Battle of Beirut (1912)
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Beirut was a naval battle
off the coast of Beirut
during the Italo-Turkish War
. Italian fears that the Ottoman
naval forces at Beirut could be used to threaten the approach to the Suez canal
led the Italian military to order the destruction of the Ottoman naval presence in the area. On 24 February 1912 two Italian
armoured cruisers attacked and sank an Ottoman casemate corvette
and six lighter
s, retired, then returned and sank an Ottoman torpedo boat
.
As a result of the battle all Ottoman naval forces
in the region were annihilated, thus ensuring the approaches to the Suez Canal were open to the Italians. Besides the naval losses, the city of Beirut itself suffered significant damage from the Italian warships.
s headed for Italian East Africa
. In order to prevent such a raid, Rear Admiral Paolo Thaon di Revel
was ordered to clear the harbor of Beirut of what Ottoman naval vessels he might find there. Revel's force consisted of two armoured cruisers: Giuseppe Garibaldi
and Francesco Ferruccio
. Both cruisers were of the Giuseppe Garibaldi class
and armed with two 10 inch guns in turrets, ten 6 inch guns, six 4.7 inch guns, ten 6-pounders, ten 1-pounders, 2 Maxim machine guns, and five torpedo tubes.
In contrast the Ottoman forces consisted of the casemate corvette Avnillah and the torpedo boat Angora. The Angora was a relatively new vessel completed in 1906 and armed with two 37 mm cannons as well as two 14 inch torpedo tubes with a pair of torpedoes per tube. In contrast the Avnillah was an antiquated ironclad corvette built in 1869. After a reconstruction was completed in 1907 she was armed with four 3 inch guns and eight six pounders. In addition to her cannon she was also armed with a single 14 inch torpedo tube
. Thus the Ottoman force was entirely outgunned by the Italians, giving them a severe disadvantage in the looming battle.
. At 7:30 AM Admiral Revel ordered the Ottoman launch to return with an ultimatum addressed to the Wāli
of Beirut informing him to surrender
his two warships by 9 AM. The message was received by the Wali at 8:30. The Wali was in the process of issuing an order of surrender but this was not received by the Italians by the deadline. Accordingly, at 9 AM the Italians began their attack on the Ottoman ships in the harbor.
At a distance of 6000 meters the Italians opened fire upon the Ottoman corvette. The Ottomans returned fire ineffectively until 9:35 AM when the Italian gunfire set the Avnillah afire. Receiving heavy damage and outgunned, the corvette struck her colours
and the crew abandoned ship. At this point the Garibaldi sailed in close and engaged the Angora at 600 meters with gunfire but failed to damage it. The Garibaldi then attempted to finish off the Avnillah by firing a torpedo at her. However, the torpedo deviated from its trajectory and hit several lighters moored nearby, sinking six of them. Undeterred, the Italian cruiser fired a second torpedo that struck the Ottoman corvette amidships. By 11 AM the corvette was sunk in shallow water and the pair of cruisers withdrew to the north. The action was not over however; at 1:45 PM the Italian cruisers returned and once more engaged the Ottoman forces. The only warship left in the harbor was the torpedo boat Angora so the Ferruccio moved in close and engaged it with gunfire for 3 minutes before it joined the Avni-Illah at the bottom of Beirut's harbor. Once the fighting had ended the two Italian cruisers sailed off in a westward direction.
for the rest of the war. Casualties on the Ottoman side were heavy. Both Ottoman warships were sunk, with the Avnillah alone taking 58 killed and 108 wounded. In contrast the Italian ships not only took no casualties, but no direct hits from the Ottoman warships as well. The damage was not restricted to the Ottoman naval vessels present at Beirut, as the city took heavy damage as well. Stray shots from the cruisers decimated the city. Fires broke out as a direct result of the stray gunfire, destroying several banks and part of the city's customs house as well as other buildings. Combined from the fires and shelling, 66 civilians were killed in the city along with hundreds of others wounded.
As retribution for the Italian actions at Beirut, four days after the battle the central Ottoman government ordered the Wilyets of Beirut, Aleppo
, and Damascus
to expel all Italian citizens from their jurisdictions, resulting in the deportation
of over 60,000 Italians from the region. Despite the retaliatory expulsion of Italian citizens from the area, the battle gave the Italian forces complete naval superiority in the approaches to the Suez Canal and Italian forces in Eritrea could now be reinforced without hesitation, eliminating much of the Ottoman threat to the region. Thus the battle was both a strategic and tactical Italian victory.
