Dunes,Albania,7April 1939: Mussolini long wanted Albania as a strategic foothold to the Balkans. On April 7th, Italian General Alfredo Guzzoni led the ill-prepared invasion ofAlbania. After an early morning naval bombardment, the Italians were on shore and well on their way to capturing several government buildings. Meanwhile, MajorAbaz Kupi, the commander of the gendarmerie in Dunes, led the Albanian resistance to try and halt the Italian advance with support from individual soldiers, sailors, and armed civilians.
Attacker: Italian (47th Infantry Regiment)
Defender: Albanian (Royal Albanian Navy and Frontier Guard)
