Capture of Gorlovka

Capture of Gorlovka
Part of Italian–Soviet War
Italian soldiers of the CSIR attack Gorlovka on 2 November 1941
Date 2 November 1941 Location Gorlovka, modern day Ukraine 48°18′N 38°3′E Result Axis victory The Holocaust in Russia begins
Belligerents
Italy Germany	Soviet Union
Commanders and leaders
Giovanni Messe	Nikolai Vatutin
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown 600 prisoner
500 Jews masscared by Italians at Gorlovka

Capture of Gorlovka also known as Battle of Gorlovka was fought between the Italian forces and Soviet Union during the Eastern Front of World War II. The Italians under Giovanni Messe defeated the Russians at Gorlovka and forced them to retreat.

Background

Main article: Capture of Stalino

Battle

CSIR advance in the Soviet Union and capture of Golovoka by the Italian forces

The C.S.I.R was ordered to invade and capture the strategic areas of Gorlovka and Nikitovka. However these battles would cause many casualties for the italian units, having no choice left Giovanni Messe further encouraged his men and started marching towards Gorlovka and Nikitovka. On night of 22nd October the Italian amry moved towards Kryvyi Rih and capturing the area after facing some resistance from the Russians. Then the army charged at Skotovoye and after a brief engagement forced the enemies to retreat. After passing through Grishino on 23 October, the Italian forces captured Scelesnoje after defeating the superior Russian forces.

Mussolini inspecting members of the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia

On 1 November the Russians for an unknown reason retreated towards Gorlovka and Rikovo, the 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment immediately advanced upon the retreating Russians, the Italians soon defeated the Russians and captured the locality. The 70th and 80th Regiment encounter resistance by the enemies and the rebels at Gorlovka. The fighting had to be distributed over the entire street layout with some fighting being done house by house, in sub-zero temperatures, constantly under the threat of snipers that required the fighters to be separated into smaller groups in order to reduce the chance of being an easy target. The Italians successfully captured Gorlovka at dawn on 2 November and the Russians retreated towards Novohryhorivka.

References

Bibliography

• Cloutier, Patrick (2009). Regio Esercito: The Italian Royal Army in Mussolini's Wars, 1935-1943. P. Cloutier. ISBN 978-0-557-08181-3.
• Spector, Shmuel; Wigoder, Geoffrey (2001). The Encyclopedia of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust: K-Sered. NYU Press. ISBN 978-0-8147-9377-0.