100 Years Ago - Italian Navy vs Austro-Hungarian Navy

GUN PRACTICE WITH SMALL·CALIBRE GUNS ON BOARD AN ITALIAN DREADNOUGHT

ITALIAN SUBMARINE


AND SUPPLY SH1P '


AT ANCHOR AT
THE ISLAND OF PELAGOSA.


THE ITALIAN DESTROYER "INDOMITO'"




AN ITALIAN DREADNOUGHT FIRING FROM HER FORWARD TURRET


http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/austrian-naval-activity-in-the-adriatic-jszppxndj

Austrian naval activity in the Adriatic

Doubtless the Austrians believe that they can make matters very unpleasant for the Italians by raids both on their coast and on the stream of supply ships which are crossing this comparatively narrow waterway

January 18, 1916

By Our Naval Correspondent.
The situation in the Adriatic continues to attract attention, although the first impression created by the fall of Mount Lovtchen has been modified by a clearer perspective. The strategical importance of the Montenegrin stronghold was naturally magnified by its new possessors, who had for long cherished ambitions with regard to it. The Italians, too, when they learnt of the capture of “the Gibraltar of the Adriatic,” were seriously concerned about the alleged menace presented by this position. Some writers have criticized Italy for not moving sooner in the matter, while others have blamed the Allies, and this country in particular, for not making more, use of its sea-power in this connexion.


As a matter of fact, whatever advantages the possession of Lovtchen will give to the Austrians on shore, its influence upon the maritime situation is not likely to be of great importance. Mount Lovtchen does, indeed, dominate the Bay of Cattaro, but not sufficiently so to render it untenable by a fleet, or the Austrians would have been cleared out of it long ago.


On September 23, 1914, it was stated from Bordeaux that heavy guns had been landed by the French at Antivari and transported to the forts on the mountain, but even with the assistance of these no impression was made upon the ships in the harbour, which were at that time reported to consist of three cruisers and a number of torpedo craft. The bay, or series of bays, is almost impregnable from the sea, owing to the forts on the heights which surround it, and from which a plunging fire may be brought to bear upon attacking ships.


Until the efforts of the Allied squadrons were directed to the Dardanelles, several attempts were made by the force under the command of Admiralissimo Boue de Lapeyrere to destroy the protecting batteries and occupy the harbour. As far back as October, 1914, the fort on Lustica Point, and that on Rondoni Island, as well as the Warmatz batteries, were reported to have been silenced, and the fall of the place imminent. Apparently, however, the nut proved too hard to crack, or the “gamble” at the Dardanelles to offer better chances of success. The Italians had not then come into the war, and the Russians were feeling the need of open water communication with the makers of munitions. The bombardment of the forts at Cattaro was therefore superseded by the bombardment of the forts at the entrance of the Straits of Gallipoli.


AUSTRIAN COMMAND OF THE COAST


But neither Cattaro in itself - with or without the dominating forts of Mount Lovtchen - can prove a menace to the Adriatic. It is the naval force which may operate from this base which constitutes the threat to the Italian communications by sea. What does not appear to have been fully realized, however, is that the deep water passage between the Dalmatian Islands and the coast has always been available to the Austrian Fleet. Between Pola and Cattaro, a distance of a little less than 300 miles, the control of the intervening waters has been in Austrian hands, with mine defences and torpedo craft stations at Zaza, Sebenico, Gravosa, and other ports.


Early in the war it was stated that the Allied Fleets were occupying some of these islands for the purpose of clearing out possible lurking places for destroyers and submarines, and in a general sweep up the Adriatic the small cruiser Zenta was destroyed. Lissa and Pelagosa were reported to have been bombarded, and the population of many of the islands, panic-stricken, were said to have abandoned them.


After November, however, no further movements of the kind appear to have taken place, and the route along the coast being open, there was no apparent reason why the Austrian vessels should not use it. It is quite likely, therefore. that the Austrian Dreadnoughts, as a telegram from Rome states, were brought down to Cattaro to take part in the assault on Lovtchen, nor is it improbable that the forts on the peninsula silenced by the Allied Fleet had again been re-armed.


THREAT TO ITALIAN SUPPLIES.


From a naval point of view, the presence of the main Austrian Fleet, or a part of it, at Cattaro would appear to indicate that there is free ingress and egress at Pola, and that the need for a covering force to the small craft acting from Cattaro has been found necessary. In the action on the night of December 28 off Durazzo, which presented some of the features of the engagement in the Heligoland Bight on August 28, 1914, the Austrian cruisers and torpedo vessels were defeated and suffered loss because there was no supporting squadron to come to their support.


The need for such a force may easily have been felt and by the dispatch of the new battleships to help also in the subjugation of Lovtchen two objects would be fulfilled. But by dividing the strength of their main fleet and placing its most important units where there must be some difficulty in keeping them supplied from the principal base the Austrians are undoubtedly taking a risk. It may be, however, that the menace which this heavy squadron and its accompanying small craft will be to the Italian line of communications, both northwards and, to the coast of Albania, is considered worth that risk. It is only 100 miles across to the Italian coast from Cattaro, and only 40 from Brindisi to Valona. Doubtless the Austrians believe that they can make matters very unpleasant for the Italians by raids both on their coast and on the stream of supply ships and the like which are crossing this comparatively narrow waterway.


