Adriatic Campaign of World War I
Encyclopedia
The Adriatic Campaign of World War I was a naval campaign fought during World War I
between the Central Powers
, and the Mediterranean squadrons of Great Britain
, France
, the Kingdom of Italy
, Australia
and the United States
.
Allied forces mainly limited themselves to blockading the German–Hungarian navies in the Adriatic, which was successful in regards to surface units, but failed for the U-boats, which found safe harbours and easy passage into and out of the area for the whole of the war. Considered a relatively secondary part of the naval warfare of World War I, it nonetheless tied down significant forces.
The Adriatic campaign was important even because for the first time two new weapons were used successfully in warfare, viz. the human torpedo
of Raffaele Rossetti
and the MAS
torpedo boat
of Luigi Rizzo
. These small navy vessels sank two Austrian battleships in 1918, and .
.jpg)
On 6 August 1914, an Anglo-French naval agreement was signed, giving France
the leadership of naval operations in the Mediterranean
. The remaining British
Mediterranean forces, one armored cruiser
, four light cruiser
s, and 16 destroyer
s were placed under the control of the French Mediterranean Fleet and both Gibraltar
and Malta
would be open as bases to the French.
One day after the French declaration of war against Austria-Hungary
on 11 August, the French fleet—under Admiral Augustin Boué de Lapeyrère
—entered Malta. He had orders to sail with all available French and British ships, pass into the Adriatic Sea
and undertake whatever operation he thought best against an Austrian port. Lapeyrère decided to surprise the Austrian vessels enforcing a blockade of Montenegro
. The main Allied force comprised the French battleships , , and the cruiser Julien De La Graviere. Two French squadrons of pre-dreadnoughts, two squadrons of cruisers, and five destroyer squadrons were held back in support. The British support group comprised two armored cruisers and three destroyer divisions. The Anglo-French force succeeded in cutting off and sinking the Austro-Hungarian light cruiser off Bar
on 16 August.
Throughout most of late August most of the action was simple bombardment of Serbia
n and Montenegrin
troops by Austrian ships. On 9 August, the pre-dreadnought shelled the French radio station at Budva
, while the destroyer shelled Mount Lovcen
. On 17 August, Monarch shelled a Montenegrin radio station off Bar, then another station off Volovica Point on 19 August. Meanwhile, a French squadron shelled Austrian troops on Prevlaka
.
Both the French and the Austrians spent much of this time laying extensive minefields throughout the shallow waters of the Adriatic. Mostly this was done by destroyers, and at night. Several steamships ran afoul of these mines and either sunk or were damaged.
sailed to Triest from Pola
. She and the German cruiser had been anchored there since the beginning of the summer. On 1 August, Goeben and Breslau rendezvoused at Brindisi
, then headed for Messina to take on coal. They left for Constantinople
on 6 August, shadowed by the British cruiser .
On 7 August, the Austro-Hungarian Fleet—consisting of six battleships, two cruisers, and 19 destroyers and torpedo boats—sortied from Pola to escort Goeben and Breslau through Austro-Hungarian territorial waters, returned to port following day without ever making contact. Goeben and Breslau briefly engaged HMS Gloucester and the chase was abandoned by the British. By 10 August, both German warships were safely in the Dardanelles
and heading for Turkey
.
as far as Topla Bay but was chased out by the Austrian destroyer SMS Blitz, and the torpedo boat Tb 57T. Later that month, the French submarine raided the harbor barrage of Pola
to wait for her chance to intrude. Two days later, on 20 December, during an attempt to sneak into the harbor she got entangled in an anti-submarine net
and could not free herself. Forced to surface for fresh air, she was sunk by the Austrian destroyer and Tb 63T, with three casualties. The Austrians raised the wreck between December 1914 and February 1915. It was then repaired and commissioned as U-14 in June 1915.
On 21 December, the submarine U-12 scored one torpedo hit on the French battleship Jean Bart off Sazan Island. The battleship had to withdraw to Malta
for extensive repairs.
positions at Bar with Tb 15 and Tb 68F.
In April, the Austrian U-5—commanded by Lt. Georg Ritter von Trapp
—chased the French armored cruiser Victor Hugo off Paxos
, but was unable to fire any torpedoes. U-5 also torpedoed the French armored cruiser Léon Gambetta
after a two-day chase off Santa Maria di Leuca
, causing 684 fatalities including Rear-Admiral Sénès. Only 137 French sailors survived. The Austrian U-4 torpedoed and damaged the British
light cruiser . Also, the Austrian destroyer shelled enemy positions at Bar.
When Italy
declared war on Austria-Hungary
on 23 May, the Austrian fleet was quick to act, launching several attacks on the Marche
region of Italy. That day, the destroyer Dinara and Tb 53T bombarded the port of Ancona
. The destroyer Lika—on reconnaissance duty between Palagruža
and Cape Gargano—shelled the semaphore and radio station
at Vieste
and fired upon the Italian destroyer Turbine. On 24 May, the bulk of the Austrian fleet at Pola
sailed for the Italian Adriatic coast. This included the dreadnoughts , , and eight pre-dreadnoughts. The fleet bombarded several cities and other targets in and around the Province of Ancona
, especially damaging the port town of Ancona itself.
