Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1918-08-28
RizZ0 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--Motcr Boats
Crew Go Mad With Joy over
Their Success.
BY BEATRICE BASKERVILLE.


TN the New York World)
Ancona -Commandant 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
as though they were cut out of steel.
a square jaw and a slower manner of
speaking than most Italians.
When l first asked him, during
his short stay in Aucona port, for
particulars of his sinking of the st.
Stephen and the Prince Eugene, Aus
trias two largest ships, he modestly
replied that he was no talker, and
that for the rest he had to start of
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 1t would
not take long. he yielded.
"In the Creeping Dawn"
at was on the 10th of this month,
he said. Il was returning to port
after one of those humble and hard
missions which we sailors have had
to perform all the while these three
years. l had made up my mind to
leave the enemy's coast, when, in the
creeping dawn, l saw the smoke COM
ing out of tunnels. about 5000 yards
off. | thought we were found out
and being chased by the enemy. II
was hopeless to try to run away, so
turned my two motor boats, the sec
Gnu being commanded by Head Steers
man (now LleutenanD Aonzo, and
made for the enemy,
"As the dawn grew / saw we were
In for a large convoy of destroyers
escorting two floating cyclops, of the
Viribus Units type, which is the larg-
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 left.
"Here we are at last / said to my
men. This is a holidayp
I'VE had not much In the way OF
arms-two torpedoes on each boat
eight, small enough to be thrown by
hand. between us. and two machine
guns. But this was a chance we would
never get again If we waited a thou
sand years. so | took IL.
Three Clean Hits.
"AOnzo was to slip around to the
left and attack the yiribus Units
dreadnaught that made up the rear,
and which we now know was the
Prince Eugene. was 10 make for
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
I went forward at full speed. our
men held their breath. My motorist
had a quiet fit 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 II
did not work. His second hit the
giant full In her poop. Then fol-
IOWeu WIN ivy Two DAotuiiHr DFeEiStt
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"
Tie commandant paused, evidently
reviewing events, then went on:
after that II was hell. There was
a storm from their g1hs and n 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
a dart or perish, With violent jerk
we turned our boat on herself and
made for it. But q destroyer baked
cur 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