The Italian Navy, however, which under the Duke of the Abruzzi has so recently shown its efficiency by the transport of an army to Valona, should be able to deal effectively with such a threat.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/italian-dreadnought-lost-msdj0rtk3

Italian Dreadnought lost

The warship was moored in a position sheltering her from any possibility of any hostile attack on the part of the enemy

September 12, 1916

The following official details with regard to the fire and subsequent explosion on board the Italian Dreadnought Leonardo da Vinci, which resulted in the sinking of the vessel on August 2, are now for the first time published:


The warship was moored in a position sheltering her from any possibility of any hostile attack on the part of the enemy. A fire broke out near the aft magazine. The prompt action of the officer on duty secured the immediate flooding of the magazine, and prevented the complete destruction of the ship. As the result, however, of a subsequent explosion the hull sustained damage and there was an inrush of water. The ship settled on the bottom at a depth of 11½ metres. Effective measures for the rescue of the crew succeeded in saving many of those on board. Out of 34 officers and 1,156 men composing the crew, 21 officers and 227 men fell victims to their duty.


The immediate and searching inquiry which was held into the mishap, and which was necessarily conducted in complete secrecy, led to the conclusion that all idea of hostile action from outside or of any defect in the explosives used in the Navy was to be excluded. While, however, an authoritative committee. which includes a great number of prominent civilian engineers. is considering the best means of refloating the ship and making her fit again for service, the Ministry of Marine, with the object of throwing all possible light on any circumstance which could have any bearing on the accident, and of discovering if the accident could have any relation with incidents instigated by enemy malice, such as those recently proved in Italy outside the naval sphere, has appointed a strong Committee of Inquiry.


The Committee, of which the chairman is Admiral Canevaro, includes among its members Admiral Avallone and a number of technical and legal authorities. It can conduct its inquiry as it thinks best, and its terms of reference are so wide that it can investigate preceding incidents of similar character, it being the intention of the Ministry of Marine that the work of the Committee should from every point of view be complete and reassuring.


The Leonardo da Vinci, which was completed in November, 1913, was a vessel of 22,340 tons, with a speed of 23 knots. She carried 13 12in, 13 4.7in, and 18 3in guns.


http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/enemy-damage-in-brisk-running-fight-r6d778qm5

Enemy damage in brisk running fight

Our daring seaplanes, after repulsing the hostile machines in an aerial combat, attacked the enemy ships with bombs

May 19, 1917

A semi-official Italian statement says: Taking advantage of the darkness of the night an enemy group of some cruisers, which subsequently were joined by some torpedo-boat destroyers, encountered shortly before daybreak on May 18 a small convoy, without troops, which was being escorted across the Adriatic. In a short, unequal fight which followed one of our escorting torpedo-boats, a steamer, and motor fishing vessels employed on patrol service were sunk.


Allied naval forces, which were quickly joined by other British and French ships, including two French destroyers, came up, and the enemy fled rapidly towards the north, pursued by us. Our gunfire was certainly efficacious.


Two enemy units, pursued by light warships, fled towards Durazzo under the protection of the coast defences, while the British cruiser Dartmouth - on board of which was the Italian Admiral commanding the Division of Scouts - followed by another cruiser and our destroyers, succeeded, thanks to her great speed, in brilliantly maintaining contact for over two hours with three other enemy ships of the Novara type. She fired about 600 shots at them until, arriving near the works of Cattaro, larger ships came out to support the enemy.


At the same time our daring seaplanes, after repulsing the hostile machines in an aerial combat, attacked the enemy ships with bombs and were subsequently able to confirm the serious damage suffered by them as the result of the fire to which they had been subjected. Two different aeroplanes reported that one of the enemy cruisers, which was completely shrouded in smoke, with its afterpart destroyed was on the point of sinking close to Cattaro.


All the units engaged in the actions returned to our bases, as also did all our aviators.


AUSTRIAN ACCOUNT.


The following communique on naval affairs is issued in Vienna: During the night of the 14th of May a detachment of our light sea forces undertook a successful enterprise in the Otranto roads, to which Italian destroyers three merchantmen, and 20 armed guard vessels became victims. Seventy-two English sailors of the guard vessels were captured. When returning our units had a number of fierce engagements with superior enemy forces, in which the enemy forces, composed of English, French, and Italian vessels, suffered considerable damage. In two of the enemy destroyers conflagrations were observed.


The participation in the fight of enemy U-boats and airmen had no success, while on the other hand our seaplanes splendidly took part in the fighting. They obtained one hit on each of two enemy cruisers, and effectively encountered hostile U-boats. Our units returned in full number, with small human losses and slight damage.


In brilliant cooperation with our naval forces, a German submarine sank, by a torpedo shot an English cruiser with four funnels.


Admiral Njegoven, Commander of the Austrian Fleet, has been congratulated by the Emperor Charles on the recent exploit of the Fleet,” and awarded the Iron Crown of the First Class.


THE ENEMY’S ENTERPRISE


This is neither the first nor the second time that a raid of this character has been made with loss to the Allies. The last time was on December 22 in the Straits of Otranto, when a raiding squadron of the enemy from Cattaro attacked guardships in the Straits and one of the latter, as well as a French destroyer, sustained some damage. Firing at once called up reinforcements from the patrol fleet to the scene of action and the raiders were chased back to port in the dark.


Earlier still, in July, two British drifters were sunk in an Austrian raid and two others damaged. Some of the men of the crews of the destroyed vessels were taken prisoners,