Italians occupy San Giovanni di Medua

The British chronology of the war records under 29 October 1918 the occupation by Italian troops of San Giovanni di Medua, present-day Shëngjin, a small port in northern Albania. The communiqué of the Italian Supreme Command published on 30 October states that Italian units, having overcome the enemy’s rearguards, occupied the port and were advancing on Shkodër. Some Italian studies give 28 October. The port was no longer seriously defended. As early as 25 October Italian airmen reported numerous fires there.

After the occupation of Durrës and Tirana in mid-October, the Austro-Hungarian Army Group Albania of Colonel General Karl von Pflanzer-Baltin was falling back north along the coast, towards Shkodër and Montenegro. The pursuit was led by Italian cavalry, supported by Albanian insurgents. According to the Italian communiqué of 23 October, the Austrian rearguards withdrew behind the river Mat, about 15 km south of Lezhë. Albanian bands, which had hoisted Italian flags, took up arms against the Austrians and inflicted losses on them. According to the communiqué of 27 October the Italian advanced guards crossed the Mat, and on the morning of 27 October the Italians entered Lezhë, from where it was only a few kilometres to San Giovanni di Medua.

The port had a turbulent history. In June 1915 it was taken by the Montenegrins, in the winter of 1915 the Allies unloaded food here for the Serbian army retreating through Albania, and at the end of January 1916 the Austrians entered it. They then used it to supply their troops in northern Albania.

The collapse of the Austro-Hungarian army in Albania was only part of the disintegration of the whole Habsburg monarchy. In those same days the Italians were breaking through the front on the Piave, and in Prague and Zagreb the creation of new states was being proclaimed. Pflanzer-Baltin’s troops, fending off pursuit only with rearguards, were heading through Montenegro to Kotor. The next objective of the Italians was Shkodër, the main town of northern Albania.