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The Sicilian-Neapolitan War (Guerra Siculo-Napoletana) is a war fought between Sicily, Italy and the Neapolitan Republic.
Background[]
In the year that fallows the Italo-Sicilian Treay, Sicily has given secret assistance and support at the underground resistance hostile to Neapolitans, with the sabotage of communication lines, compulsory disobedience, strikes and workers protest, and even the infiltration of agents of the S.I.S. info Neapolitan territory, this with the goal of make their enemy more weak and for obtain more allied in the unification of south Italy.
But in the spring of the 1989 the Neapolitan police discover the presence of a S.I.S. hideout in Bari, undercover as a bakery, the policemen arrest them and all the others present in the shop, but the agents of the S.I.S. helped by some member of the Communist Party manage to kill most of the Policemen before flee in the countryside, at the end they was founded and killed in a old church, with the exception of one agent, this agent was brought at Naples for be processed and then killed, but before he was tortured for information in exchange of the life, the agent refuse and then he was killed, this event was transmitted on the national TV and it was at that point where the president decide to declare war on Sicily with the invasion of Calabria, naturally the Sicilian military was prepared to this and this also thanks to the information give about the status and the situation of the agent after his capture by other S.I.S agents.
Start of the War[]
November-December 1989 - Battle of the Strait, Operation Zacinto, Battles of Potenza and Matera[]
The president Cutolo after the execution of the agent decide to move their best division and units of the Army in Basilicata, and also send a part of the Navy in the Strait of Messina for block any help from the other parts of Sicily and for cut in two the Sicily, but the Sicilian Navy, one of the most advanced in Europe and one of the most large fleet in Europe decide, for provide supplies and send their army in Calabria of create a wall of ships meantime the other ships will cross the strait, this plan was a success as the Neapolitans lost at least 10-20 ships and the Sicilian lost only 5 ships and no one of the supply ships, with this victory for Sicily the Neapolitans wasn't able of create new ships or buy new ones, but vital in this victory wasn't the presence of the navy but also of that of the air force, who made strikes and bomburding the Neapolitan ships and their aircraft, still of the pre-war time, the battle end the 10th November and with this victory Sicily was able of create a bridgeland between Sicily and Calabia.
After this the Neapolitan navy decide to start of raiding the Sicilian commercial and military ships in the Mediterranean sea, and of conduct also raid on the coastal city of Libya, but they was repelled by the Sicilian Navy, but they decide also of raid the non-sicilian ships, one of the first ships at be raided was a Soviet commercial ship; the October Revolution vassal, with destination Angola, the Neapolitans was able of take the ships and the crew as prisoners, but thanks to an attack conduct by the Sicilian Marines the vassal was liberate and bring at Palermo for assistance and for bring news of the attack at the Soviet ambassador in Palermo, but other ships of minor size was also attacked by the Neapolitans, and once time one of their ship was sunk by a British convoy.
With the fear of a war in the Mediterranean Sea and of the block of the trades on the 25th of November France, Spain, United Kingdom, Greece, Libya and Egypt decide with the help of the Sicilian Navy of patrol and ensure commerce and trades in the Mediterranean and of declare the area around Malta neutral form any side and declare armed neutrality.
The next plan for the Sicilian is - Operation Zacinto -, the plans is that of secure the main city and village in Basilicata for then attack the city of Potenza and from there march info the Puglia, but this wasn't easy as for the presence of mechanized and of anti-tank divisions, but the Neapolitans still use the pre-war M47 Patton, a medium and obstoete tank, instead the Sicilians use the Leopard tank, a more advanced and modern tank, the Sicilian crossed the border on the 30th of November, from there they liberate cities and villages with the help of the local resistance, the army arrive in the city of Potenza the 5th December, and took one week for clear the city from hostile presence, they set the HQ there and declare Potenza the first free city in south Italy, from there the Sicilian forces secure the border between Campania and Basilicata, as Neapolitan units try to invade the lost land, but they was repelled by the Sicilians, even if some Sicilian unit was captured and bring at Naples as a reward of war. After their showing in Naples the PoWs was bring in the Gran Sasso Camp, a prisoner camp in Abruzzo, many of this prisoners would suffer for the cold temperature, the poor condition of the camp and of the brutality of the guards.
