

the Italy-Turkey war in Libya by Italian Capt. I. Revol (and its

Turkish translation from 1940.)//

Bombah is located between Tobruk and Derne. Saloum is on

the border with Egypt, far right.

In the wasteland of Tobruk everything had to be created from scratch.  

The commander of the Etna, who was tasked with the establishment 

of the naval base, was very active in this regard.  As of the end of 

October,  technical matters and services had been secured;  depots for 

food, ammunition, coal and other equipment that could provide 

sustenance and support for two marine divisions were constructed.  

In addition, a 5-kilowatt radio-telegraph station was set up to allow 

for communications with Coltano, near Pisa.

Two batteries armed with maritime cannon were installed in a seaside 

facility and secured.  However, with regard to defense of an attack 

coming from land,  the infantry fortifications were not particularly 

effective and the related work was progressing slowly.  If  Enver Bey 

(Ottoman commander in Libya and future Turkish leader until 1918)

and the Arab tribes with him had turned their attention to Tobruk at 

this time, it is certain that the results can well be imagined. 

The events of 22 December bear this out.   There was an enemy raid 

on the forward outposts protecting the construction of a 149mm battery 

along the Hagiass-Nadura line southwest of Tobruk, forcing the 

abandonment of the heavy machine guns.  As the result of the raid, 

seven Italians died, two of them officers, and 16 were wounded.

This incident was taken as a warning, prompting the flow of 

reinforcements.  In January 1912, there was an infantry brigade, a 

number of 75-Amm batteries, mountain batteries and one 149mm 

battery in Tobruk.  All of these units were under the command of 

General Signorile, as were the similar redoubt and rifle barricade 

systems he had set up in other locations. 

Enver Bey (later Enver Paşa), seated third from left, 

Mustafa Kemal (later Atatürk), seated second from left, 

near Derne.

These measures proved to be prescient in light of the Arabs’ decision 

to relentlessly attack toward a final battle.  When it comes to the Italian 

units, they took a definite defensive posture, only emerging from their 

fortifications to protect workers or to rescue detachments being pursued 

by the enemy.  On 11 March, the 20th infantry regiment rescued two 

battalions of the 34th infantry regiment and a mountain battery from 

an enemy attack on their right flank.  In this battle, which lasted more 

than four hours, one officer an 12 soldiers died and 3 officers and 70 

soldiers were injured.

This battle prompted the deployment of the 30th infantry regiment to 

Tobruk and also sparked a debate in the Italian press over the worth 

and importance of Tobruk.  Around this time, Admiral Aubry died and 

his successor Admiral Fravelli was in favor of Bombah as the Italian 

navy port.   But he was soon replaced by Admiral Viale, who had no 

firm opinion on the matter, so the occupation of Bombah was put off 

until the end of the war and Tobruk remained as the Italian naval base.

In the months of March and April 1912, the port of Tobruk was busy 

with preparations related to Italian Navy activities in the Aegean Sea 

but enemy attacks on Tobruk did not let up.  These attacks resulted in 

insignificant casualties but put the Italians on edge, nonetheless.  The 

land and naval commanders sometimes were unable to refrain from 

displaying this nervousness, which caused friction between them.   

This tension in Tobruk between the commanders was an exception to 

the excellent cooperation displayed by the army and navy during this 

long campaign.

In May, General Signorile was recalled and replaced by General 

d’Amico, who was in Benghazi and who remained as overall 

commander until the end of hostilities.

//END of PART TWO/FINAL//