THE BATTLE OF LISSA

 

ADMIRAL TEGETTHOFF

 

Following the 1866 Austrian defeat against the Prussians at the battle of Koniggratz, the Italians seized the city of Venice (believing the Austrians would not retaliate). However In response the Austrian emperor Franz Josef ordered his naval fleet to openly challenge the Italians within the Adriatic Sea.

Under the command of Admiral Carlo Persano, the Italian fleet of twelve Ironclads, ten cruisers and four gunboats left the port of Ancona on July 16th 1866 with the mission to attack the Austrian garrison stationed at Lissa and occupy the island.

Austrian Admiral Wilhelm von Tegetthoff’s fleet comprising seven Ironclads, six cruisers and twelve gunboats also departed Pola on July 16th to intercept and give battle.

 

AUSTRIAN FLAGSHIP SMS FERDINAND MAX

Tegetthoff knew that with only seventy four older muzzle loading cannons against two hundred modern guns he would have to use disciplined seamanship and superior tactics. For the upcoming battle Tegetthoff ordered his vessels to fight at very close range and ram the enemy at every opportunity to confuse the numerically stronger Italians.

On July 20th the two fleets engaged one another off the shores of Lissa. Admiral Persano ordered his twelve warships into line to bear all guns available against the fast approaching Austrians. But Admiral Tegetthoff did not follow suit, instead ordering his seven armored warships into an arrowhead formation towards the Italian center.

The tactic worked as the Italian fleet was thrown into utter chaos, however the action quickly degenerated into a complete melee, with Austrian ships abandoning their gunnery and concentrating on solely ramming there foe.

 

Persano’s flagship the Affondatore, inflicted severe damage on the Austrian two Decker Kaiser, setting her ablaze and drifting. Through the dense clouds of powder smoke Tegetthoff’s flagship the Ferdinand Max appeared amidships of the Italian Re d’ Italia and struck her dead center, tearing an enormous eighteen foot hole in the hull with her projecting ram bow.

The Re d’ Italia capsized rapidly, taking over six hundred sailors with her. The Italians then suffered another reverse when the warship Palestro was rammed and quickly caught fire then blew up.

With the destruction of the Palestro, Admiral Persano had seen enough, he hoisted the signal flag for withdrawal, leaving the Austrians in possession of the Adriatic.

 

Italian losses numbered seven hundred sailors killed and two modern Ironclads sunk along with numerous other vessels damaged in stark comparison to Austrian casualties of one hundred and eighty sailors killed and wounded with no vessels sunk.

Although the Austrians were the clear victors, they had gained very little, her military defeat on land to the Prussians at Koniggratz had crippled her army and she could not re take Venice nor prevent the complete reunification of Italy.