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BCMH tour to North East Italy, 19-23 September 2018

BCMH tour to North East Italy, 19-23 September 2018. Lt Col Jim Storr PhD. North East Italy Tour, 2018 - 1.

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BCMH tour to North East Italy, 19-23 September 2018

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  1. BCMH tour to North East Italy, 19-23 September 2018 Lt Col Jim Storr PhD

  2. North East Italy Tour, 2018 - 1 • The tour will look at a relatively small area of north-east Italy. It will focus on the period from 1815 (when the Veneto, the province around Venice, was ceded to Austria) until the outbreak of the First World War. • This presentation describes the tour in outline and gives an impression the terrain and the visit sites. New or revised material is highlighted in yellow. • The tour will last for 4 days, exclusive of travel (so 5 nights in Italy and parts of 6 days in total). • The tour area is illustrated on the next 2 slides. The Austrians fortified the only land approach with a system called ‘the Quadrilateral’ (following slide).

  3. Northern Italy Veneto

  4. Tour Area 20 miles x 40?

  5. The Quadrilateral

  6. North East Italy 2018 - 2 • The period of interest is one of transition from gunpowder and bronze cannon to high-explosive, breach-loading artillery with sophisticated recoil and fire control systems. • The border moved northwards in 1866. The Austrians (latterly the Austro-Hungarians) refortified. The Italians fortified, and then re-fortified, their side of the new border. The result is a rare example of a snapshot of military history, frozen in time. In a small area we can see how rapidly-evolving technology resulted in changes to tactics and fortifications. • The area is also quite hilly and allows the visitor to really understand the relevance of terrain in tactics. Positions were sited to dominate landscape features. However, as the border shifted, those features acquired new and different importance; so the use of terrain had to be reconsidered. The net result is an appreciation of the 3rd dimension which is rare in battlefield tours.

  7. North East Italy 2018 - 3 • The tour will focus on the interplay of strategy, operational art and tactics with the terrain and the technology. Quite a lot of that is embedded in, or characterised by, fortifications. • However, there were some battles within the area in the period of interest. They affected the strategic and operational setting, forcing commanders to reconsider the tactical importance of given terrain features. • (deleted) • Reaching a few of the sites will require some walking. Tour members will need boots and outdoor clothing. You should not apply to join the tour unless you can walk three miles in an hour, including some uphill, and if necessary do that twice in a day.

  8. North East Italy 2018 - 4 • Conversely, however, the area is quite small and we will probably not have to spend more than an hour in the minibuses at any one time. • We will stay in comfortable and reasonably-priced hotels. The Garda area is a major tourist destination; we will be visiting towards the end of the tourist season and stay away from the main tourist areas. • There are several flights in and out of Verona airport each day. There is a range of UK departure airports and flights. The tour will start and finish at Verona airport. Tour members may fly to other airports, and make their own way to the first hotel, if they wish. • The next few slides give a flavour of the area, the terrain and the tour.

  9. Peschiera(fortifications from 16th to 18th Centuries)

  10. Peschiera Forts (1820s-30s)

  11. Rivoli di Garda (site of Napoleon’s battle of 1797, later fortified and refortified) Rivoli Battlefield Monument Fort Wohlgemuth / Forte Rivoli is highlighted: see next slide (There are another four permanent fortifications behind, or below, the camera location)

  12. Forte Rivoli(ex-Fort Wohlgemuth. The battery at the right was added by the Italian Army after 1866)

  13. Rivoli, looking North Forte San Marco (c 1860-70) Forte Naole (c 1910)

  14. Riva di Garda(Monte Brione is the ridge in the middle distance)

  15. Riva di Garda town centre (looking towards Monte Brione) The MittelBatterie is highlighted(see next slide)

  16. MittelBatterie (c 1880)(on Monte Brione)

  17. Lake Garda (looking South) Forte Naole (c 1910) Austro-Hungarian barrier position (c 1910) Today (from other side)

  18. Nago – Torbole (from Monte Brione. The end of tour dinner will be held in Forte Nago, now a restaurant)

  19. Attack on Italian Forts (May 1915) Forte Verena Forte Campolongo

  20. Landscape (View north from Forte Verena)

  21. Forte Verena today

  22. Skoda 30.5cm Howitzer

  23. Forte Verena(result of inspection, after attack by Skoda howizers)

  24. Forte Verena

  25. Forte Verena

  26. Forte Campolongo today

  27. Forte Campolongo

  28. Forte Campolongo

  29. Forte Campolongo

  30. Forte Campolongo

  31. Forte Campolongo today

  32. Conclusions: BCMH Tour 2018North East Italy • A closely-defined period of military history in a closed-defined area • Little known to British historians • Strategic, operational and tactical aspects • Geography, hence terrain • Technology (particularly fortification & artillery) • Events: treaties, battles and skirmishes • Beautiful scenery • Fantastic ice cream • Cost: Target £450; upper and lower limits £370-490 per person plus flights; single supplement £40 or £55. • Please apply nowto Jim Storr (jimpstorr@aol.com) • In the event of interest beyond capacity (40-seat coach): • A. Within reason, first come, first served • B. It may be possible to run two visits at different times

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