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Very often, wanting to show the value of deeds, sacrifice and self-sacrifice made by our military during the Second World War, citing El-Alamein or Kefalonia.
indeed were several events during that terrible as to us unfortunate conflict, only that having fought, at least in the first three years, from the "wrong side", according to the widely held and practiced since the conclusion of that horrific tragedy, these incidents have been relegated to mere memory of veterans, recalled undertone or simply ignored.
Yet, despite the complete lack of preparedness of our army, both as training and as equipment or as weapons, despite the lack of belief and ability of the military high command and how it can be disastrous Mussolini was the idea of \u200b\u200bbeing able to "throw a thousand deaths on the negotiating table for peace, to sit at the table of the winners, have occurred several feats of arms that have seen our soldiers are victorious or defeated, that does not matter, but the protagonists. Their sacrifice deserves more attention, now that those events are far removed in time and our democracy is ripe, because the fallen, even though "the wrong way", while wearing a uniform rather than another, are still children our people.
Among the episodes of that unfortunate war, there is the defense of the oasis Giarabub.
Giarabub was a tiny cluster of buildings built around the eponymous oasis in the desert Cyrene, Libya, fifty miles from the Egyptian border and three hundred kilometers from the Mediterranean coast.
was the main focus of the politico-religious Senussi, a sort of Islamic brotherhood founded in Mecca in 1837, here is a center of Koranic studies.
I Senussi boom between 1923 and 1931, a revolt against the Italian colonial rule in Libya. Harshly repressed revolt that ended with the capture, trial and sentencing to death of the head of the rebels, Omar Al-Mukhtar, better known as the "Lion Desert, "in fact belonging to the brotherhood Senussi.
To counter the uprising, the Italians stretched out along the Egyptian border as a barrier of barbed wire, as it was established that the guerrillas operating from bases Senussi logistics inland desert of Egypt, to hit the Italian outposts. This barrier extended from the port of Bardia Oasis Giarabub up to 270 km and its construction and patrolling became essential to quell the anti-colonial revolt.
The oasis of Giarabub then at that time became a nerve center of the defensive posture on the border with Egypt and remained so until the eve of the war of 1940.
Major Salvatore Castagna, author of the book suggested, was born in Caltagirone (CT) January 14, 1897. Volunteer in the First World War, was awarded the silver medal for military valor, and was seriously wounded in the head, a few days before the end of that conflict.
soldiers, remained in Libya, participating in military operations aimed at maintaining the Italian rule.
In April 1940 the largest Castagna, was transferred from command of the garrison of Bardia Giarabub, made at that time by 887 staff, including 21 officers, 17 noncommissioned officers, 85 soldiers and 764 soldiers Libyan national.
On March 21, 1941 Lt. Col. Castagna (it was promoted on the merits of war camp) was injured in yet another furious assault of the besiegers. Just hours after the garrison, now to the strong force, had to surrender to the overwhelming forces of Australia and New Zealand.
Colonel Chestnut came back and was imprisoned in Italy until 23 November 1946.
The officer continued his military career, reaching the rank of General of division.
Salvatore Castagna died in Rome on February 3, 1977.
Salvatore Castagna (1897-1977) (Source: Wikipedia)
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"The oasis of Giarabub is formed with palm trees, gardens, water wells, a wide crack in the desert, the lower the immense plateau of yellow dust in the bottom of which is hidden, even lower than the level of sea. It seems that before appearing in the story, appeared in a dream to Giarabub Senussi. Those in the middle of the night had a vision of those palm trees, water that comes from the sand of that remote island where he founded the Brotherhood could move to live peacefully and prosper. He called the two disciples in the morning, showed them the direction of the winds coming from the sea and said, "You walk without tiring, walk. You will find the place that I saw in a dream, the inspiration of the Prophet. Stop there. I will join you. "
reached the disciples with a caravan of a thousand camels, after traveling for days. It was 1856. The founder of the new religious sect called Mohammed ibn Ali es-Senusi, was seventy years old. Few among his disciples he had never seen her face down over the eyes, shrouded by a veil whenever he went out among men, few were aware of their place of birth, which for some was Mazuna, department of Oran in Algeria For others the Duar Torsc, for others a rough town on the banks of Mina not many miles distant from Mostaganem. It seems that he was descended from prominent Muslim family, who visited Mecca to thirty-five years and entered into the good graces of Sheikh Idris Ben Moroccan, was then taken from the mystical tariqa mohammedia (by Muhammad), fled to escape persecution for Benghazi turkish government , from Benghazi to El Zaviet Ezziat and from here, After the dream of that night, Giarabub.
oasis, at the time, there were only white flies petulant, swarms of mosquitoes, jackals, robins, chameleons, snakes bicornuate, frogs croaking in the ponds and scorpions. Giarabub was only one place of water, where they will remain rare caravans, pilgrims to Mecca, a junction of tracks, from Gialo from Kufra, from Siwa to Tobruk. Deserted in the desert, no one lived.