Naval battle
A naval battle is a battle fought using boats, ships or other waterborne vessels. Most naval battles have occurred at sea, but a few have taken place on lakes or rivers. The earliest recorded naval battle took place in 1210 BC near Cyprus...
off the coast of Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
during the Italo-Turkish War
Italo-Turkish War
The Italo-Turkish or Turco-Italian War was fought between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Italy from September 29, 1911 to October 18, 1912.As a result of this conflict, Italy was awarded the Ottoman provinces of Tripolitania, Fezzan, and...
. Italian fears that the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
naval forces at Beirut could be used to threaten the approach to the Suez canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
led the Italian military to order the destruction of the Ottoman naval presence in the area. On 24 February 1912 two Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
armoured cruisers attacked and sank an Ottoman casemate corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
and six lighter
Lighter (barge)
A lighter is a type of flat-bottomed barge used to transfer goods and passengers to and from moored ships. Lighters were traditionally unpowered and were moved and steered using long oars called "sweeps," with their motive power provided by water currents...
s, retired, then returned and sank an Ottoman torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
.
As a result of the battle all Ottoman naval forces
Ottoman Navy
The Ottoman Navy was established in the early 14th century. During its long existence it was involved in many conflicts; refer to list of Ottoman sieges and landings and list of Admirals in the Ottoman Empire for a brief chronology.- Pre-Ottoman:...
in the region were annihilated, thus ensuring the approaches to the Suez Canal were open to the Italians. Besides the naval losses, the city of Beirut itself suffered significant damage from the Italian warships.
Background
During the Italo-Turkish War, the Italian military feared that Ottoman naval forces in the Mediterranean would stage raid on the Italian supply and troopshipTroopship
A troopship is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime...
s headed for Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa was an Italian colonial administrative subdivision established in 1936, resulting from the merger of the Ethiopian Empire with the old colonies of Italian Somaliland and Italian Eritrea. In August 1940, British Somaliland was conquered and annexed to Italian East Africa...
. In order to prevent such a raid, Rear Admiral Paolo Thaon di Revel
Paolo Thaon di Revel
Paolo Emilio Thaon di Revel, 1st Duca del Mare was an Italian admiral of the Royal Italian Navy during World War I and later a politician....
was ordered to clear the harbor of Beirut of what Ottoman naval vessels he might find there. Revel's force consisted of two armoured cruisers: Giuseppe Garibaldi
Italian cruiser Giuseppe Garibaldi (1899)
Giuseppe Garibaldi was the lead ship of her class of armoured cruisers for Italy's Regia Marina. The ship was launched on 29 June 1899 and served the Regia Marina until she was sunk by torpedoes from Austro-Hungarian Navy submarine on 18 July 1915, with loss of 57 lives.Garibaldis wreck is located...
and Francesco Ferruccio
Italian cruiser Francesco Ferruccio
Francesco Ferruccio was a of Italy's Regia Marina. The ship was launched on 23 April 1902 and served the Regia Marina until she was stricken on 1 April 1930....
. Both cruisers were of the Giuseppe Garibaldi class
Giuseppe Garibaldi class cruiser
The Giuseppe Garibaldi class were a group of armoured cruisers built in Italy at the end of the nineteenth century. Ten ships were built for both the Regia Marina and for export.-Design and history:...
and armed with two 10 inch guns in turrets, ten 6 inch guns, six 4.7 inch guns, ten 6-pounders, ten 1-pounders, 2 Maxim machine guns, and five torpedo tubes.
In contrast the Ottoman forces consisted of the casemate corvette Avnillah and the torpedo boat Angora. The Angora was a relatively new vessel completed in 1906 and armed with two 37 mm cannons as well as two 14 inch torpedo tubes with a pair of torpedoes per tube. In contrast the Avnillah was an antiquated ironclad corvette built in 1869. After a reconstruction was completed in 1907 she was armed with four 3 inch guns and eight six pounders. In addition to her cannon she was also armed with a single 14 inch torpedo tube
Torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units installed aboard surface vessels...
. Thus the Ottoman force was entirely outgunned by the Italians, giving them a severe disadvantage in the looming battle.
