27 October 1917
General Luigi Cadorna officially orders a retreat, although Italian troops have been retreating since the start of the Austrio-German offensive three days earlier.
Start of the British artillery bombardment, designed partly to prepare for a real attack on the town and party to distract Turkish attention away from Beersheba at the eastern end of their defensive line, where the British were planning their main attack.
How to cite this article: Rickard, J (28 December 2007), 27 October 1917, https://www.historyofwar.org/firstworldwar/daybyday/1917_10_27.html