The crowd of newcomers fell on the sand, folded his arms in the chest; gripped the wrist of his left hand between the thumb and forefinger of the right, and prayed. He said with fervor that phrase a hundred times: "May God forgive," three hundred times this one: "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah at every glance and every breath, for a number of times that only the knowledge of God embraces "the last hundred times:" God bless our master Muhammad, the unlettered Prophet, his family and his friends, and grant them health. " Some drew on the sand of the plant zauia (within the Brotherhood), a large building divided into three parts: the school where they were taught the young, the home of the brothers; the guest house for guests who would come to visit. Would provide the nourishment to their sect, on the first day with rice and camel meat, wheat and barley with the second, the third with dates, the rest of the stay should have been provided for its own account. Then they began to build. It was all people who did not wear the rosary hung around his neck, did not play drums or other musical instruments at the meetings, there was dancing, did not smoke, did not sing, did not drink coffee. This imposed the rule, which prohibited further luxury clothes, except for women, which, hairdressers and embellishments, favor the propagation of the species for the growth of the forces of Islam.
Giarabub was born. "
Salvatore Castagna He began with these words, immediately after the introduction, in his" The Defence of Giarabub "(Edited by Longanesi in 1950), describing the place that saw the undisputed star, along with the soldiers who had the highest regard and respect for their commander, including Libyans, the page has deliberately forgotten, but equally epic of the war events of the last world war.
Giarabub recovery from the plane (Source: Wikipedia)
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The book covers, in a sort of diary of events have occurred, but in story form, the eleven-month stay in the oasis of Giarabub author describes in particular the continuing attacks and counter-Italian allies in the first nine months of the war, 10 June 1940 to March 21, 1941, during which, the only bulwark that the first interest British counterattack drove the Italians out of Cyrenaica even, Giarabub represented a real thorn in the side of the advance of the English the command of General Wavell.
Castagna, in detail, tells how the defense tactically arranged oasis, placing observation posts and pillars all around, handing out the little machine guns (which all Swarzlose Austrian war booty of the previous war) and even fewer heavy weapons (machine guns and cannons) and formed several small warehouses for ammunition and fuel. To counter any breakthroughs of enemy troops, organized platoons of reinforcement, ready to lend a hand to the front-line soldiers in distress. But the most effective device was mounted on the few vehicles available, some cannons and machine guns, creating rapid motorized columns and armed to against possible attacks by armored cars and armored vehicles. To the point of effectively combat patrols often the much vaunted British Long Range Desert Group, used for fast action against the Italian lines.
In a series of attacks and counterattacks, interspersed with fewer and fewer of the planes from landing on the adjacent track carrying supplies and mail, only link with the motherland, Castagna tells the story of the soldiers under him by citing often the names. Quote ol'eroismo sacrifice some of the others. Also reserved words of admiration for Libyan soldiers who fought with honor until the end, showing attachment to Italy, with all due respect to the claims of Colonel Gaddafi.
The stubborn Italian resistance, despite the growing shortage of supplies, the constant pounding of artillery and air attacks on British and the pressing of the Commonwealth of its infantry, often backed by armored cars and tanks, it cost a lot sacrifice, to both sides. In the last attack, the decisive one of the March 21, 1941, from the Italian side had nine officers, five hundred non-commissioned officers and enlisted men killed, while the wounded were at least three hundred and fifty.
Castagna concludes his book, dedicated to the Fallen these words:
"And now that I could tell your deeds, my thoughts turn to you, glorious Giarabub fallen, and injured and all Defenders of the oasis.
Your sacrifice was not in vain. You have fought with faith and honor for their country.
My dear comrades in arms, before closing this short diary, let us unite again at the observatory, a landmark number. We look to the north, we remember the Principals of the strenuous resistance of Sceferzen, Maddalena, Uescechet el Heir, Garn ul Grein. Let's go back and look Garet el Barud, which reminds us of the value of many episodes. Then, turning to look at tour d'horizon, we stop at Melfa, Garet el Cusco, Barra Arrascia, el AAMR, Garet el Nuss, Fredga, Devil's Race, Bu Salama, Bir Tarfui, Saniet Deff and remind us that ten months of constant struggle.
We now follow the line of homeland defense, and look at the various locations of landmarks, where they were often the strongest concentration of enemy artillery. Finally, let us pause in the strand number one and recall the glory and value of our Dear brothers, who fought the fight that extreme for several days, inch by inch, the ground to the enemy.
That cornerstone is the "graveyard of heroes Giarabub" a cemetery without crosses and without that flag that flew for more than ten months the oasis. But we now see it as before. "
I have an edition of" Pocket "of the original volume published by Longanesi in 1950. Together with other volumes of various types, belonged to my father. From him I have "inherited" the love for reading, attention to culture, custom, inquiring about, and not to take "at face value" that the "media" story, but always to seek another truth, the hidden one.
This article of mine wants to be a small tribute to his memory.
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