The destroyer Velebit shelled the Italian airship Città di Ferrara off Ancona. The pre-dreadnought and two torpedo boats bombarded Potenza Picena
, then returned to Pola. The Radetzky-class pre-dreadnought Zrinyi, with two torpedo boats bombarded Senigallia
, destroying a train and damaging a railway station and a bridge, then returned to Pola. The torpedo boat Tb 3 was unsuccessfully bombed by an Italian airship. The light cruiser shelled the Italian signal station at Cretaccio Island
, while —with two torpedo boats—shelled Rimini
, damaging a freight train. The destroyer Streiter shelled the signal station near Torre di Mileto. The light cruiser , a destroyer and two torpedo boats entered Corsini Channel and shelled an Italian torpedo boat station, a semaphore station, and coastal artillery batteries.
The light cruiser —aided by four destroyers—sank the Italian destroyer Turbine in a pitched battle south of Pelagosa. The destroyer Tatra shelled the railway embankment near Manfredonia
while the destroyer Csepel shelled the Manfredonia railway station.
Finally, Austro-Hungarian flying boat
s dropped bombs on Venice
and airship hangars at Chiaravalle
.
; the British cruiser —escorted by five Italian destroyers—shelled Donzella; the Italian light cruiser Quarto—escorted by four destroyers—bombarded Lastovo
; the Italian light cruiser Nino Bixio, two Italian and two French destroyers shelled the island of Lissa
. On 9 June, a mixed force of British, French and Italian destroyers shelled the Austro-Hungarian signal station at Cape Rondini in Albania
.
on 16 June, causing minor damage. Then on 17 June, the cruisers , and their escorts attacked and sank the Italian steamer Maria Grazia off Giulianova. The next day, they shelled Rimini
and Fano
, destroying the Italian signal station there.
The summer of 1915 was a successful time for Austrian submarines as well: on 10 June, sank the Italian submarine Medusa and torpedo boat Serpente; sank the Italian torpedo boat PN 5 on June 26 off Venice
; torpedoed and sank the Italian armored cruiser on 18 July; and captured the Greek steamer Cefalonia off Durazzo on August 29. But this was not without losses. On 13 August, was sunk at Brindisi
by the French Destroyer Bisson, after having been severely damaged by the Italian auxiliary cruiser Città di Catania the day before.
The Austro-Hungarian naval air-arm also began regular bombing raids against Bari
and Brindisi
in June, slightly damaging the British protected cruiser in one such raid with machine gun fire. And the British armed trawler
Schiehallion was sunk by a mine. The was sunk off Venice by the German submarine on July 2. While the Italian scout cruiser shelled Gravosa station on 18 July, the scout cruiser Quarto and three Italian destroyers attacked the Austrian installation at Guiparra.
, seven destroyers and four torpedo boats supported the Austrian landings at Pelagosa
on 28 July, but within two weeks the battalion of troops are taken off. On 17 August, the cruiser was unsuccessfully torpedoed by an Italian submarine on return journey. The town's freshwater cistern was damaged during the bombardment and the Italian troop evacuation took place the following day. The last act of the summer was the sinking on 26 September of the Italian battleship in Brindisi
Harbor by Italian-speaking Austro-Hungarian saboteur
s. Over 450 were killed.
In late September, the Allies established the Otranto Barrage
, an attempt to blockade the entrance to the Adriatic Sea at the Strait of Otranto
.
In early December, the French submarine Fresnel ran aground off the Bojana River
estuary due to bad navigation, and was sunk by the Austrian destroyer . The cruiser SMS Helgoland and three destroyers sortie against the Otranto Barrage
from 5-22 December and performed reconnaissance off the Albanian coast and San Giovanni di Medua. They sank an Italian picket boat, three steamships loaded with ammunition and two armed schooners en route to Northern Albania.
On 30 December, the French submarine was rammed by the cruiser SMS Helgoland, and finally sunk by gunfire from the destroyer .
on August 14.
On 15 September 1916, the two Austro-Hungarian seaplanes L.132 and L.135 forced the French submarine Foucault to surface by dropping bombs. L.135 finally sinks the sub while the 27 survivors were clinging to the two planes now floating, to be finally saved by the alarmed Tb 100M. This was the first sinking of a submarine by airplanes in naval war history.
The very same day, Ampére scored two torpedo hits on the Austro-Hungarian Hospital ship No I (the former Lloyd steamer Elektra) off Cape Planka (Rat Ploca), causing two fatalities. The damaged hospital ship had to be beached in Borovica Bay for further repairs.
On the night of 22/23 December, the Austro-Hungarian destroyers , , and attacked the drifter
s patrolling the Otranto barrage, which applied for help to the French destroyers Casque, Protet, [Commandant-RIVIÈRE, Commandant-Bory, Dehorter and Boutefeu which were escorting a convoy from Brindisi to Taranto. Because of communication problems, only Casque and Commandant-RIVIÈRE attacked, but Caque′s boiler rooms were hit immediately and she had to slow down to 23 kn (28 mph; 45.1 km/h). For further assistance, the Italians ABBA, Nievo and Pilo left Brindisi shortly followed by the British cruiser Gloucester escorted by Impavido and Irriquieto. The French and Italian groups met during darkness, ABBA rammed Casque; some moments later, Boutefeu rammed ABBA. While the damaged vessels had to be taken into tow, the Austrians escaped in the darkness.
