[4] On afternoon of 28 April 1915, Colonel Miani marched out of Camp Sirte to attack the Senussi camp at Gasr Bu Hadi, south of Sirte under the lead of Sfi aldin Al sanusi His column of 84 officer, 900 Italian soldiers (one Battalion of the 2nd Regiment Bersaglieri, two companies of the 57th Infantry, two artillery battery) 2,175 askaris (3rd, 4th and 13th Libyan Askaris Battalions, 15th Eritrean Askaris Battalion), was supported and covered by nearly 3,000 Libyans Irregulars under the command of Ramadan Sewehli and other tribal chiefs.

When they understand that the Italians was deeply involved in the battle attacked the supply column, practically undefended at the moment, and stole it.

By 1 August the only Tripolitanian towns still held by the Italians were Homs, Misrata Marina, Tagiura and Tripoli itself, where there were 40,000 troops to man the machine gun nests and the new wall circling the outer suburbs.

Italy had suffered the worst defeat since Adowa and the Tripolitanian campaign was almost back to its starting point.

Since the previous August the Italians had lost an estimated 3,000 men killed, 2,400 prisoners, thirty pieces of artillery, 15,000 rifles and huge quantities of ammunition and equipment.