The Battle of Mount Ortigara was fought from 10 to 25 June 1917 between the
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
and
Austro-Hungarian armies for possession of
Mount Ortigara, in the
Asiago Plateau
Asiago (; Venetian: ''Axiago'', Cimbrian: ''Slege'', German: ''Schlägen'' ) is a minor township (population roughly 6,500) in the surrounding plateau region (the ''Altopiano di Asiago'' or '' Altopiano dei Sette Comuni'', Asiago plateau) in ...
.
Background
The Italians decided to launch an offensive because the ''
Strafexpedition'' of the previous year had improved the Austro-Hungarian defensive positions, whence the Italian armies of
Cadore
Cadore (; lld, Ciadòre; vec, italic=yes, Cadór or, rarely, ''Cadòria''; german: italic=yes, Cadober or ''Kadober''; Sappada German: ''Kadour''; ,
Carnia and the
Isonzo could be threatened.
The battle was prepared with considerable means (300,000 men with 1,600 artillery guns) concentrated on a short segment of the front just a few kilometers long. However, although the Italians enjoyed a 3-to-1 numeric superiority in both men and guns, as they faced 100,000 Austro-Hungarians with 500 guns, the attack still presented several problems:
* The Austro-Hungarian positions were very strong.
* The arc formed by the opposing lines was such as to favor the Austro-Hungarian
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
.
* The Italian lines were overcrowded, which made it difficult to maneuver.
* The Austro-Hungarians expected the offensive, so there was no surprise.
Battle
The attack began on 10 June and after fierce and bloody fightings the Italian 52nd
Alpine
Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to:
Places Europe
* Alps, a European mountain range
** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range
Australia
* Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village
* Alpine National Pa ...
Division managed to capture the top of Mount Ortigara.
The Austro-Hungarian command promptly sent many trained reinforcements. On 25 June, the 11 Italian battalions guarding the summit were attacked by Austro-Hungarian
shock troops
Shock troops or assault troops are formations created to lead an attack. They are often better trained and equipped than other infantry, and expected to take heavy casualties even in successful operations.
"Shock troop" is a calque, a loose tra ...
which retook it, the strenuous Italian resistance notwithstanding.
The 52nd Division alone suffered about half the Italian casualties. General
Ettore Mambretti, commander of the
Sixth Army, was considered responsible for the heavy casualties and removed from command.
A letter from a young soldier, written on the eve of the battle, is part of the museum of the
Asiago War Memorial
The Asiago War Memorial is a World War I memorial located in the town of Asiago in the Province of Vicenza in the Veneto region of northeast Italy. Surrounded by mountains that were the site of several World War I battles, the monument houses th ...
.
Adolfo Ferrero wrote this letter to his family shortly before dying in combat, and the letter was later discovered in the personal effects of his page, whose body was exhumed from
Mount Ortigara in the 1950s.
Notes
References
*
External links
The Battle of Ortigara
{{Authority control
Mount Ortigara
Mount Ortigara
Mount Ortigara
Mount Ortigara
Mount Ortigara
1917 in Italy
1917 in Austria-Hungary
June 1917 events