The return from the Otranto battle—15 May 1917—brought the British cruiser Dartmouth within the range of the German submarine UC-25 which had already laid mines off Brindisi.
At 13:30, UC-25 torpedoed Dartmouth approximately 36 mi (31.3 nmi; 57.9 km) off Brindisi, for some time the ship was considered to be lost, but was manned by a rescue crew later and finally towed into port. On hearing that Dartmouth had been torpedoed, Boutefeu went to assist, only to hit one of UC-25′s mines.
and Valona
.
MAS-15 Motor Torpedo Boat
under Corvette Captain Luigi Rizzo
near Premuda
island, near Zara
. Many of the 1,087 crew were asleep, getting rested for the battle expected in a few hours. Immediate chaos soon changed into frantic efforts to save the vessel which was rapidly shipping water. Even Tegetthoff was hit by another torpedo from a second MAS, but it did not exploded.
Then Tegetthoff—which had at first sped away from the vicinity of the torpedo attack—returned and took Szent István in tow, in an attempt to reach the massive dry dock at Pola. However, the pumps were unequal to the task before them and the ship continued to slowly list, sinking at 06:12.
It is said she sank easily due to faults in the Tegetthoff-class design: relatively low displacement
and high centre of gravity, together with the tremendous weight of twelve 305 mm (12 in) main artillery. There were, however, only 89 dead, partly attributed to the fact that all sailors with the K.u.K. had to learn to swim before entering active service.
The attack on the Otranto Barrage was cancelled as a consequence of this attack.
On 22/23 April, the Austro-Hungarian Tátra-class destroyer
s Triglav, Uzsok, Dukla, Lika and Csepel encountered the British destroyers and , the Australian and the French . HMS Hornet was badly damaged in the ensuing fight but the alarm went up and the Austrians turned for home, pursued by Jackal, who had lost her mainmast.
On 20 September, the submarine Cirçé was torpedoed 7 nmi (8.1 mi; 13 km) north west of Cape Rodoni by the Austro-Hungarian submarine U-47
and lost with all hands.
during the Second Battle of Durazzo
. The fleet consisted of over 55 vessels along with MAS boats an supporting aircraft. Allied forces destroyed Austro-Hungarian shore batteries and defeated a small squadron of patrol craft while sustaining comparatively light damage. Durazzo was left in flames, several building, bridges and railroad targets were bombarded which forced the evacuation of the city. A week or so after the battle an allied army occupied the city without resistance.
dreadnought
flagship
was sunk—along with the merchant ship Wien—at anchor at Pula
by limpet mine
attached by the crew of an Italian
mignatta (human torpedo). The mignatta was the precursor of the human torpedo
and was invented by Major of naval engineers Raffaele Rossetti
.
The whole Austrian navy was just being transferred to the new state after the dissolution of Austria Hungary.
K.u.K. Kriegsmarine
submarines sunk 117 ships during World War I, with the total of 220121 LT (223,653.9 t). The most well-known casualties were:
Also, the K.u.K. Kriegsmarine submarines damaged the following ships:
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
between the Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
, and the Mediterranean squadrons of Great Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Characteristics
It consisted mainly of Austro-Hungarian coastal bombardments of Italy′s Adriatic coast, and wider-ranging German–Hungarian submarine warfare into the Mediterranean.Allied forces mainly limited themselves to blockading the German–Hungarian navies in the Adriatic, which was successful in regards to surface units, but failed for the U-boats, which found safe harbours and easy passage into and out of the area for the whole of the war. Considered a relatively secondary part of the naval warfare of World War I, it nonetheless tied down significant forces.
The Adriatic campaign was important even because for the first time two new weapons were used successfully in warfare, viz. the human torpedo
Human torpedo
Human torpedoes or manned torpedoes are a type of rideable submarine used as secret naval weapons in World War II. The basic design is still in use today; they are a type of diver propulsion vehicle....
of Raffaele Rossetti
Raffaele Rossetti
Raffaele Rossetti was an Italian engineer and military naval officer who sank the main battleship of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of World War I. He was also a politician of the Italian Republican Party.-Biography:...
and the MAS
MAS (boat)
Motoscafo Armato Silurante , commonly abbreviated as MAS was a class of fast torpedo armed vessel used by the Regia Marina during World War I and World War II...
torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
of Luigi Rizzo
Luigi Rizzo
Luigi Rizzo, Conte di Grado e di Premuda was an Italian naval officer. He is famous for sinking the Austro-Hungarian battleship SMS Szent István in June 1918.-Biography:...
. These small navy vessels sank two Austrian battleships in 1918, and .
Beginning of the war
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
the leadership of naval operations in the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
. The remaining British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Mediterranean forces, one armored cruiser
Armored cruiser
The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Like other types of cruiser, the armored cruiser was a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship, and fast enough to outrun any battleships it encountered.The first...
, four light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
s, and 16 destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s were placed under the control of the French Mediterranean Fleet and both Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
and Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
would be open as bases to the French.
