Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1918-08-22
Rizzo Describes How Two Motor
Boats Sank Two Austrian
Battieships.
MOST DARING FEAT OF war
Whole Thing Didn't Take More Than
Quarter of an Hour-Motor Boats
Crew Go Mad With Joy Over
Their Success.

Quarter of an Hour-Motor Boats
Crew Go Mad With Joy Over
Their Success.
BY BEATRICE baskerville.
Gin the New York Worldly
Ancona.-COmmanda RizzO, who
has. performed the most daring naval
feat of the war, began his sea career
as officer in the Italian merchant serv-
ice. Not till Italy entered the war
was he acquainted with the royal
navy. He is under thirty, dark-eyed.
quiet, has largish features which look
Is though they y we're re cut out Of steel.
a square jaw and Q slower manner OF
speaking than most Italians:
When ! first asked him, during
his short stay In Ahcoha port. for
pGrtfculars Of his sinking Of the st.
stephen and the Prince Eugene, Aus
tria's two largest ships, he modestly'
replied that he was no talker. AND
that for the rest he had to start OIL
for Genoa in a very short while. But
when he learned that The World cor
respondent had Travelled from Rome
to hear him talk and that it would
hot take long, he yielded. g.
.In the Creeping Dawn"
at was 5n the 10th of this month"
he said. II was returning to port
after one one Of those humble and hard
missions which We sailors have had
e perform I'LL the while these three
Fears. had made ap ny mind to
leave the ene,ns's coast, Whe6. IN the
creeping daWk, saw the smoke con-.
Ing out Of tunnels. about 5000 yards
off. tAoHght We were found out
and being chased by the enemy. i
was hopeless to try to run away, SOY
turned my two motor boats. the sec
ond being commanded by Head Steers
man (now Lieutenant) Aonzo, and
made for the enemy.
Gas the dawn grew saw we yr;ere
i9 for large COMFY .sy Of destroyefss
escortlns .so boating cytlobs, 81 fKs
ylriR4s Units type. which is the lerge
est dreadnaught type In the Austrian
navy. They had four at the begin
ming OF the war; on the 9th Of June
they had three. Now they have only
one ieft. ''es.s r'sH ~.
"'Here we are at last ! said to my
men, This Is a holiday -, ~
"We had not much in the way Of
eyms-two torpedoes on each boat,
eight, small enough to be thrown by
hand, between us, and two machine
guns. But this was chance we would
never get again If we waited a thou.
sand years, 80 I took it.
Three elsaB Hlt.:
.A2nSo Xas E6 slip around t. the
left aid attack the virl6as Units
dreadnaught that made up the rear,
and Witch Xs 9gx kRg Yves YES he @
the sister ship which we now know
was the ST. Stephen. slowed down
to silence my motors. but as soon as
] was well within the line Of conveys
1 went forward at ftllt speed. Our
men held their breath. My motorist
had quiet ft every time the engine
made a little noise. Another moment
and the enemy saw us. Then began
a furious cannonade.
"Aonzo sent his first torpedo, but 1t
did not work. His second hit the
giant full in her poop. Then fol-
lowed with my two biscuits, precise,
obedient and sure. The first landed
between the st. Stephens tunnels, in
the boiler compartment; the second
under her tower"
"After That II Was HE'LL"
The commandant paused, evidently
reviewing events, then went on:
"After that 1t was hell. There was
storm from their guns and mud
died crowd Of destroyers encircled the
two giants. which were beginning to
sink. Some chased my boat. saw
must either get out into the open like
q dart or perish. With a violent Jerk
we turned our boat on herself and
made for it. But destroyer baked
our path. So jerked round to the
left and rushed right under the PROV
Of the st. Stephen, now almost swal-
lowed by the sea. Aonzo took the
chance he got By their attacking me
a. = .