The Cordova daily times., 1919-01-28
HOW ITALIANS SANK AUSTRIAN
 DREADNAUCHT

ROME, Dec. 30 (Correspondcncc of l Associated Press).-lt was by swim ming into Pola harbor and steering two small submarine motors towing bombs that two Italian naval officers destroyed the Austrian dreadnought Niribus Units just before the sign l ing of the armisticc between Italy and Austria. The swimmers were in the water nine hours and had to peae. trate four barriers across the harbor { entrance, two of which were CGmpos- ed of steel submarine nets. After they had attached their bomb to the side of the dreadnought, they were captur- ed and taken on board 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 Nirihus 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 who thus sent to the bottom d 20,OO0-ton ship. one of the most powerful in the Austrian navy. were Lieutenant Raffaelc paolucci and Major Raffaele Rosetii. The at tack was delivered on the morning of November l, 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 practiccd in long dis tancc swimming. The Italian admir- alty gave them the use of q motor boat
 Reaching the harbor entrance at nighttall, the two daring men start ed on their expedition swimming be. side their little motors and steering them. To escape detection by scntries on q wooden pier across the harbOr mouth, PaOluCCi and ROsSetti had hats shaped like bottles, and the sen try saw nothing but a couple of bot ties being tossed about by the waves. l When his back was turned they ad vanced and safely passed the first barrier
 After infinite labor they fought ! their way through the steel nets and the Austrian fleet lay before them. Reaching the side of the Virihus tnitis, they attached the bomb to her hull beneath the ladder which led to her deck and timed the bomb to cX. plOde at G:3O a. m.
 By this time they were exhausted having been in the water more than nine hours As they were leaving, they were discovered and taken on board the dradnought. At first they refused to answer the questions asked them by Admiral VoucoviCh. At 6.l5. however, they told the admiral what they had done and he gave the order to abandon ship Paoucci asked the admiral if he and his friend might also try to save themselves and he shook hands saying, You are brave men and deserve to live" They plung- ed into the water and swan away, bur ten minutes later the admiral began to suspect the bomb story and sent a launch to bring them back. They were made to walk up the ladder under which they had set the bomb which was due to explode in ten minutes. The ladder was crowded with sailors returning to their ship
 Run. Run for your lives" shouted Paolucci, struggling to reach the deck before the explosion took place. He and Rossetti he'd reached the deck and ran to the stern of the dread
 
 the air and d column of water 300 feet high shot upward Admiral You covich again gave them permission to save themselves. and they had been swimming away from the ship five minutes when they heard another ex- rlosion 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 exploded.
 The Niribus Unitis was then lying on her side, but suddenly the huge ship turned bottom upward and Lieu tenant Paolucci saw Admiral Vouco- vich scramble upward and stand with folded arms on the keel, ready to go | down with his vessel.
 Major Rossetti and Lieutenant Pao- 1 lpcCi wera racapture5 and toEap m