Battle of Podgora
Italian assault on a fortified Austro-Hungarian hill near Gorizia.
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The Battle of Podgora was a World War I engagement on the Isonzo front between Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces. Podgora, also known as Monte Calvario, was a heavily fortified Austro-Hungarian position protecting the strategic city of Gorizia. The Italian attack on 19 June 1915 failed to capture the hill, which was eventually taken during the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo in August 1916.
The Battle
At 11:00 am, Captain Vallaro’s 8th Company left the trench first. Thirty meters behind came Lieutenant Losco’s 7th Company, and another thirty meters back, Captain Lazari’s 9th Company. Heavy Austro-Hungarian fire immediately hit the Carabinieri, slowing and then stopping the 7th Company. Lieutenant Losco was mortally wounded, making him the first Carabinieri officer killed in World War I. Some soldiers from the 8th Company pushed past the stalled 7th and got close to the enemy fences.
The 9th Company also reached that spot, but took heavy losses, including a serious wound to Captain Lazari. After regrouping, the Carabinieri launched a bayonet charge that got them a few meters from the fences into a fold of ground. The position was very exposed, and within minutes Lieutenant Colonel Pranzetti and Lieutenants Parziale and Struffi were wounded. The 3rd Battalion had taken too many casualties to continue, so at 1:00 pm the 4th and 5th Companies of the 2nd Battalion moved forward.
Intense enemy fire allowed only a few of them to link up with the 3rd Battalion’s survivors; Lieutenants De Dominicis and Ciuffoletti were among the first wounded. The 2nd Battalion of the 36th Infantry Regiment also tried to support but could not advance. On the left, Austro-Hungarian troops beat back an attack by the 1st Infantry Regiment and gained a position that let them hit the Carabinieri from behind. With the situation worsening, the Carabinieri were ordered to hold the ground they had taken and prepare to defend against a counterattack.
A renewed attack with help from the 2nd Battalion of the 36th Infantry Regiment was planned, but minutes before it was supposed to start, the VI Army Corps canceled the order, deciding that more effective artillery fire was needed first given the losses already suffered.
Did You Know?
- Podgora is also known as Monte Calvario in Italian and Kalvarija in Slovenian.
- The hill was eventually captured by the Casale brigade (11th and 12th Infantry Regiment) during the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Battle of Podgora take place?
Battle of Podgora took place on 19 July 1915.
Where did Battle of Podgora take place?
Battle of Podgora took place in Podgora, Austria-Hungary.
More in Military History of Italy During World War I
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Battle of Podgora (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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