Giulio Gavotti
Encyclopedia
Giulio Gavotti was an Italian
Lieutenant and pilot, who fought in the Italo-Turkish War
. He set two firsts in the history of aerial warfare
of heavier-than-air flyers: he was the first man to make an aerial bombardment, as well the first to perform a night mission.
in Libya
. He took four grenades ("Cipolli") to a leather pouch, each of a size of grapefruit and weighting approximately four pounds. Flying at an altitude of 600 feet, Gavotti screwed in the detonators and tossed each missile over the side - three onto the Tagiura (Jagiura) oasis
, and one more onto military camp
at Ain Zara. Gavotti’s scheme injured no one.
The oldest known preserved Etrich Taube, in Vienna, Austria, is possibly a near-twin to the aircraft Gavotti flew in 1911, as both are said to have been powered with inline-four cylinder liquid-cooled powerplants.
After this and further missions, the Ottoman Empire
issued a protest. The dropping of bombs from balloon
s had been outlawed by the Hague Convention of 1899, but Italy argued that this ban did not extend to aircraft.
Italian Army
The Italian Army is the ground defence force of the Italian Armed Forces. It is all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel, numbering 108,355 in 2010. Its best-known combat vehicles are the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro tank destroyer and the Ariete tank, and among its aircraft...
Lieutenant and pilot, who fought in 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...
. He set two firsts in the history of aerial warfare
Aerial warfare
Aerial warfare is the use of military aircraft and other flying machines in warfare, including military airlift of cargo to further the national interests as was demonstrated in the Berlin Airlift...
of heavier-than-air flyers: he was the first man to make an aerial bombardment, as well the first to perform a night mission.
Aerial bombardment
On the 1 November, 1911, he flew his early model Etrich Taube monoplane against Ottoman militaryMilitary of the Ottoman Empire
The history of military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the years between 1300 and 1453 , the classical period covers the years between 1451 and 1606 , the reformation period covers the years between 1606 and 1826 ,...
in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
. He took four grenades ("Cipolli") to a leather pouch, each of a size of grapefruit and weighting approximately four pounds. Flying at an altitude of 600 feet, Gavotti screwed in the detonators and tossed each missile over the side - three onto the Tagiura (Jagiura) oasis
Oasis
In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...
, and one more onto military camp
Military camp
A military camp or bivouac is a semi-permanent facility for the lodging of an army. Camps are erected when a military force travels away from a major installation or fort during training or operations, and often have the form of large campsites. In the Roman era the military camp had highly...
at Ain Zara. Gavotti’s scheme injured no one.
The oldest known preserved Etrich Taube, in Vienna, Austria, is possibly a near-twin to the aircraft Gavotti flew in 1911, as both are said to have been powered with inline-four cylinder liquid-cooled powerplants.
After this and further missions, the Ottoman Empire
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...
issued a protest. The dropping of bombs from balloon
Balloon
A balloon is an inflatable flexible bag filled with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, or air. Modern balloons can be made from materials such as rubber, latex, polychloroprene, or a nylon fabric, while some early balloons were made of dried animal bladders, such as the pig...
s had been outlawed by the Hague Convention of 1899, but Italy argued that this ban did not extend to aircraft.