[5][6] The Army of Epirus crossed the Bridge of Arta into Ottoman territory at midday 6 October, capturing the Gribovo heights by the end of the day.

[7] Motivated by militant Philhellenism and Liberationist ideology, the leader of the Italian Redshirts, Ricciotti Garibaldi, called upon his followers to support the Greek war effort.

[8] Garibaldi only managed to recruit 140–200 Italian volunteers due to administrative barriers placed by the country's government and internal opposition within Italy's leftist circles.

The unit was split into four battalions,[9] two of which were dubbed Corps of Greek Red Shirts and were commanded by former Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament and veteran Redshirt, Count Alexandros Romas [el].

[10] The Garibaldini were equipped by the Greek government, which provided them with obsolete Gras rifles and old surplus swords, but failed to issue them with winter greatcoats.

The Redshirts under Peppino reached the caravanserai of Kamber Agha north east of the village of Kryovrysi on 25 November, having encountered no resistance.

The Ottoman garrison which numbered 600 soldiers and 2 artillery pieces engaged in a disorganized retreat towards Ioannina, abandoning large amounts of materiel.

The battle lasted until 8:00 a.m., whereupon the Garibaldini were able to secure the Ottoman camp on Driskos; taking shelter in the village of Mazi and the Koimiseos Theotokou monastery.

Matthaiopoulos commanded two companies of Cretans to occupy the positions north of Mazia after realizing that the Greek right flank was completely exposed.

The Greeks held their ground and fighting ceased upon nightfall,[17] but Makris was killed and three officers, including Romas' deputy Bardopoulos, were wounded.

[10] On 28 November, the Ottomans launched an attack on the Heights 1078 and 1053 held by Cretan volunteers, the assault was supported by artillery fire from a battery which had been moved to the caravanserai of Lefkas.

At 7:00 a.m., the Redshirt left flank which faced the brunt of the Ottoman attack was reinforced by 44 men and a single 75 mm Schneider-Danglis 06/09 mountain gun.

Romas, Bardopoulos and many other Greek officers including Captain Lorentzos Mavilis were injured, leaving Peppino Garibaldi to assume command.

A number of Redshirts later claimed that the Greek state had intentionally left their unit exposed to a numerically superior force and poorly supplied so as to deny it the glory it had once attained at the Battle of Domokos.

[11] On 30 November, Sapountzakis ordered Ricciotti Garibaldi and Matthaiopoulos to regroup their forces and retake Driskos or at least attempt to distract the enemy in that direction.

Many, including Ricciotti, later turned to fascism, while a group of dissenters under Cipriano Facchinetti had deserted the movement over its stance on the Albanian Question, generating an uproar of negative press.