One day after the French declaration of war against Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
on 11 August, the French fleet—under Admiral Augustin Boué de Lapeyrère
Augustin Boué de Lapeyrère
Augustin Manuel Hubert Gaston Boué de Lapeyrère was a French admiral during World War I. He was a strong proponent of naval reform, and is comparable to Admiral Jackie Fisher of the British Royal Navy.-Biography:...
—entered Malta. He had orders to sail with all available French and British ships, pass into the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
and undertake whatever operation he thought best against an Austrian port. Lapeyrère decided to surprise the Austrian vessels enforcing a blockade of Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
. The main Allied force comprised the French battleships , , and the cruiser Julien De La Graviere. Two French squadrons of pre-dreadnoughts, two squadrons of cruisers, and five destroyer squadrons were held back in support. The British support group comprised two armored cruisers and three destroyer divisions. The Anglo-French force succeeded in cutting off and sinking the Austro-Hungarian light cruiser off Bar
Bar, Montenegro
Bar is a coastal town in Montenegro. It has a population of 17,727...
on 16 August.
Throughout most of late August most of the action was simple bombardment of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n and Montenegrin
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
troops by Austrian ships. On 9 August, the pre-dreadnought shelled the French radio station at Budva
Budva
Budva is a coastal town in Montenegro. It has around 15,000 inhabitants, and it is the centre of municipality...
, while the destroyer shelled Mount Lovcen
Mount Lovcen
Lovćen is a mountain and national park in southwestern Montenegro.The Mount Lovćen rises from the borders of the Adriatic basin closing the long ang twisting bays of Boka Kotorska and making the hinterland to the coastal town of Kotor...
. On 17 August, Monarch shelled a Montenegrin radio station off Bar, then another station off Volovica Point on 19 August. Meanwhile, a French squadron shelled Austrian troops on Prevlaka
Prevlaka
Prevlaka is a small peninsula in southern Croatia, at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor in the eastern Adriatic. The word prevlaka means portage. The cape Oštro, located at the tip of the peninsula, is the southernmost point of mainland in Croatia....
.
Both the French and the Austrians spent much of this time laying extensive minefields throughout the shallow waters of the Adriatic. Mostly this was done by destroyers, and at night. Several steamships ran afoul of these mines and either sunk or were damaged.
The Goeben
In July, the German battlecruiserBattlecruiser
Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
sailed to Triest from Pola
Pula
Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...
. She and the German cruiser had been anchored there since the beginning of the summer. On 1 August, Goeben and Breslau rendezvoused at Brindisi
Brindisi
Brindisi is a city in the Apulia region of Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, off the coast of the Adriatic Sea.Historically, the city has played an important role in commerce and culture, due to its position on the Italian Peninsula and its natural port on the Adriatic Sea. The city...
, then headed for Messina to take on coal. They left for Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
on 6 August, shadowed by the British cruiser .
On 7 August, the Austro-Hungarian Fleet—consisting of six battleships, two cruisers, and 19 destroyers and torpedo boats—sortied from Pola to escort Goeben and Breslau through Austro-Hungarian territorial waters, returned to port following day without ever making contact. Goeben and Breslau briefly engaged HMS Gloucester and the chase was abandoned by the British. By 10 August, both German warships were safely in the Dardanelles
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles , formerly known as the Hellespont, is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with its counterpart the Bosphorus. It is located at approximately...
and heading for Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
Winter
In November, the French submarine Cugnot managed to slip into the Bocche di CattaroBay of Kotor
The Bay of Kotor in south-western Montenegro is a winding bay on the Adriatic Sea. The bay, sometimes called Europe's southernmost fjord, is in fact a submerged river canyon of the disintegrated Bokelj River which used to run from the high mountain plateaus of Mount Orjen...
as far as Topla Bay but was chased out by the Austrian destroyer SMS Blitz, and the torpedo boat Tb 57T. Later that month, the French submarine raided the harbor barrage of Pola
Pula
Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...
to wait for her chance to intrude. Two days later, on 20 December, during an attempt to sneak into the harbor she got entangled in an anti-submarine net
Anti-submarine net
An anti-submarine net is a device placed across the mouth of a harbour or a strait for protection against submarines.-Examples of anti-submarine nets:*Lake Macquarie anti-submarine boom*Indicator net*Naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign...
and could not free herself. Forced to surface for fresh air, she was sunk by the Austrian destroyer and Tb 63T, with three casualties. The Austrians raised the wreck between December 1914 and February 1915. It was then repaired and commissioned as U-14 in June 1915.
On 21 December, the submarine U-12 scored one torpedo hit on the French battleship Jean Bart off Sazan Island. The battleship had to withdraw to Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
for extensive repairs.
1915
In February, the French destroyer Dague—while escorting the transport Whitehead to Bar—was sunk after hitting a mine. Also that month, the Austrian submarine U-12 was unsuccessfully attacked off Cape Mendra by a French submarine. Austrian destroyer Csikós shelled MontenegrinMontenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
positions at Bar with Tb 15 and Tb 68F.
