Col. Corso Corsi of the 11th Grenadier Regiment, placed in charge of the defenses on either side of the Dongolaas, had the Bersaglieri Battalion of his own regiment plus a pair of colonial battalions on Mount Sanchil. Though outnumbered by the British and Indians on Cameron Ridge, he led his men forward in a determined effort to throw them off the high ground.

The Italians surged across the gap between Monte Sanchil and Cameron Ridge, screaming their “Savoia!” battle cry and pressing the British and Indians hard in hand-to-hand combat. Corsi hoped to keep his enemies occupied long enough for the colonial cavalry to work its way around the Rajputs’ position and unravel their defenses, but the Indian lines held thanks to timely intervention by their own reinforcements.