Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-01-06
Bold Exploit of
Italian Seamen

Correspondence Associated Press.l
Rome, Jan. Sit was by swimming
into Pola harbor and steering two
small submarine motors towing bombs
that two Italian, naval officers de-
stroyed the Austrian dreadnought Vir-
ibus Unitus just before the signing of
the armistice between Italy and Aus
tria. The swimmers were in the water
nine hours and had to penetrate four
barriers across the harbor entrance.
two of which were composed of steel
tached their oomb to the side of the
dreadnought, they were captured and
taken aboard the vessel and were there
when the warship was blown up.
They escaped without injury and
have returned to Rome to tell of their
exploit which is characterized as one
Of the most daring and successful in
the history Of naval warfare. Only
the fact that the Viribus Units had
been destroyed by Italian naval forces
previously had been made known but
now the details have been given out
by the Italian admiralty.
The officers VITO thus sent to the
bottom a 20,G0J ton ship. one Of the
most powerful in the Austrian navy,
were Lieutenant Raffaele Paolucci and
Major Raffaele Rossetti. The attack
was delivered on the morning of Nov.
/, 1918.
To tow the bombs into Pola harbor.
the two Italians invented small COM
pressed air motors to which were at
tached bombs. For six months the
two naval men practiced in long dis
lance swimming The Italian admiral
ty gave them the use o. p motor boat.
Reaching the harbor entrance at
nightfall, the two daring men started
on their expedition swimming beside
their little motors and steering them
TO escape detection by scntries on a
wooden pier across the harbor mouth
Paolucci and Rossetti had hats shaped
like bottles, and the sentry saw moth
ing but a couple of bottles being tossed
about by the waves. When his back
was turned they advanced and safely
passed the first barrier,
After infinite labor they fought their
way thru the steel nets and the Aus
trian fleet lay before them. Reaching
the side of the Viribus Units, they
attached the bomb to her hull beneath
the ladder which led TO her deck and
timed the bomb to explode at $50 a.
m.
BY this time they we're exhausted
having been in the water more than
nine hours. AS they were leaving, thcE
were discovered and taken on board
the dreadnought. At first they refused
to answer the questions asked them 10y
Admiral Voucovich. At 6:15 however
they told the admiral what they mao
done and he gave the order to aban-
don ship. Paolucci asked the admiral
if he and his friend might also try to
save themselves and he shook hands
saying. You are bravo men and de-
serve to live" They plunged into the
water and swan away, but ten min
utcs later the admiral began TO suspect
the bomb story and sent launch 10
bring them back. The ladder was
crowded with sailors returning TO their
ship.
Run. Run for your lives. shouted
Paolucci struggling to reach the dec"
before the explosion took place he
and Rossetti had reached the deck ana
ran to the stern Of the dreadnoueh'
when a terrific explosion rent the air
and q column of water 800 feet hiSh
shot upward Admiral Voucovich
again gave them permission to save
themselves, and they had been swim
ming away from the snip five minutes
when they heard another explosion
and saw that the other bomb, which
had been left adrift had been carried
by the current alongside the large
Austrian liner Wien and had there ex-
ploded.
The viribus Units was then lyins
on her side, but suddenly the huge
ship turned bottom upward and Lieut.
enant Paoluccl saw Admiral Vouco-
vich scramble upward AID stand win
folded arms on the keel, ready TO sc
down with his vessel.
Major Rossatti and Lieutenant fao-
lucci were recaptured and taken OF
toard another Austrian warship where
they were kept prisoners until the
armistice was signed and an Italian
warship entered the harbor Then a
launch was sent for the two heroes ana
they were sent on a destroyer to Ven