GHASTLY ITALIAN ROUT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 3945, 30 May 1913, Page 5

GHASTLY ITALIAN ROUT.

DETAILS OF THE SIDIGARBA

FIGHT.

FEARFUL CASUALTIES REPORTED.

H Eft PS OF DEAD AND DYING

[UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT!

(Received May 29, 11.30 p.m.) ROME, May 29. Details of the fighting at Dema on tho 16th inst. are slowly becoming public, despite, efforts to suppress them, and have aroused a sense of deep humiliation. After the peace arrangements the garrison at Derna was reduced from 15,000 to 5000.

General Mambretti led out practically the whole garrison, believing that there were 2000 Bedouins with two cannon. Instead, they found 20,000 Bedouins and 12 cannon. The Italians had marched all night, and were weary, foodless, and waterless.

Tho light commenced at 3.30 a.m., and the Italians occupied the trenches at 'S’idigarba, but the Bedouins made a vigorous counter-attack, and the Italians retreated in disorder on Senusi. hotly pursued for five hours to the very trenches of Dema.

There were 2000 Italian casualties, including GO officers. Other estimates state that there were 400 killed and.7oo wounded, and over 100 captured in addition to 300 Asc-ari colonials killed and wounded. Many of the Italians uounded were abandoned.

Only 12 artillerymen. survived the Bedouin attack on the guns. Officer’s and men’s corpses were piled in heaps of dead and dying around the guns. Only two quick-firers were saved, and Jill the mules and a large quantity of stores were lost. Lieut. Monarelli states 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 to see some of the slightly wounded clinging to his uniform. crying, "‘Signor Lieutenant, don't leave us behind!” Lieut. Monarelli states that the}' had no alternative, having no transport.