Škabrijel Hill

Škabrijel Hill (646 m) was the focal point of the Eleventh Battle of the Soča Front in the late summer of 1917. Had the Italians captured this strategic peak, they would have had an open route eastward to Ljubljana. However, this did not happen, largely thanks to the 87th Infantry Regiment from Celje.

The battle for Škabrijel lasted from 18 August to 12 September 1917, causing more casualties than any other battle on the Soča Front. An estimated 40,000 Italian soldiers were killed or wounded on this hill, while the Austro-Hungarian side lost around 10,000 men, with a further 65,000 wounded or sick. The Italians attacked the hill repeatedly — on average, more than 500 shells struck its slopes every hour, representing the most intense artillery bombardment per square metre in the history of the Isonzo Front. At the summit, a viewing point now rises above the trees, overlooking the site of the former massacre.

Avtor: Blaž Kosovel

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