In April, the Austrian U-5—commanded by Lt. Georg Ritter von Trapp
Georg Ritter von Trapp
Korvettenkapitän Georg Ludwig Ritter von Trapp , known as Baron von Trapp, was an Austro-Hungarian Navy officer. His exploits at sea during World War I earned him numerous decorations, including the prestigious Military Order of Maria Theresa...
—chased the French armored cruiser Victor Hugo off Paxos
Paxos
Paxos may refer to:* Paxos algorithm, an algorithm for fault tolerant distributed systems* Paxoi, a Greek island...
, but was unable to fire any torpedoes. U-5 also torpedoed the French armored cruiser Léon Gambetta
Léon Gambetta (disambiguation)
Léon Gambetta was a French statesman.Léon Gambetta may also refer to:, French armoured cruiser, launched in 1901 and torpedoed in 1915...
after a two-day chase off Santa Maria di Leuca
Santa Maria di Leuca
Santa Maria di Leuca, often spelled simply Leuca, is a frazione of the comune of Castrignano del Capo, in the province of Lecce , southern Italy.A part of the town once belonged to the comune of Gagliano del Capo.- Description :...
, causing 684 fatalities including Rear-Admiral Sénès. Only 137 French sailors survived. The Austrian U-4 torpedoed and damaged the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
light cruiser . Also, the Austrian destroyer shelled enemy positions at Bar.
Bombardment of Ancona
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
declared war on Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
on 23 May, the Austrian fleet was quick to act, launching several attacks on the Marche
Marche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
region of Italy. That day, the destroyer Dinara and Tb 53T bombarded the port of Ancona
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
. The destroyer Lika—on reconnaissance duty between Palagruža
Palagruža
Palagruža is a small, remote archipelago of dolomite in the middle of the Adriatic Sea in Croatia. It consists of one main island, called Vela or Velika Palagruža, and one smaller one, Mala Palagruža, and there are twenty or so other closely associated rocks or reefs...
and Cape Gargano—shelled the semaphore and radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
at Vieste
Vieste
Vieste is a town and comune in the province of Foggia, in the Apulia region of southeast Italy.thumb|Cathedral of ViesteA marine resort in Gargano, Vieste has received Blue Flags for the purity of its waters from the Foundation for Environmental Education...
and fired upon the Italian destroyer Turbine. On 24 May, the bulk of the Austrian fleet at Pola
Pula
Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...
sailed for the Italian Adriatic coast. This included the dreadnoughts , , and eight pre-dreadnoughts. The fleet bombarded several cities and other targets in and around the Province of Ancona
Province of Ancona
The Province of Ancona is a province in the Marche region of central Italy. Its capital is the city of Ancona. The province has an area of 1940 km² and a 2006 population of 465,906 in 49 comuni , see Comunes of the Province of Ancona....
, especially damaging the port town of Ancona itself.
Potenza Picena
Potenza Picena is a comune in the Province of Macerata in the Italian region of Marche, located about 30 km southeast of Ancona and about 15 km northeast of Macerata.-External links:*...
, then returned to Pola. The Radetzky-class pre-dreadnought Zrinyi, with two torpedo boats bombarded Senigallia
Senigallia
Senigallia is a comune and port town on Italy's Adriatic coast, 25 km by rail north of Ancona, in the Marche region, province of Ancona....
, destroying a train and damaging a railway station and a bridge, then returned to Pola. The torpedo boat Tb 3 was unsuccessfully bombed by an Italian airship. The light cruiser shelled the Italian signal station at Cretaccio Island
Tremiti Islands
The Isole Tremiti are an archipelago in the Adriatic Sea, north of the Gargano Peninsula. They constitute a comune of Italy's Province of Foggia and form part of the Gargano national park...
, while —with two torpedo boats—shelled Rimini
Rimini
Rimini is a medium-sized city of 142,579 inhabitants in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It is located on the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia and Ausa...
, damaging a freight train. The destroyer Streiter shelled the signal station near Torre di Mileto. The light cruiser , a destroyer and two torpedo boats entered Corsini Channel and shelled an Italian torpedo boat station, a semaphore station, and coastal artillery batteries.
The light cruiser —aided by four destroyers—sank the Italian destroyer Turbine in a pitched battle south of Pelagosa. The destroyer Tatra shelled the railway embankment near Manfredonia
Manfredonia
Manfredonia is a town and comune of Puglia, Italy, in the province of Foggia, from which it is 35 kilometres northeast by rail. Manfredonia is situated on the coast, facing east, to the south of Monte Gargano, and giving its name to the gulf to the east of it...
while the destroyer Csepel shelled the Manfredonia railway station.
Finally, Austro-Hungarian flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
s dropped bombs on Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
and airship hangars at Chiaravalle
Chiaravalle (AN)
Chiaravalle is a comune in the Province of Ancona in the Italian region Marche, located about 15 km west of Ancona. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 14,397 and an area of 17.4 km²....
.
Allied raids
In response, on 5 June, four different Allied task forces attacked the Austrian coast. Four Italian armoured cruisers, escorted by four French destroyers, shelled CavtatCavtat
Cavtat ) is a town in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia. It is on the Adriatic seacoast 15 km south of Dubrovnik and is the centre of the Konavle municipality.-History:...
