Second Battle of the Isonzo
A costly Italian offensive on the Karst Plateau.
Last updated
The Second Battle of the Isonzo, from 18 July to 3 August 1915, saw Italy attack Austria-Hungary again after failing two weeks earlier. Italian commander Luigi Cadorna ordered a new push with more artillery. Frontal assaults and brutal hand-to-hand fighting on the Karst Plateau caused about 91,000 total casualties before both sides ran out of ammunition.
Overview
After the First Battle of the Isonzo, Luigi Cadorna ordered a new thrust with heavier artillery support. Cadorna's frontal assault tactics relied on a heavy bombardment, but shortages of rifles, shells, and wire-cutting shears negated Italian numerical superiority.
The battle
The Karst Plateau saw exhausting hand-to-hand fighting between the Italian Second and Third Armies and Austro-Hungarian forces, with bayonets, swords, knives, and debris used in melees. The Austro-Hungarian 20th Honvéd Infantry Division lost two-thirds of its strength and was routed by Italian attacks and the terrain. On 25 July the Italians took Cappuccio Wood, dominating the Gorizia bridgehead from the south.
Monte San Michele was briefly held but recaptured by Colonel Richter's elite regiments. In the Julian Alps, the Italians overran Mount Batognica near Kobarid. The battle ended when both sides exhausted their ammunition.
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: Second Battle of the Isonzo (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced