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[Kenneth D. Hall]

The following report concerns an engagement taking place May 22, 1915 in the misty Adriatic between squadrons of the Italian and Austrian navies using General Quarters: Fleet Action Imminent.

The weather would not be a significant issue this day, with light to moderate seas and visibility of about 16,000 yards. At 1100 hours lookouts on KuK NOVARRA, part of a scout cruiser squadron leading the Austrian force roughly south-southwest, spotted what were quickly identified as Italian destroyers moving west-northwest at high speed, supported by at least one battleship of the REGINA ELENA class. Range to the destroyers was estimated at about 14,000 yards, the battleship (which proved to be accompanied by a second ship of the same class) 15,500 yards.

The two forces continued to move on converging courses and NAPOLI (sister to REGINA ELENA) opened fire at 11,500 yards, missing with 12" and 8" batteries. The Austrian armored cruiser SANKT GEORG, operating with two other armored cruisers in support of the scout cruisers, opened fire at 14,000 yards on the enemy destroyers, scoring no hits. Moments later the bridge of the Italian battleships were the scene of some consternation as a pair of dreadnoughts of the TEGETTHOF class hove into view, following the Austrian cruisers. The consternation deepened as VIRIBUS UNITIS scored almost immediately upon REGINA ELENA at 1106, penetrating a bulkhead and causing significant flooding.

The range continued to fall and by 1112 both the Austrian scout and armored cruisers were engaging the racing Italian destroyers (now identified as being of the MIRABELLO class), without effect. Meanwhile, VIRIBUS UNITIS was able to put two more 12" shells into the vitals of REGINA ELENA, reducing her speed to 10 knots. The range from the Italian destroyers to the Austrian scout cruisers was now 8,000 yards and the old scout cruiser ZENTA suffered a 6" and a 4" hit that penetrated a bulkhead and did considerable mischief in the ship's engineering spaces; her speed immediately began to fall off.REGINA ELENA quickly controlled her flooding, but the Austrian dreadnoughts shifted their attention to NAPOLI, scoring two 12" hits that caused minor flooding and knocked out a torpedo mount. The Italian Cuniberti battleships, handsome as they were, would prove unequal to the task of engaging the Austrian dreadnoughts.

Italian destroyers, though, were proving themselves more than a match for the Austrian scout cruisers. SAIDA suffered three hits, ZENTA lost two gun mounts and saw her speed reduced to a mere 10 kt., and NOVARRA suffered a penetrating bulkhead hit. In return they were able to manage one hit on each of two of the four destroyers, knocking out a torpedo mount on one of them.

The Austrian dreadnoughts showed their mettle, hammering REGINA ELENA with 4 12" shells that caused severe flooding (two bulkhead hits). REGINA ELENA immediately turned away and began to limp south, but NAPOLI resolutely held her course. Austrian scout cruiser SAIDA was hit again at 1124, losing two starboard gun mounts, but the scout cruisers were rescued by sterling gunnery from the armored cruisers moving up in support. Three 9.4", two 7.5", and one 5.9" hit were ultimately claimed against the destroyer squadron. By now the Italian scout cruisers were also engaging their Austrian opposite numbers at a range of about 10,000 yards, but obtained no hits.

By 1130 a wild melee (including a narrowly averted collision between SAIDA and an Italian DD) had developed between the Italian destroyer and Austrian scout cruiser squadrons. Both sides launched torpedoes without effect, but once again the Austrians had the worst of the gunnery exchange: SAIDA had her rudder jammed hard over to starboard and suffered a bulkhead failure causing flooding, while ZENTA suffered hits to her engineering spaces that left her dead in the water. Once again the Austian armored cruisers provided succor for the beleaguered scouts: SANKT GEORG scored four hits on the lead Italian destroyer, forcing it to haul out of line and limp away to the south.

Meanwhile, VIRIBUS UNITIS scored a hit on Italian scout BIXIO at 9,000 yards, but seeing the travail of the scout cruisers and fearing torpedo attack, the admiral in command ordered VIRIBUS UNITIS and TEGETTHOF to head north-northwest at 21 knots. The officer commanding the Austrian armored cruisers elected to remain behind with his squadron to render assistance to the stricken scouts, particularly ZENTA and SAIDA. Disdaining the obsolete ships, the remaining Italian destroyers roared off northward in pursuit of the dreadnoughts. One was driven off by secondary battery fire; the remaining two managed to get into position to launch their remaining torpedoes at extreme range, but obtaining no hits broke off the pursuit and rejoined the fleet.

Once safe back in Trieste and Taranto respectively, both sides claimed victory: the Austrians on the grounds of having inflicted more damage on the enemy's battleships (admittedly true), the Italians on the grounds of having forced the Austrians to withdraw from the area (also admittedly true).

DISCUSSION
The Italians can be granted tactical honors for forcing the Austrians to quit the field. However, had VIRIBUS UNITIS and TEGETTHOF elected to brave the torpedo attack -- and survived it (the admiral commanding had been ordered not to expose the precious dreadnoughts to undue risk) -- they likely would have sent to the bottom any Italian ships unable to escape. One thing the engagement proved to this observer's satisfaction is that the ships of the Victorian steam age are grossly outmatched by those of the dreadnought era.

GAME NOTE
The MIRABELLOs may not have had their centerline 6" gun houses mounted in 1915 (they would have been 4" guns at that time, according to our research), but we elected not to be too picky about that. The 6" guns gave them a notable gunnery advantage over the Austrian scouts, as it turned out. Excellent ships those. As scenario designer, I chose not to give the Austrians any destroyers to see whether the scout cruisers could ward off the Italian destroyers from the dreadnoughts they could ill afford to lose. In the event: barely, and only because the Austrian armored cruisers (my command) had a ridiculously hot run with the gunnery dice.

I don't know about anyone else, but I really fell in love with the older ships in the process of painting and adding masts (I use Panzerschiffe 1/2400 models exclusively). I have a fair number of pre-dreadnoughts, and I may put them in their various Victorian liveries for some hypothetical turn-of-the-century games, even if I have to use GQ2 and "Think in Oceans, Shoot on Sight" to do so.

A few pictures can be found here.

Best regards,
Ken