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1912 OTTOMAN-ITALIAN WAR, ÇANAKKALE OFFENSIVE
On the night of July 18th-19th, the Italian Navy attempted to cross the Dardanelles with the torpedo boats Spica, Proseo, Centeuro, Climene and Astore under the command of Colonel Millo, and failed in this attempt.
CENTAURO TORPEDO BOAT EMBLEM AND SHIP PICTURE
July 18th, 1912
I REMEMBER the raid of torpedo boats forcing the Dardanelles
The Treaty of UCHI from the Italian point of view THE DAWN OF AFRICA
OTTOMAN – ITALIAN WAR AND THE TREATY OF USHI
In the early 20th century, one of the conflict areas of the Tripolitan War, which was initiated by Italy in order to capture Tripolitania, the last Ottoman sovereign territory in North Africa, as part of Italy’s colonial policy, was the Dardanelles.
The Italians attacked the Dardanelles in order to force the Porte to make peace with the aim of capturing Tripolitania. However, the Dardanelles operations carried out by the Italian Navy on April17th-18th, 1912 and July 18th-19th, 1912 were unsuccessful, and thus, this attempt to force the Porte to the peace table by expanding the area of conflict by attacking the strait ended in frustration for Italy.
After the 1912 Tripoli War, Tripoli and Benghazi were granted full autonomy and the Twelve Islands were temporarily given to Italy by the Treaty of Uşi, signed on October 18th, 1912 in the Uşi district of Lausanne, Switzerland, on the shores of Lake Leman.
Since both agreements were signed in the city of Lausanne, some circles propagate that the so-called Twelve Islands in the Aegean Sea were given to the Greeks with the Treaty of Lausanne. Those who make this discourse are people with ulterior motives who do not know anything about the historical subject. The Dodecanese Islands, which were temporarily given to Italy with the Treaty of Uchi, were left to Italy with Article 15 of the Lausanne Peace Treaty signed on July 24th, 1923.
The fact that the Italians attempted to cross the Dardanelles twice prompted the Ottoman Government to strengthen the defence of the Strait. For this purpose, a large number of torpedoes and cannons were purchased from Germany, defence plans for the straits were prepared and the number of military units on duty was increased. In conclusion, we can say that the Italian attempt to cross the Dardanelles in 1912 was a development that prepared the ground for the “Dardanelles Victory” in 1915.