; the British cruiser —escorted by five Italian destroyers—shelled Donzella; the Italian light cruiser Quarto—escorted by four destroyers—bombarded Lastovo
Lastovo
Lastovo is an island municipality in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County in Croatia. The municipality consists of 46 islands with a total population of 792 people, of which 93% are ethnic Croats, and a land area of approximately . The biggest island in the municipality is also named Lastovo, as is the...
; the Italian light cruiser Nino Bixio, two Italian and two French destroyers shelled the island of Lissa
Vis (island)
Vis is the most outerly lying larger Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, and is part of the Central Dalmatian group of islands, with an area of 90.26 km² and a population of 3,617 . Of all the inhabited Croatian islands, it is the farthest from the coast...
. On 9 June, a mixed force of British, French and Italian destroyers shelled the Austro-Hungarian signal station at Cape Rondini in Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
.
The summer of 1915
The armored cruiser and a squadron of torpedo boats bombard RiminiRimini
Rimini is a medium-sized city of 142,579 inhabitants in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It is located on the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia and Ausa...
on 16 June, causing minor damage. Then on 17 June, the cruisers , and their escorts attacked and sank the Italian steamer Maria Grazia off Giulianova. The next day, they shelled Rimini
Rimini
Rimini is a medium-sized city of 142,579 inhabitants in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It is located on the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia and Ausa...
and Fano
Fano
Fano is a town and comune of the province of Pesaro and Urbino in the Marche region of Italy. It is a beach resort 12 km southeast of Pesaro, located where the Via Flaminia reaches the Adriatic Sea...
, destroying the Italian signal station there.
The summer of 1915 was a successful time for Austrian submarines as well: on 10 June, sank the Italian submarine Medusa and torpedo boat Serpente; sank the Italian torpedo boat PN 5 on June 26 off Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
; torpedoed and sank the Italian armored cruiser on 18 July; and captured the Greek steamer Cefalonia off Durazzo on August 29. But this was not without losses. On 13 August, was sunk at Brindisi
Brindisi
Brindisi is a city in the Apulia region of Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, off the coast of the Adriatic Sea.Historically, the city has played an important role in commerce and culture, due to its position on the Italian Peninsula and its natural port on the Adriatic Sea. The city...
by the French Destroyer Bisson, after having been severely damaged by the Italian auxiliary cruiser Città di Catania the day before.
The Austro-Hungarian naval air-arm also began regular bombing raids against Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
and Brindisi
Brindisi
Brindisi is a city in the Apulia region of Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, off the coast of the Adriatic Sea.Historically, the city has played an important role in commerce and culture, due to its position on the Italian Peninsula and its natural port on the Adriatic Sea. The city...
in June, slightly damaging the British protected cruiser in one such raid with machine gun fire. And the British armed trawler
Naval trawler
A naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work...
Schiehallion was sunk by a mine. The was sunk off Venice by the German submarine on July 2. While the Italian scout cruiser shelled Gravosa station on 18 July, the scout cruiser Quarto and three Italian destroyers attacked the Austrian installation at Guiparra.
, seven destroyers and four torpedo boats supported the Austrian landings at Pelagosa
Palagruža
Palagruža is a small, remote archipelago of dolomite in the middle of the Adriatic Sea in Croatia. It consists of one main island, called Vela or Velika Palagruža, and one smaller one, Mala Palagruža, and there are twenty or so other closely associated rocks or reefs...
on 28 July, but within two weeks the battalion of troops are taken off. On 17 August, the cruiser was unsuccessfully torpedoed by an Italian submarine on return journey. The town's freshwater cistern was damaged during the bombardment and the Italian troop evacuation took place the following day. The last act of the summer was the sinking on 26 September of the Italian battleship in Brindisi
Brindisi
Brindisi is a city in the Apulia region of Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, off the coast of the Adriatic Sea.Historically, the city has played an important role in commerce and culture, due to its position on the Italian Peninsula and its natural port on the Adriatic Sea. The city...
Harbor by Italian-speaking Austro-Hungarian saboteur
Saboteur
A saboteur is someone who commits sabotage.It may also refer to:*Morituri , a 1965 film also known as The Saboteur*Saboteur , a card game by Frederic Moyersoen, published in 2004...
s. Over 450 were killed.
In late September, the Allies established the Otranto Barrage
Otranto Barrage
The Otranto Barrage was an Allied naval blockade of the Otranto Straits between Brindisi in Italy and Corfu on the Albanian side of the Adriatic Sea in World War I. The blockade was intended to prevent the Austro-Hungarian Navy from escaping into the Mediterranean and threatening Allied operations...
, an attempt to blockade the entrance to the Adriatic Sea at the Strait of Otranto
Strait of Otranto
The Strait of Otranto connects the Adriatic Sea with the Ionian Sea and separates Italy from Albania. Its width at Punta Palascìa, east of Salento is less than . The strait is named after the Italian city of Otranto.- History :...
.
