Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-05-23
4 Italians Execute One of
Most Daring Feats of Var;
EnterPOld Harbor, BlOW Up
One of Foes BattLeships
6By Morning journal snec,aI Icased wlrc.A


italian Naval Headquarters, Sat
urday May IS Cby the Associated
Press) The details of the recent
Italian naval exploit at Pola show
that it was one Of the most audicious
features, of the war worthy to rank
with the British zeebrugge and the
Merrimac at Santiago.
Plans were long matured by Lieu
tenant Commander Pellegrini. who
.dopted unusu means of secrecy 10
Safeguard the project. To divert at
tention he took service in the trench
es on the PiaVe and when he was
ready to start gave out that he was
gbing to visit his friends. He was ac-
companied by another officer and
two sailors
The party was escorted by destroy
ers and arrived at Pola at O'CLOCK
in the morning 1t was very dark, as
the moon had been down two hours
A light wind blew off shore, which
prevented the sounds of preparation
going landward. The entrance to the
channel was 400 yards across with
a long neck leading into the greater
harbor. in which lay Austria's fleet
of battleships. cruisers and destroy
ers encircled by frowning terrace
of land batteries.
In the obscurity the guard ship
at the entrance, dimly visible, swung
to one side, the guards apparently
asleep There was complete lack of
watchfuness
Dash in tho Darkness.
Final preparation was now made
for n dash in tho darkness. Com
mander Pellcgrini and his compan-
ions put on rubber suits which could
be inflated The plan was to dis
charge torpcdOes at the big ship,
then blow up thrir own craft, jump
overheard and await capture or
drowning. All realized that there was
practically no chance of returning
alive
Commander Pellegrini was perfect
" cool as he badc goodbye, his su-
perior officer sayings ~,
"You are putting your head into
the lions mouth
Now they encountered three sue
cessive lines of defense, first a guard
Rip. then line of wooden buoys
marking chain OF mines and then
heavy steel net strung from bank
to bank. How they were able to pen
citrate these distractions must remain
mystery, particularly as to the steel
net, which was apparently an I'M
possible barrier.
The escort waited almost an hour
when the silence was suddenly brok-
en- nv two distinct explosions of tor
nedoes. followed by the sound OF an
alarm gun in the inner harbor.
Soon after, two signals of colored
lights slowly rose from the center OF
the harbor showing that Commahoer
Pellegrini had penetrated to the very
heart of the fleet and was sending
signals from the midst of 1t.
"We Have No Chance"
The first signal meant have tor
nedo at battle ship and the second
said "don't mind us; we have no
chance"
This last signal was the agreed
signal which was to be sent up III
case there was no opportunity 10
Give helm. It is believed they blew
,1n their craft and took to the water
IN accordance with the program as
an explosive time bomb had peeh se.
to go off even if the craft was unue'
water. .,, ,.s
Meanwhile the sky was vivid with
searchlights and the land batteries
were pouring a terrific fire on the
escort They chung to their work for
a time and then left, with forty
searchlights and countless batteries
playing upon them.
AS daylight broke, fleet of enemy
airplanes swooped down, but was
beaten off by a smaller fleet of Ital-
ian planes, three enemy machines
falling into the water during the aer'
iai battle.
No word has since been heard of