These armored motor boats also held the Adriatic coast, especially
between the mouth of the Piave and the Venetian estuary. Nor were
opportunities lacking for the little craft to fight against superior
forces, as was the case on Nov. 16, 1917. The battleships of the Monarch
type--Wien and Budapest--escorted by a division of torpedo boats and
destroyers, appeared that morning before Cortelazzo and opened a violent
bombardment against the Italian lines, attacking them from the flank.
Assailed by seaplanes, counterattacked by Italian coast artillery, and
threatened by approaching destroyers, they retired, but in the afternoon
they returned and reopened fire at the mouth of the Piave.
[Illustration: ONE OF THE MANY SMALL NAVAL BATTERIES THAT ARE DEFENDING
VENICE IN THE NEIGHBORING LAGOONS.]
Thereupon, the M. A. S. appeared from the open sea and plunged into the
enemy formation. They intervened where the duel between the coast
artillery and the battleships was most intense. When the motor boats had
approached within less than a mile, the guns of the Monarch, ceasing to
fire on land, turned a violent fire against the audacious newcomers. The
enemy destroyers threw themselves on the two Italian chasers, shooting
with every gun on board, while the battleships were manoeuvring to
retire eastward. The M. A. S. approached the large ships within a few
hundred meters, fired their torpedoes, and reversed their course. The
Monarchs were able to avoid the torpedoes by rapid evolutions and
returned toward the Istrian coast, while even the turret guns continued
their fire against the minute Italian chasers.
The battleships having withdrawn, the chasers found themselves
surrounded by five adversary torpedo boats, which were attempting to
cut off their retreat. They gave a good account of themselves, however,
meanwhile gaining the protection of the coast batteries; the enemy
destroyers retired, while the M. A. S. returned to their base with
insignificant damage and with crews unhurt.