With the victory of Potenza the army advance in direction of Matera, liberating most of the region from the Neapolitan presence, but some fight happened with local Neapolitan loyalist, in one week of march the Sicilian arrive at Matera in good condition, as fresh Cyrenaican troops arrive in Basilicata for reinforce the already present forces, when the Sicilian forces arrive in Matera the city was well defence by the Neapolitan Army, the Sicilian Army would engage a great battle outside the city for try to enter it, but with the fresh reinforcement and the tanker division the Neapolitan front crumble and the Sicilian could finally enter in the city, but when they was in the centre of the city they found the city desert and abandoned, but it wasn't like the Sicilians thinking, it was a trap, many enemy troops was hiding in roofs and towers sniping the Sicilian from distance, so with this confuse scenario the Sicilian lost many men then in the first battle, when the Sicilian finally take the city, this to the armed divisions, found most of the inhabitants in the old part of the city, seeking a shelter for the battle, many of the citizens was without food and water for several days and they was save by the Sicilian Red Cross and by the Army, the Neapolitan also leave many equipment to the enemy, mainly rifles and pistols but in majority grenades, mines and rocket launchers, with this victory the Sicilians decide to maintain the line of the front between Puglia and Basilicata and rest, their next plan will be that of take Puglia and secure the south-east, but the chief of staff for don't lost valuable resources and for don't be stocked in the winter decide to do the operation in January, as the troops would rest and recover from the fight.
During the Christmas period neither one of the two sides conduct operations or attacks, as they know that it was Christmas and soldiers wouldn't fight in that day, and also for the speech do by the Pope during the Christmas night, as "Implore no fight at least during the day that Christ was born."
January-February 1990 - 1st and 2nd Battle of Bari, 1st and 2nd Battle of Taranto, Battle of Foggia and Battle of Lecce[]
After the victory in Potenza the Gen. Tavormina decide to divide the army info three sectors of operations, Sector A will conquered Foggia and the rest of north Puglia, Sector B will take Bari and the centre and Sector C will take Taranto and the south Puglia, both three sectors would have the support of the navy and of the air force if they would remain blocked, a big part of the Neapolitan forces was in Puglia, with also part of the navy in Taranto and Bari, both towns was fortified with bunkers, mines and barricades, and they bwas ready to fight and resist at the Sicilians.
The first sector at reach his object was C, 2 days after have cross the border, the third Army was composed by the 4th and 5ft Bersaglieri division, by the 10th and 15ft Infantry division and by the 1st Battalion "Vespri", with the Ionian Sea fleet as support, the same fleet will support also the other sectors, meanwhile the other fleets will protect and patrol the sea. The first fight between Sicilian and Neapolitan started outside Taranto when a scouting team of the Neapolitans engage a battle with a Sicilian patrol, the scouting team lost many men and only one member was found wounded but alive, and the Sicilian lost 2 man, they then started to create a front line for take Taranto with a siege, with the support from the Ionian Sea fleet as they would bombard the ship present in the harbor and also other position, the Neapolitans known that they would die in Taranto so they create a serious of bubbly traps like C4 explosive in building, bomb-car and also the use of grenades placed in strategic parts of the city, but the Sicilians take many damage from this traps, at least 1421 of fallen only the 45% died in combat, the Sicilian also manage once time to take all the for be repelled by the Neapolitans hide in the centre of the city, only with a marine assault on Taranto have end the siege, with the lost of Taranto the rest of south Puglia fall quite easily and fast, with much help from the local population who have killed or fled the Neapolitans.
The Sector B arrive one week after the reach of Taranto by the C, as Bari was the administrative center of the Puglia it was also heavly defended, with 2 divisions of tanks, 5 infantry division and the Adriatico Fleet of the Neapolitan Navy,