RAMMING A BATTLESHIP.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11197, 20 August 1898, Page 6

RAMMING A BATTLESHIP.

■ How Lissa Was-Won. That victory lies less in ships than in the men who handle them is an historic truth which has' had no stronger demonstration tha-i that given by the battle fought off the island of Lissa, in the Adriatic, on July 20, 1866, between the Italian and Austrian forces/ '•■".. . ' . " - . ' '■ Italy had, for.that time, a noble fleet of j ironclads and wooden ships; but, while her seamen were courageous,, they were undisciplined and unskilled. As to their officers, many were incapable and some were laggards in war. The was Admiral Persano, whose'performances in that battle seem like comedy the high seas, with tragedy for epiloguß**' ■ Opposed to him was the Austrian admiral, Tegettlioff, a most abjfe and'energetic officer of long-service. \ The"ships of the latter were far inferior; both in type and number ; but, by unceasing evolutions, he ■ had secured a trained personnel to fight them; ■by concentration of fire lie hoped to effect superior armament; by chain cables, he armoured his wooden ships as best he could; and, as a last resort, he planned to . • Sink His Foe by Ramming. ' Although Tegetthofi had, more than oncej invited battle, Persano's leadership hud been marked for weeks by inaction and delay. This was due to no .principle of Fabian strategy, but to tlie lack;7if..;^reparation and of resolution which ruled file -Italian admiral to the disastrous end. Tegetihoffs probable arrival was known to jiim as he'lay off Lissa, an J yet, when the Austrian fleet was sighted, { that of Italy was split into several groups, i •parted by miles of sea. •' '. , • j . Signalling his scattered .ships to rejoin, Persano first formed his available ironclads, afte^ the ancient galley, iashion, . into, "line abreast," which line did not, however, fare the enemy's advance. Lately .lie changed its front, and, still later, reversed his tactics wholly, and formed the " line ahead " of the old days of sail—an §vxf]iition which, on the course steered, preseht&fl-;,tbe • broadsides of his.ships to .■■'.. •'. ■■'S^y?' •. . ' .'. ■ The Enemy's Ramming Charge. .At about ■ half-past 10 in the morning Tegettlioff broke through the ill-formed line, his fleet being disposed; in a strong, wedge- . shaped formation,' with me ironclads forming tho,point and sides.; ; The Italian ships were pointed grey, the AustriahsV black. . Tegett-: hon^s .command .ysls !brjef and'to theppint":' ;''Earn everything grey." ' .■■-'y .■'., -".."'. .... : '- ■ ", With these orders his fleet' charged through arid •wheeled: :And then, began aij action, or : rather a':series of smoke-beclouded combats; with the leaderless foe: ■ which': was waged hotly'for more than fdur. hours, and which resulted' in the sullen' retreat of the Italian fleet, with the loss of two ironclads. The attacks "by ramming were, perhaps, the most memorable .of-the lhany. incidents , of. this fight. Indeed;, h --has been said ; that "Lissa was won-by the ram." The Re d'ltalia, Persano's," deserted flagship,1 was sun 1* by this weapon, and with great loss of life She had been the:focus,of attack by several Austrians, and ;>.. . ' ' • • , Her Rudder Had Been Injitted, although.; her were' still effective. While thus crippled she was cammed by Tegetthoff hi; his flagsiiip t 'the Ferdinand Maximilian, which, at full speed, struck her, th-3 ram cutting through her seven inches of armour without appreciable resistance and with no damage to,itself, excepting"to its ■ paint. .•■■■ ■ ■• . .■: :■-,'■•;•. • ,;-'"*-,' t Heeling over to starboard, and'then.rolljng heavily to port, the great 6150-ton ship sank with a: swiftness which ".chilled the blood of those who watbhed, carrying away niany'oi : her crew with-hijr, butleayihg a remnant to struggle in the -sea.- Long'after, when recalling the sudden horror, of'all; this, Tegettl- -. hoff said:5 =>-~ -';>•-...,v' ■ :- 6 ■' ' ' /■■ ' '."If I were tts live.a" thousand years, I ■ would never' ram another ship:, /The effect ' pibduced'is'differentsfrpni-anythingielse you have in' *" "■ ••••'";«--^•■■v ;■*'"% '-'■■■<- ''"< .--.-". ! You seethe'vessel.attacked^t jobs, moment!, ' and the: next- W me'n.'iliditii'g . intoVthe.Sea: with'/ the vessel following, tfiem.,:.. You ,are. ]e;twithi.a perfectivoid,; without.any. commo-j : tion, without any smoke, without anything. toi.make one feei^that'/he .was m.battle.'.'— : William Ledyard; jin the; Boston Transcript.,