The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1919-01-09
ETERNAL HONOR
IS WON BY TWO
ITALIAN HEROES
Destruction Of Austrian Ship
Unparalleled Feat
Dv The Associated PIess.

NDi''. Jan. V-lt was by SWIM
mllg into poll harboI and steering
two small submarine motor, towing
bombs that two Italian naval officers
dctoycd the Austrian dfeadnaught
N.hu' Units Just before the sRn-
INK oi the armidice between Italy
and Austria. The swimmers were IN
tie wgicr nine hours and had 10 pcne-
tralc four barriers across the harbor
entrance, two Of which were composed
oi steel submarine nets Ai,cr they
bad attached their bomb 20 the SIDE
ui the drcadnaught, they we're cap
turrd and taken on board the vessel
and were there when the watshlp was
blown up.
They escaped wi,hou, injury and
have returned 10 Rome 10 tell OF their
exploit which i, characterized as one
| oi the most daring and successful IN
7 the history oi naval warfare. Only
,h. fact that the Viribus Units had
been destroyed by Italian naval
forces previously shad been made
known but now the details have been
given on, by the Italian admiralty
The officers who thus sent 10 the
bottom NWI.ion ship, one oi the
most powerful in the Austrian navy,
were Lieut.. Raifacle piolucci and
Maj Raiiaelc Roveti The attack
Ma, delivered on the morning OF Nov
! 1918
Pfaeiiced Six Months.
To tow the bomb, into Pola harbor
the two Italian, invented small com.
messed air motors TO which were at
,aehed bombs. For SIX months the
two naval men pfac'iced in long DIS.
,,nrc swimming. The Italian ad-
mlrl',y gave them the use OF a motor
boat
Reaching the harbor entrance AZ
nightian. the iwo daring men started
m their expedition swimming beside
their little motors and steering them
TO escape detection by sen,ri-s on a
wooden pier across the harbor mouth.
paolucci and RosSe,ti had hats shaped
like bottles. and the sentry saw nsh.
ing bu, a couple OF bottle, being tossed
about by the waves. When his back
wa, turned they advanced and safely
passed the first barrier. =.
After infinite labor they fought
their way through the steel nets ana
the Austrian fleet lay befors them
Reaching the side OF the Niribu'
Units. they attached the bomb TO her
hull beneath the ladder which led to
her deck and timed the bomb to eN'
plode at 3 70 a. M.
Given Permit 10 Live.
By this time they were exhausted
having been in theswa,er moro than
nine hours. As they were leaving
thew were discovered and taken on
b ard the dreadnaught Al first they
refused TO answer the questions asked
them by Admiral Vouchovich. A,
q Is. however, they told the admiral
what they had done and he gave the
order TO abandon ship. Paolucc,
asked the admiral il he and his friend
misht also try 10 save themselves and
he shook hands saying, You are
brave men and deserve TO live" They
plunged into the water and swan
away, but ten minutes later the ad-
miral began to suspect the bomb stoty
and sent a launch 10 bring them back.
They were made to walk up the lad
der under which they had set the
bomb which was due TO explode in two
minutes. The ladder was crowded
with sailors returning 10 their ship
Run. Run for your lives, shouted
Paolucci. struggling to reach the deck
before the explosion took place, lie
and Rosse,,i had reached the deck and
ran to the stern OF the dreadnaugh,
when a terrific explosion rent the air
and a column of water 700 feet high
shot upward. Admiral Voucovlch
again gave them permission to save
themselves, and they had been swim.
ming away from the ship five minutes
when they heard another explosion
and saw tina, the other bomb which
had been left adriit had been carried
by the current alongside the large
Austrian liner Wien and had there ex-
ploded.
The Viribus Until, was then lying
on her side, but suddenly the huge
ship turned bottom upward and Lieu
Il D.,t.,.a. AAsvHtSa1 Nnssrn-