THE DERNA DEBACLE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 316, 30 May 1913, Page 5

THE DERNA DEBACLE

THE ITALIANS DEFEAT. HORRIBLE SLAUGHTER. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. 'Received 29, 9.50 p.m. . Rome, May 29. Details of the fighting at Derna on May 16 are. slqwly becoming public, despite the efforts tp suppress them, and have aroused a sense of deep humiliation: After the peace declaration, the garrison at Deria was reduced from 15,000 to 6000. |;V :■:/.'.'. General Mambretti led out practically the whole garrison, believing that there were only 2000 Bedouins and two cannon. Instead, he found 20,000 Bedouins and twelve cannon. The Italians marched through the night, wgary, foodless and waterless-: The fight commenced at 3.30. The Italians .'occupied' the trenches at Sidigarba, hat the Bedouins made a vigorous counter attack. ' The Italians retreated in disorder to Semissi, hotly pursued for five hours to the very trenches at Derna. There were 2000 Italian casualties, cers. Other estimates state that 400 .' were killed and 700 wounded, whilst over ■IOO were' 1 captured/ in addition to 300 Ascari colonials killed and wounded.'' Many of the Italian founded were aban- • doned.

Only twelve artillerymen survived the Bedouin attack on the guns. The officers and men of the Maxim corps were piled in heaps, dead and dying, around the guris. Only two quickfirers were saved. All the mules and a large quantity of stores and ammunition were lost. Lieutenant Monarelli Btates that after the battle scarcely two-thirds of the garrison remained. The fugitives were • obliged to abandon all the dead and • dying. It was heartbreaking. ' Some of those slightly wounded clung to his uni- ' form, crying "Signor Lieutenant, don't 1 leave us fwhihd." Lieutenant Monarelli » states that there was. no alternative, 'the force*having no'transports.