December
Bojana River
The Bojana or Buna , is a 41 km long river in Albania and Montenegro which flows into the Adriatic Sea. An outflow of Lake Skadar, measured from the source of the lake's longest tributary, the Morača, the Morača-Lake Skadar- Bojana system is 183 km long.- The river in Albania :The river...
estuary due to bad navigation, and was sunk by the Austrian destroyer . The cruiser SMS Helgoland and three destroyers sortie against the Otranto Barrage
Otranto Barrage
The Otranto Barrage was an Allied naval blockade of the Otranto Straits between Brindisi in Italy and Corfu on the Albanian side of the Adriatic Sea in World War I. The blockade was intended to prevent the Austro-Hungarian Navy from escaping into the Mediterranean and threatening Allied operations...
from 5-22 December and performed reconnaissance off the Albanian coast and San Giovanni di Medua. They sank an Italian picket boat, three steamships loaded with ammunition and two armed schooners en route to Northern Albania.
On 30 December, the French submarine was rammed by the cruiser SMS Helgoland, and finally sunk by gunfire from the destroyer .
1916
Austrian submarines sank or damaged a number of ships in 1916. U-11 captured the Italian hospital ship King Albert on 18 January at San Giovanni di Medua. U-6 sank the French destroyer Renaudin on 16 March at Durazzo. On 8 June, U-5 torpedoed and sank the Italian troop transport Principe Umberto at Linguetta. Later, U-5 fought a French-Italian destroyer group to a stalemate on 2 August, and torpedoed the Italian Q-Ship Pantelleria south of TarantoTaranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
on August 14.
On 15 September 1916, the two Austro-Hungarian seaplanes L.132 and L.135 forced the French submarine Foucault to surface by dropping bombs. L.135 finally sinks the sub while the 27 survivors were clinging to the two planes now floating, to be finally saved by the alarmed Tb 100M. This was the first sinking of a submarine by airplanes in naval war history.
The very same day, Ampére scored two torpedo hits on the Austro-Hungarian Hospital ship No I (the former Lloyd steamer Elektra) off Cape Planka (Rat Ploca), causing two fatalities. The damaged hospital ship had to be beached in Borovica Bay for further repairs.
On the night of 22/23 December, the Austro-Hungarian destroyers , , and attacked the drifter
Naval drifter
A naval drifter is a boat built along the lines of a commercial fishing drifter but fitted out for naval purposes. The use of naval drifters is paralleled by the use of naval trawlers....
s patrolling the Otranto barrage, which applied for help to the French destroyers Casque, Protet, [Commandant-RIVIÈRE, Commandant-Bory, Dehorter and Boutefeu which were escorting a convoy from Brindisi to Taranto. Because of communication problems, only Casque and Commandant-RIVIÈRE attacked, but Caque′s boiler rooms were hit immediately and she had to slow down to 23 kn (28 mph; 45.1 km/h). For further assistance, the Italians ABBA, Nievo and Pilo left Brindisi shortly followed by the British cruiser Gloucester escorted by Impavido and Irriquieto. The French and Italian groups met during darkness, ABBA rammed Casque; some moments later, Boutefeu rammed ABBA. While the damaged vessels had to be taken into tow, the Austrians escaped in the darkness.
The return from the Otranto battle—15 May 1917—brought the British cruiser Dartmouth within the range of the German submarine UC-25 which had already laid mines off Brindisi.
At 13:30, UC-25 torpedoed Dartmouth approximately 36 mi (31.3 nmi; 57.9 km) off Brindisi, for some time the ship was considered to be lost, but was manned by a rescue crew later and finally towed into port. On hearing that Dartmouth had been torpedoed, Boutefeu went to assist, only to hit one of UC-25′s mines.
1917
By August 1917, Lt. Von Trapp and U-14 had sunk more than 24000 LT (24,385.2 t) of enemy shipping, including the Italian steamer Milazzo (11480 LT (11,664.3 t)). U-5 torpedoed the French cruiser Italia near Taranto on 30 May, and on 16 November U-43 severely damaged the Italian steamer Oriona between BrindisiBrindisi
Brindisi is a city in the Apulia region of Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, off the coast of the Adriatic Sea.Historically, the city has played an important role in commerce and culture, due to its position on the Italian Peninsula and its natural port on the Adriatic Sea. The city...
and Valona
Vlorë
Vlorë is one of the biggest towns and the second largest port city of Albania, after Durrës, with a population of about 94,000 . It is the city where the Albanian Declaration of Independence was proclaimed on November 28, 1912...
.
The Premuda attack
At 03:30 on the morning of 10 June 1918, the battleship —in the company of SMS Tegetthoff and seven other ships en route to attack the Otranto Barrage—was hit by two torpedoes launched from the ItalianRegia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
MAS-15 Motor Torpedo Boat
Motor Torpedo Boat
Motor Torpedo Boat was the name given to fast torpedo boats by the Royal Navy, and the Royal Canadian Navy.The capitalised term is generally used for the Royal Navy boats and abbreviated to "MTB"...
under Corvette Captain Luigi Rizzo
Luigi Rizzo
Luigi Rizzo, Conte di Grado e di Premuda was an Italian naval officer. He is famous for sinking the Austro-Hungarian battleship SMS Szent István in June 1918.-Biography:...
near Premuda
Premuda
Premuda is a little island in Croatia, off the northern Adriatic coast. It belongs to the north Dalmatian islands which are situated north-west from the county center Zadar. Premuda is approximately 10 km long, up to 1 km wide, and has an area of 9.2 square kilometers...
island, near Zara
Zadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...
