Battle of Durazzo (1918)
Encyclopedia
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 with a small naval force. Allied forces involved primarily were Italian
though British
, American
and Australia
n warships also participated. It was the largest naval battle the United States participated in during the war.
Between September 15 through 29th, 1918 French
General
Louis Franchet d'Espèrey in command of a large allied army campaigned in Macedonia
. The offensive was a victory and ended with Bulgaria
's surrender. Fearing the remaining enemies would fall back on the Austrian held port Durazzo for supplies, D'Esperey requested that an allied naval fleet be assembled to attack Durazzo and thus prevent the city from supplying retreating enemy forces. D'esperey's request was approved and the Italian Regia Marina accepted the opportunity to lead the attack. Rear Admiral
Carlo Paladini in the armoured cruiser San Marco was to command the operation.
Allied objectives were to bombard Durazzo and attack Austrian ships in the harbor if there were any. The Allies divided their fleet into two forces, one for bombardment and the other for screening the attacking ships from enemy submarines. Allied forces included one Italian dreadnought
battleship, the Dante Alighieri
, which was assigned to the covering force, three Italian armoured cruisers, three Italian light cruiser
s, five British light cruisers, fourteen British destroyers, two Australian destroyers, eight Italian torpedo boat
s and twelve American submarine chaser
s under Captain
Charles P. Nelson
and Lieutenant Commander
E.H. Bastedo. Allied aircraft was also involved along with several Italian MAS boats
. The two Australian destroyers were HMAS Swan and HMAS Warrego.
Before the battle began, the Austro-Hungarian government decided to withdrawal most of their warships from Durazzo. Only two destroyers, one torpedo boat and two U-boat
s opposed the allied fleet though the Austrian troops on shore manned at least three different shore batteries
which dueled with the allied ships. Also in port was a hospital ship
. Austrian forces were commanded by Lieutenant Commander Heinrich Pauler.
The Second Battle of Durazzo began in the morning on October 2, 1918, British and Italian aircraft attacked first by bombarding enemy troop concentrations and artillery batteries while the fleet was still steaming across the Adriatic. Afterwards several of the Italian and British cruisers formed a two-echelon line to begin their bombardment from about 8,000 yards off the coast. Meanwhile, the MAS boats and some American and British vessels attacked the three Austro-Hungarian naval ships, Dinara, Scharfschultze and No. 87.
The three ships sailed back and forth around Durazzo harbor firing their guns and dodging torpedoes and shell fire. Torpedo boat No. 87 and the two destroyers were chased by the Allied destroyer force as they fled north along the coast, but they managed to escape after taking some damage. The shelling of the port was carried out by the Italian armoured cruisers San Giorgio
, San Marco and Pisa. Three merchantmen, the Graz, Herzegovina and the Stambul were hit. Stambul sank and the two others were damaged but escaped complete destruction. The Austro-Hungarian hospital ship, the Baron Call, was stopped, searched and then allowed to proceed by British destroyers. Most of the American forces were assigned to the covering force and at the battle's beginning were used to chart a clear path through a sea mine field off Durazzo. A few of the submarine chasers took fire from shore batteries at this time but none were damaged. After they were assigned to screen the other allied ships from submarine attacks. Patrolling to the north and to the south of the battle area, the Americans engaged the two Austro-Hungarian U-boats SM U-29
and SM U-31
. At 11:05, a sailor on the submarine chaser No. 129 spotted U-29 which was then depth charged for fifteen minutes and damaged heavily but she survived the encounter.
U-31 was also depth charged and survived as well. At one point No. 129 was fired on by the enemy shore batteries, the closest shot landed about fifty yards from the vessel but the Americans suffered no casualties in the battle. Later American forces reported sinking the two submarines but this was not so. The submarines managed to damage at least one allied light cruiser; the HMS Weymouth
was struck by a torpedo from U-31 under a Lieutenant
Rigele which blew off a large portion of her stern and killed four men. Weymouth was shelling inland facilities along with four other British cruisers when the torpedo struck home. She spent the remainder of the war under repair. The other British light cruisers are known to have been lightly damaged by shore battery fire before they were silenced or disabled. A British destroyer was also hit by a torpedo. The battle ended by 12:30 am on October 2 and from the beginning of the action civilians fled the city and by October 11 the once busy port was silent. A few days after that a Serbia
n army was landed and took contol.
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...
during World War I
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...
. A large Allied
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
fleet led by the Regia Marina
Regia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
attacked the enemy held naval base at Durazzo, 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 fleet destroyed the Austro-Hungarian shore defenses and skirmished with a small naval force. Allied forces involved primarily were 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...
though 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...
, American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and 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...
n warships also participated. It was the largest naval battle the United States participated in during the war.
Background
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...
General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Louis Franchet d'Espèrey in command of a large allied army campaigned in Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
. The offensive was a victory and ended with Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
's surrender. Fearing the remaining enemies would fall back on the Austrian held port Durazzo for supplies, D'Esperey requested that an allied naval fleet be assembled to attack Durazzo and thus prevent the city from supplying retreating enemy forces. D'esperey's request was approved and the Italian Regia Marina accepted the opportunity to lead the attack. Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Carlo Paladini in the armoured cruiser San Marco was to command the operation.
