An Italian Lieutenant Braves Batteries and Mines and Harbor Wire in
Novel Feat
The Germans and Austrians, knowing that it would be folly for them
to risk a naval battle, kept their navies cooped up in harbors and
rivers to the intense disgust of real jackies, who thought it quite
unbearable at times that while the Allied fleets were roaming about
the high seas begging for a fight the enemy was shutting itself up.
English and French and American sailors were so hungry for action that
they occasionally took unwarranted chances for the sake of getting at
the enemy, and more than once these daring leaders were at the same
time rebuked for their recklessness and rewarded for their bravery and
success.
One of the most brilliant and picturesque of naval adventures fell to
the credit of a young Italian who achieved a plan that startled the
Austrians and Germans as much as it delighted the Allies.
Lieut. Rizzo is really a Sicilian, strong and handsome. He is about
thirty years old—young enough to go through with a daring feat, old
enough to be careful. Moreover, there were two boats that carried
out the plan, and the second boat was in charge of an elderly man,
sixty-two years old, a fire-eater though.
The task was quite definite. In the Trieste harbor the Austrians kept
several ships which were a source of great annoyance to the Italians.
Especially hateful was the _Wien_ and her sister the _Monarch_. She
carried four 10-inch guns and six 6-inch guns and a crew of 441
officers and men. A month before the _Wien_ had shelled the lower Piave
line and Italian motor boats had tried their torpedoes on her. She had
a narrow escape. Then she was stored at Trieste. She must have felt
herself quite safe with her sister ship, the _Monarch_, drawing by her.
They were behind steel nets fringed with mines. And all day and all
night sentries watched.
Lieutenant’s Rizzo’s plans were all laid. But he had no false hopes.
He knew of the Austrian combination of nets and mines, and knew that
at best he had great chances of being blown to pieces. He started out,
though, with his two little launches—really not much bigger than a
ship’s lifeboat.