. Many of the 1,087 crew were asleep, getting rested for the battle expected in a few hours. Immediate chaos soon changed into frantic efforts to save the vessel which was rapidly shipping water. Even Tegetthoff was hit by another torpedo from a second MAS, but it did not exploded.
It is said she sank easily due to faults in the Tegetthoff-class design: relatively low displacement
Displacement (fluid)
In fluid mechanics, displacement occurs when an object is immersed in a fluid, pushing it out of the way and taking its place. The volume of the fluid displaced can then be measured, as in the illustration, and from this the volume of the immersed object can be deduced .An object that sinks...
and high centre of gravity, together with the tremendous weight of twelve 305 mm (12 in) main artillery. There were, however, only 89 dead, partly attributed to the fact that all sailors with the K.u.K. had to learn to swim before entering active service.
The attack on the Otranto Barrage was cancelled as a consequence of this attack.
1918
On 13 February, the submarine Bernoulli (Audry) was lost with all hands after hitting a mine off the Bocche di Cattaro.On 22/23 April, the Austro-Hungarian Tátra-class destroyer
Tatra class destroyer
The Tátra class was a class of destroyers built for the Austro-Hungarian Navy before the First World War.-History:The Tátra-class comprised six ships - Tátra, Balaton, Csepel, Lika, Triglav and Orjen. Built by Porto Ré, a subsidiary of Danubius & Ganz, they were launched in the years 1912 and 1913...
s Triglav, Uzsok, Dukla, Lika and Csepel encountered the British destroyers and , the Australian and the French . HMS Hornet was badly damaged in the ensuing fight but the alarm went up and the Austrians turned for home, pursued by Jackal, who had lost her mainmast.
On 20 September, the submarine Cirçé was torpedoed 7 nmi (8.1 mi; 13 km) north west of Cape Rodoni by the Austro-Hungarian submarine U-47
SM UB-47
SM UB-47 was a Type UB II submarine or U-boat for the German Imperial Navy during World War I. UB-47 was sold to the Austro-Hungarian Navy during the war...
and lost with all hands.
Second Battle of Durazzo
On 2 October, an allied fleet composed of Italian, British, Australian and American warships attacked the port of Durazzo, AlbaniaAlbania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
during the Second Battle of Durazzo
Battle of Durazzo (1918)
The Second Battle of Durazzo, or the Bombardment of Durazzo was a naval battle fought in the Adriatic Sea during World War I. A large Allied fleet led by the Regia Marina attacked the enemy held naval base at Durazzo, Albania. The fleet destroyed the Austro-Hungarian shore defenses and skirmished...
. The fleet consisted of over 55 vessels along with MAS boats an supporting aircraft. Allied forces destroyed Austro-Hungarian shore batteries and defeated a small squadron of patrol craft while sustaining comparatively light damage. Durazzo was left in flames, several building, bridges and railroad targets were bombarded which forced the evacuation of the city. A week or so after the battle an allied army occupied the city without resistance.
Sinking of the Viribus Unitis
On 1 November, the ex-Austro-HungarianAustria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
dreadnought
Dreadnought
The dreadnought was the predominant type of 20th-century battleship. The first of the kind, the Royal Navy's had such an impact when launched in 1906 that similar battleships built after her were referred to as "dreadnoughts", and earlier battleships became known as pre-dreadnoughts...
flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
was sunk—along with the merchant ship Wien—at anchor at Pula
Pula
Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...
by limpet mine
Limpet mine
A limpet mine is a type of naval mine attached to a target by magnets; they are so named because of their superficial similarity to the limpet, a type of mollusk....
attached by the crew of an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
mignatta (human torpedo). The mignatta was the precursor of the human torpedo
Human torpedo
Human torpedoes or manned torpedoes are a type of rideable submarine used as secret naval weapons in World War II. The basic design is still in use today; they are a type of diver propulsion vehicle....
and was invented by Major of naval engineers Raffaele Rossetti
Raffaele Rossetti
Raffaele Rossetti was an Italian engineer and military naval officer who sank the main battleship of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of World War I. He was also a politician of the Italian Republican Party.-Biography:...
.
The whole Austrian navy was just being transferred to the new state after the dissolution of Austria Hungary.
Austro-Hungarian submarines results
Many Austro-Hungarian and German U-boats operated out of the Adriatic for the whole of the war. Due to lack of cooperation of the Allies in the Mediterranean control zones, and the late institution of the convoy system, U-boats experienced substantial success throughout the first war years.K.u.K. Kriegsmarine
Austro-Hungarian Navy
The Austro-Hungarian Navy was the naval force of Austria-Hungary. Its official name in German was Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine , abbreviated as k.u.k. Kriegsmarine....
submarines sunk 117 ships during World War I, with the total of 220121 LT (223,653.9 t). The most well-known casualties were:
- Giuseppe Garibaldi
- Nereide
- Renaudin
- Fourche
- Impetuoso
- Nembo
- Circé
Also, the K.u.K. Kriegsmarine submarines damaged the following ships:
- Sakaki
| Year | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tonnage | 13 | 22.568 | 25.716 | 112.716 | 58.902 |
| Source: | |||||