TRENDEAtlas of the Sultans · Wars, battles and treaties
Naval battle · 1912
The Battle of Kunfuda Bay was a naval battle of the Italo-Turkish War between small squadrons of the Italian and Ottoman navies. On 7 January 1912, the Italian protected cruiser Piemonte and the Soldato-class destroyers Artigliere and Garibaldino, cruising the Red Sea, discovered six Ottoman gunboats, a tugboat, and a yacht in the harbor at Kunfuda. The vessels engaged for over three hours and five Ottoman vessels were sunk and four dhows were captured. Three of the gunboats were damaged during the battle and grounded on the beach to prevent them from sinking. The following morning, the Italian vessels returned to destroy the remaining three vessels; the yacht, which had been sunk, was later salvaged and seized by Italy.
| Date | 7 and 8 January 1912 |
|---|---|
| Location | Kunfuda, today Saudi Arabia |
| Result | Italian victory |
| Belligerents | Kingdom of Italy | Ottoman Empire |
|---|---|---|
| Commanders | Osvaldo Paladini | Unknown |
| Strength | 1 protected cruiser 2 destroyers | 6 gunboats 1 armed tugboat 1 armed yacht |
| Casualties | None | 6 gunboats destroyed 1 tugboat sunk 1 yacht captured |
With the destruction of the remaining Ottoman naval force in the area, the Italians proclaimed a blockade of the Arabian Red Sea coast and began seizing vessels carrying contraband, though they did allow Muslims to cross the Red Sea on their pilgrimage to Mecca. For the remainder of the war, Italian cruisers operated in the area, bombarding Ottoman positions with impunity. The Ottomans eventually agreed to surrender in October, ending the war.
Took place during the reign of Mehmed V (1909–1918). Mehmed V
The atlas records this territorial change for the year:
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), adapted for the atlas.