Battle of San Matteo

Significance

The Battle of San Matteo, fought at Punta San Matteo during the late summer of 1918, held a distinction beyond its operational context: it was regarded as the highest-altitude battle in recorded history until the Kargil Conflict of 1999 displaced that record at 5,600 meters. Its place in the broader Italian front of World War I is one of the extreme-terrain engagements that characterized mountain warfare in the Alps, where control of high ground carried both tactical and symbolic weight. The Italian force of approximately 307 men faced an Austro-Hungarian force of roughly 150 under their respective commanders, though the outcome of the engagement is not recorded in available sources.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)