Allied objectives were to bombard Durazzo and attack Austrian ships in the harbor if there were any. The Allies divided their fleet into two forces, one for bombardment and the other for screening the attacking ships from enemy submarines. Allied forces included one Italian 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...
battleship, the Dante Alighieri
Italian battleship Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri was the first dreadnought battleship built for the Regia Marina . Named after the medieval Italian poet Dante Alighieri, she was the first ship built with triple gun turrets for the main armament...
, which was assigned to the covering force, three Italian armoured cruisers, three Italian 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, five British light cruisers, fourteen British destroyers, two Australian destroyers, eight Italian 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...
s and twelve American submarine chaser
Submarine chaser
A submarine chaser is a small and fast naval vessel specially intended for anti-submarine warfare. Although similar vessels were designed and used by many nations, this designation was most famously used by ships built by the United States of America...
s under Captain
Captain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
Charles P. Nelson
Charles P. Nelson
For the U.S. representative from Maine, see Charles P. Nelson Charles Preston Nelson was an officer of the United States Navy. He would attain the rank of Rear Admiral by the end of his career...
and Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
E.H. Bastedo. Allied aircraft was also involved along with several Italian MAS boats
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...
. The two Australian destroyers were HMAS Swan and HMAS Warrego.
Before the battle began, the Austro-Hungarian government decided to withdrawal most of their warships from Durazzo. Only two destroyers, one torpedo boat and two U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s opposed the allied fleet though the Austrian troops on shore manned at least three different shore batteries
Coastal artillery
Coastal artillery is the branch of armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications....
which dueled with the allied ships. Also in port was a hospital ship
Hospital ship
A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital; most are operated by the military forces of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones....
. Austrian forces were commanded by Lieutenant Commander Heinrich Pauler.
Battle
The three ships sailed back and forth around Durazzo harbor firing their guns and dodging torpedoes and shell fire. Torpedo boat No. 87 and the two destroyers were chased by the Allied destroyer force as they fled north along the coast, but they managed to escape after taking some damage. The shelling of the port was carried out by the Italian armoured cruisers San Giorgio
Italian cruiser San Giorgio
San Giorgio was an armoured cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy . Commissioned in 1910, it served in both the First World War and the Second World War, being scuttled at Tobruk in 1941.-Design and construction:...
, San Marco and Pisa. Three merchantmen, the Graz, Herzegovina and the Stambul were hit. Stambul sank and the two others were damaged but escaped complete destruction. The Austro-Hungarian hospital ship, the Baron Call, was stopped, searched and then allowed to proceed by British destroyers. Most of the American forces were assigned to the covering force and at the battle's beginning were used to chart a clear path through a sea mine field off Durazzo. A few of the submarine chasers took fire from shore batteries at this time but none were damaged. After they were assigned to screen the other allied ships from submarine attacks. Patrolling to the north and to the south of the battle area, the Americans engaged the two Austro-Hungarian U-boats SM U-29
SM U-29 (Austria-Hungary)
SM U-29 or U-XXIX was a U-27 class U-boat or submarine for the Austro-Hungarian Navy. U-29, built by the Hungarian firm of Ganz Danubius at Fiume, was launched in October 1916 and commissioned in January 1917....
and SM U-31
SM U-31 (Austria-Hungary)
SM U-31 or U-XXXI was a U-27 class U-boat or submarine for the Austro-Hungarian Navy. U-31, built by the Hungarian firm of Ganz Danubius at Fiume, was launched in March 1917 and commissioned in April....
. At 11:05, a sailor on the submarine chaser No. 129 spotted U-29 which was then depth charged for fifteen minutes and damaged heavily but she survived the encounter.
U-31 was also depth charged and survived as well. At one point No. 129 was fired on by the enemy shore batteries, the closest shot landed about fifty yards from the vessel but the Americans suffered no casualties in the battle. Later American forces reported sinking the two submarines but this was not so. The submarines managed to damage at least one allied light cruiser; the HMS Weymouth
HMS Weymouth
Seven ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Weymouth, after the English town of Weymouth, whilst another two were planned:, a 14-gun ship, formerly the Royalist HMS Cavendish. She was captured in 1645 by the Parliamentarians, and was sold in 1662., a 48-gun fourth rate launched in 1693...
was struck by a torpedo from U-31 under a Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Rigele which blew off a large portion of her stern and killed four men. Weymouth was shelling inland facilities along with four other British cruisers when the torpedo struck home. She spent the remainder of the war under repair. The other British light cruisers are known to have been lightly damaged by shore battery fire before they were silenced or disabled. A British destroyer was also hit by a torpedo. The battle ended by 12:30 am on October 2 and from the beginning of the action civilians fled the city and by October 11 the once busy port was silent. A few days after that a 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 army was landed and took contol.