The Ssalonican Peninsula is a three-fingered claw stretching out from the Macedonian region into the Aegean Sea, which protects the largest port of Macedonia in the depths of the Gulf of Selmai.

Although Salonica is the largest port in the region, there are still some small ports in the Salonican Peninsula that act as fishing ports, 28 kilometers southeast of Salonika, also in the Gulf of Sermai, Calikrati is one of the two major fishing ports in the region, and the other is in Muzania, 20 kilometers away, which is further away from Salonica.

Today, however, local fishermen and residents watched with astonishment as the vast expanse of boats appeared on the sea. As long as you are not blind, you can tell that many of them are warships, and with the towering Italian naval flag, who can not know what is going on?

Many of these small warships patrol the coast less than two or three kilometers away, their dark muzzles pointed at land, ready to open fire on a possible enemy at any moment.

In fact, they were too worried, and a company of garrisons stationed in the town had already left in a hurry under the leadership of its commander when they saw so many warships and transports, along with the local officials appointed by the Ottomans in the town.

Under the cover of the navy's ships, the officers and men of the Marine Corps used small boats to row desperately towards the beach next to the town.

After the dinghy docked, Battalion Commander Cosenz, who was the commander of the first batch of landing forces, immediately ordered his subordinates, "Quick, everyone disperse, pay attention to vigilance." ”

This is the experience that Kosenz has learned from other officers in previous landing battles. The first task is to spread the guard and be alert to a possible attack by the defenders.

The officers and men of the first battalion carried out his orders very well, and immediately dispersed in twos and threes, and looked around with vigilant eyes.

However, there was no movement of the enemy around, and everything was so quiet and peaceful except for them that Kosenz felt a little embarrassed.

However, no matter how embarrassing it is, it is better than being hit by the enemy during the landing.

After waiting for all the officers and men of his battalion to come ashore, Kosenz immediately continued to give orders. "The second company went out to explore the movements around the city, the first company stayed at the landing site, and the third and fourth companies went to the town with me to have a look."

Following Kosenz's orders, the companies assigned to the task acted separately according to his orders. The entrenched company began to occupy the commanding heights around the beach, preparing to protect the landing ground. The second company took the squad platoon as a unit and advanced in a search posture in all directions.

As for the third and fourth companies, they were in battle formation and touched the town. Cosentz, on the other hand, followed them and approached the town. There's something strange about the town and there's no sound?

Are they approaching the town for 500 meters? No gunshots!

Three hundred meters? Still no gunshots!

Whether or not to go in has become the primary question for Kosenz.

Cosenz hiding behind a ridge? After thinking about it, he ordered. "Send a squad? Go into the town and search. ”

Following his order, a squad of fighters immediately touched it.

Cosenz and other officers and soldiers? They all keep their eyes on every move in this town.

After ten minutes, I saw a soldier walking out of the town? Gesture to them with a safe gesture.

What's going on?

With this in the mood? Kosenz and other officers and men rushed over at once.

It wasn't long before Kosentz had spoken to the warrior that he realized why the town was so uncharacteristically quiet.

"You say the Ottoman army, before leaving, locked the locals in monasteries?"

"Yes, battalion commander. We couldn't believe it before? But do we find those people in the monastery? They said that after seeing our fleet early this morning, the local Ottoman army went from house to house and drove them all to the monastery, and they were so frightened that they thought they were going to be killed. Also, have we searched for houses in small towns? There were no Ottoman officers and soldiers in it either. ”

After listening to the soldier's words, although Cosenz didn't know why the other party did this? But since the enemy is gone, it will be good for him and the battalion.

After listening to the fighters' answers? Cosenz took the town with two companies.

And among them, the local residents who were released after inspection? Thank you to them a lot.

As for Cosenz? Standing beside a humble fishing port made of stone and wood? He spoke to the herald beside him.

"Immediately send someone to occupy the commanding heights and signal to the fleet that the enemy has run away and can land in the fishing port."

Although the fishing port is simple, it is better than the beach. He took a look at the wooden plank road here, which could transport some small artillery ashore.

And as the defenders of Calikrati fled without a fight, a large number of small wooden boats were transported back and forth between the fishing port and the transport ships. They brought a large number of officers and weapons ashore.

Unlike Kosenz's luck, in Muzania, the defenders of a local battalion did not retreat, but relied on the town's architecture to defend stubbornly. The strength of a regiment that landed was besieging it.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

The shelling from the warships at sea caused the local defenders to retreat into the town, and the screams from time to time caused turmoil in the hearts of the soldiers.

Warship firepower is completely comparable to that of heavy artillery, so that no buildings in the town can withstand this firepower.

And after the warship shelled, the unwilling defender commander, seeing that more than half of his troops had been killed or wounded, could only reluctantly give the order to retreat.

Of course, they were still good, blocking the landing of Italian officers and soldiers for half a day. Although this did not affect the landing of the Italian troops, in the absence of shore defense batteries, he still dared to defend the town against the guns of naval ships, and it cannot but be said that this commander was very strong.

Of course, the news of the Italian landing on the Salonican Peninsula could not be concealed at all, and at noon the defenders of Salonica learned of the news.

In the garrison headquarters in the city, Lieutenant General Owuzi, the commander of the Ottoman Ninth Army and the commander of the city's defenses, looked at the garrison commander who ran back from Calikrati with an angry face.

"Captain Aitage, you said that the Italians landed one regiment at a time, so you retreated with your own men?"

In front of Lieutenant General Owuzi, Captain Aitaki, who had turned into the wind, replied with a rough and uneasy face. "Yes, General. The enemy had a lot of warships on the open sea, and those warships protected a large number of transport ships, and they were like locusts, operating all kinds of ships to land and go ashore, and my soldiers and I had to retreat first when we saw that the situation was not good. ”

"Okay, there's nothing to do with you here."

Hearing this man's answer, Lieutenant General Owuzi sent him away with a look of disgust. Although this person is a little timid and afraid, it is inconvenient to punish him when he is currently employed. Besides, the news of the landing of the Italians was too important for him.

"Someone!"

With a shout from Lieutenant General Owuzi, a young officer immediately opened the door and walked in.

"What does the general command?"

"Order the Fourteenth Division to send a brigade to reinforce Kalamaria. In addition, Filafeia's troops were ordered to gradually withdraw. Also send a telegram to Admiral Yelmaz that we need reinforcements to inform him that the Italians have landed on the peninsula. ”

These orders of Lieutenant General Owuzi are all related to the situation in Salonica.

Reinforcements to Kalamaria, because of the coastal defense batteries there. Unlike the grandparents of Durrës, the coastal defense batteries in Thessalonican were very advanced and equipped with Krupp heavy coastal defense guns. As long as the battery is not lost, then the Italian naval warships will not dare to come in.

In addition, there were not many troops in the city of Salonica, and at present he had only one 14th Division at his disposal, and the rest of the troops were in Filafia, resisting the attack of the Bulgarian Third Army, which had captured Kirkis.

Now with the landing of the Italians, he can only withdraw his troops first, which is why he needs to send a brigade to be stationed in Kalamaria first, of course, one brigade is not enough, and when the other troops are withdrawn, he will send all the 14th divisions over.

In addition, the Kalamaria coastal defense battery protrudes from the cape less than four kilometers south of the city, while Firafia is 16 kilometers north of the city, so it can be said that Italy and Bulgaria are one south and one north, posing a threat to Salonica.