Battle
The two Italian cruisers approached the harbor and fired a blank shot at the Ottoman vessels laying there. Upon sighting the Italian ships, the Ottoman commander on the Avnillah sent out a launch under a flag of truce to communicate with the enemy. While negotiating, the Ottoman commander ordered the Angora to position itself near the harbor's moleMole (architecture)
A mole is a massive structure, usually of stone, used as a pier, breakwater, or a causeway between places separated by water. The word comes from Middle French mole and ultimately Latin mōlēs meaning a large mass, especially of rock and has the same root as molecule.Historically, the term "mole"...
. At 7:30 AM Admiral Revel ordered the Ottoman launch to return with an ultimatum addressed to the Wāli
Wali
Walī , is an Arabic word meaning "custodian", "protector", "sponsor", or authority as denoted by its definition "crown". "Wali" is someone who has "Walayah" over somebody else. For example, in Fiqh the father is wali of his children. In Islam, the phrase ولي الله walīyu 'llāh...
of Beirut informing him to surrender
Surrender (military)
Surrender is when soldiers, nations or other combatants stop fighting and eventually become prisoners of war, either as individuals or when ordered to by their officers. A white flag is a common symbol of surrender, as is the gesture of raising one's hands empty and open above one's head.When the...
his two warships by 9 AM. The message was received by the Wali at 8:30. The Wali was in the process of issuing an order of surrender but this was not received by the Italians by the deadline. Accordingly, at 9 AM the Italians began their attack on the Ottoman ships in the harbor.
At a distance of 6000 meters the Italians opened fire upon the Ottoman corvette. The Ottomans returned fire ineffectively until 9:35 AM when the Italian gunfire set the Avnillah afire. Receiving heavy damage and outgunned, the corvette struck her colours
Striking the colors
Striking the colors is the universally recognized indication of surrender, particularly for ships at sea. Surrender is dated from the time the ensign is struck.-In international law:# "Colors. A national flag . The colors . ....
and the crew abandoned ship. At this point the Garibaldi sailed in close and engaged the Angora at 600 meters with gunfire but failed to damage it. The Garibaldi then attempted to finish off the Avnillah by firing a torpedo at her. However, the torpedo deviated from its trajectory and hit several lighters moored nearby, sinking six of them. Undeterred, the Italian cruiser fired a second torpedo that struck the Ottoman corvette amidships. By 11 AM the corvette was sunk in shallow water and the pair of cruisers withdrew to the north. The action was not over however; at 1:45 PM the Italian cruisers returned and once more engaged the Ottoman forces. The only warship left in the harbor was the torpedo boat Angora so the Ferruccio moved in close and engaged it with gunfire for 3 minutes before it joined the Avni-Illah at the bottom of Beirut's harbor. Once the fighting had ended the two Italian cruisers sailed off in a westward direction.
Aftermath
The Ottoman naval presence at Beirut was completely annihilated, removing the only Ottoman naval threat to Italian transports in the area and giving the Italians complete naval dominance of the southern Mediterranean SeaMediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
for the rest of the war. Casualties on the Ottoman side were heavy. Both Ottoman warships were sunk, with the Avnillah alone taking 58 killed and 108 wounded. In contrast the Italian ships not only took no casualties, but no direct hits from the Ottoman warships as well. The damage was not restricted to the Ottoman naval vessels present at Beirut, as the city took heavy damage as well. Stray shots from the cruisers decimated the city. Fires broke out as a direct result of the stray gunfire, destroying several banks and part of the city's customs house as well as other buildings. Combined from the fires and shelling, 66 civilians were killed in the city along with hundreds of others wounded.
As retribution for the Italian actions at Beirut, four days after the battle the central Ottoman government ordered the Wilyets of Beirut, Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
, and Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
to expel all Italian citizens from their jurisdictions, resulting in the deportation
Deportation
Deportation means the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. Today it often refers to the expulsion of foreign nationals whereas the expulsion of nationals is called banishment, exile, or penal transportation...
of over 60,000 Italians from the region. Despite the retaliatory expulsion of Italian citizens from the area, the battle gave the Italian forces complete naval superiority in the approaches to the Suez Canal and Italian forces in Eritrea could now be reinforced without hesitation, eliminating much of the Ottoman threat to the region. Thus the battle was both a strategic and tactical Italian victory.