Bücher von Armando Donato

Notebooks on Military Archaeology and Architecture 12Nel Maggio e settembre 1860 iniziò la campagna di conquista del regno delle Due Sicilie a cura degli eserciti Garibaldino e Piemontese. Garibaldi conquistò Messina dopo due mesi mentre le fortificazioni Borboniche furono assediate dall'esercito Piemontese. L'assedio terminò nel marzo 1861, quando le artiglierie piemontesi costrinsero il nemico alla resa incondizionata. Il regno delle Due Sicilie divenne parte del regno d'Italia il 17 marzo 1861.La campagna angloamericana in Sicilia (Husky) fu la più imponente operazione anfibia della seconda guerra mondiale, riguardo le diviosni sbarcate il primo giorno e la lunghezza del fronte di sbarco. Il 9-10 luglio 1943 sbarcarono due divisioni con il principale obiettivo di conquistare Messina e intrappolare il nemico nell'isola, il quale si era ritirato verso lo Stretto di Messina fortificandolo e sviluppando i sistemi difensivi e di trasporo. Il 16-17 agosto le truppe Alleate conquistarono Messina mentre il nemico stava sbarcando sulla penisola italiana con una grande quantità di uomini, equipaggiamento e materiali, utili a continuare la guerra in Italia.In May and September 1860 the campaign to conquer the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies by Garibaldi's army and the Piedmontese army began. Garibaldi reached Messina after two months, while the siege of Bourbon garrisons was undertaken by the Piedmontese army. The siege ended in March 1861, when the Piedmontese artillery forced the enemy to surrender unconditionally. The Kingdom of Two Sicilies became part of the Kingdom of Italy on 17 March 1861.The Anglo-American campaign in Sicily (Husky) was the most impressive amphibious operation of World War II, in terms of the number of divisions landed on the first day and the length of the landing front. On 9-10 July 1943, two armies landed with the main objective of reaching Messina and trapping the enemy on the island, who, as they retreated towards the Strait of Messina, strengthened and improved their defence and transportation systems. On 16-17 August, the Allied troops reached Messina; meanwhile the enemy was landing on the Italian peninsula with a great number of men, together with equipment and other materials that would be used to continue the war in Italy.

The permanent system of coastal batteries of the Strait of Messina was erected in the late nineteenth century according to newly discovered plans of the defences of the Kingdom of Italy. Already conceptually obsolete during construction and progressively decommissioned, it was barely used for over half a century, and at the outbreak of World War II was replaced by a new defensive system. Today, it represents a significant and valuable example of Italian military architecture that has not yet been sufficiently analysed and documented.