Capture of Gorlovka
Capture of Gorlovka also known as Battle of Gorlovka was fought between the Italian forces and Soviet Union during the Eastern Front of World War II. The Italians under Giovanni Messe defeated the Russians at Gorlovka and forced them to retreat.
Background
Battle
The C.S.I.R was ordered to invade and capture the strategic areas of Gorlovka and Nikitovka. However these battles would cause many casualties for the italian units, having no choice left Giovanni Messe further encouraged his men and started marching towards Gorlovka and Nikitovka. On night of 22nd October the Italian amry moved towards Kryvyi Rih and capturing the area after facing some resistance from the Russians. Then the army charged at Skotovoye and after a brief engagement forced the enemies to retreat. After passing through Grishino on 23 October, the Italian forces captured Scelesnoje after defeating the superior Russian forces. 
On 1 November the Russians for an unknown reason retreated towards Gorlovka and Rikovo, the 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment immediately advanced upon the retreating Russians, the Italians soon defeated the Russians and captured the locality. The 70th and 80th Regiment encounter resistance by the enemies and the rebels at Gorlovka. The fighting had to be distributed over the entire street layout with some fighting being done house by house, in sub-zero temperatures, constantly under the threat of snipers that required the fighters to be separated into smaller groups in order to reduce the chance of being an easy target. The Italians successfully captured Gorlovka at dawn on 2 November and the Russians retreated towards Novohryhorivka.