AZ OSZTRÁK - MAGYAR

THE BATTLE OF LISSA, 20^th JULY 1866

Compiled and translated by Captain András VEPERDI,

formerly Chief Officer in the Hungarian Merchant Marine.

The Imperial-Royal Fleet, in which also served a number of Hungarians, had gained a glorious victory on 20^th July 1866 over the most superior Italian Fleet. The Austria, who was loosing the war with Prussia, was also pushed by the Italians, and in this urgency the united Italia's oppressive superiority on the seas also played an important role. Against the 7 slow and weakly armoured and equipped first class vessels of the Imperial-Royal Navy, the Italians could muster 12 modern armoured warships and 8 new screw steam frigates. It has proved true this phrase that the success of a venture in 50 percents is depending on the quality of preparation and organisation. In the more modern times it is called logistics. In the Imperial-Royal Fleet Rear Admiral Tegetthoff was the moving spirit of this preparation and organisation. He had to fight two battles, the first with the money-grubbing of his superior authorities and the narrow-minded approach of the Austrian bureaucracy, and the second, the real battle on the waters around Lissa could come only after that.

The Rear Admiral could collect only with great difficulties his rather rag-tag fleet at Fasana-Channel, in the triangle of Brioni Islands - Peroi - Fasana. One of the main problems was the coal supply, but it was a same scale of problem that the Krupp had not delivered the 15 cm calibre guns which were ordered for the Kaiser and the Erzherzog Ferdinand Max. Therefore these ships were mounted with old 45 pounders guns and entered the Fleet without armour plates. The half of the squadron consisted of wooden sailing ships. Tegetthoff has required also new masts, ropes and sails, but he was not to receive them. It is incredible, but some warships' rigging was so insufficient, that they could rig only the few most needed halyards for the signal service.

Tegetthoff has received on 15^th May 1866 the non-committal Order No. 794 of War Ministry, from which here comes a characteristic sentence:

"Though His Majesty The Emperor, Our Most Gracious Lord, requires with trust of His Majesty Fleet will emulate with His Majesty Armies doing its duty with self-abnegation, but it impossible not recognise the significant numerical superiority of the enemy fleet, so from this reason, and with respect to the moral influence what our Navy is exercising on any enemy action before our coasts, His Majesty authorised me to make Your duty do not start any such action which could endanger the existence of the Fleet, or during which the results will not be equals with the foreseen sacrifice."

Tegetthoff after receiving this dispatch had sent the ships into dock after each-other to clean their bottom from the shells and sea vegetation, because he could only so increase the speed of his vessels. He has instructed his gunners to the only possible tactics: his weak and slow ships can get on with the battle if they can force the enemy to a close fight and will try to balance the gunnery superiority of Italians with united broadsides directed on one point. If the battle will be fought from greater distance, it will be decided by the modern rifled guns of the enemy, so therefore all ships' captains had to follow the next tactical order: "Assault the enemy and broadsides!"

Without armour plates, the Rear Admiral, based on the example of American Civil War, had made covered his wooden ships with interlaced anchor chains to secure at least the boiler rooms. The frigate Novara has got a protecting shield made from track rails. To protect the gunners anti splinters canvasses and nets were mounted. Though these were not adequate to their purposes, but had a good moral influence on the crew.

The fleet concentrated in the Fasana Channel has started the exercises, but this was thwarted in great measure by the lack of coal. Tegetthoff has got permission to use only so small quantity of fuel for this purpose that his ships could do their manoeuvres only with five and half knots maximum speed, and in night it was forbidden to chuck about the expensive coal.

The Rear Admiral has fought a desperate "coal-battle" with Vienna, as the daily requirement of the fleet exceeded 1.100 tons, and added to which the slow ships could make their maximum efficiency only with the best quality English coal. He sent the next signal to Vienna on 11^th of June:

"... I need to make a minimum depot of 30.000 tons of coal. If we are crawling only with a speed of five and a half knots, our daily consumption is 650 tons. If we want to guard the Adriatic Sea, we must fire the boilers continuously to keep the fleet under steam for the immediately sailing ...."

Vienna had sent with great difficulties 15.500 tons, but its one-third was a lesser quality Austrian coal. After deducting about 10% coal-powder he had 13.000 tons usable fuel.

The hostilities have started on 23^rd June 1866. At this time 6 ironclads, 4 screw steam frigates, 1 screw steam corvette, 6 gunboats, 1 screw steam schooner and 3 cargo steamers were anchored in the Fasana Channel. Many of these vessels have participated only one or two days in the united exercises. This fleet has sailed to fight at the break of war.

The light-towers and signal lights were extinguished on the shores, and the enemy were assembled at the other side of Adriatic Sea. The Navy of Italian Kingdom was created from the nothing by Count Cavour. At springtime of the year of 1866 this Navy had 12 armoured battleships (ironclads), and 8 screw steam frigates. The armoured vessels had modern rifled guns between 16 and 25 cm calibres, while the frigates were armed smooth bored cast-iron guns with same calibres, and howitzers of 20 cm. The Italian ships beside of military ports of Taranto and Ancona also could use the bases of Brindisi and Manfredonia. Count Persano, the Commander-in-Chief has concentrated 25 warships in Ancona on 25^th June.

Tegetthoff has sailed to the waters off Ancona. His appearance and his cruise before this port lasted for two hours, and had struck as a lightning the vessels of Persano. On board of two Italian ironclads they were occupied by distinguish the self-ignited fires in the coal bunkers, three others have changed their guns, and all the others ships were working with the loading of coal, ammunition and foods. They had lost precious hours in this chaos whereupon they could leave the port, but even during this has happened an embarrassing incident. The San Martino accidentally has rammed the Maria Pia which has got only a slight damage, but the ram of San Martino was buckled.

Tegetthoff as a result of deficient intelligence did not know the state of Persano's fleet, so after two hours of fleet demonstration had left the Road of Ancona.

Thereinafter this was the battle order of the two fleets:

The Imperial-Royal Fleet: C-in-C Rear Admiral Wilhelm von Tegetthoff

FIRST DIVISION /Ironclads/ Rear Admiral Tegetthoff

*Erzherzog Ferdinand Max* (flagship)	Armoured frigate 1^st class	5.130 t
Habsburg	Armoured frigate 1^st class	5.130 t
Kaiser Max	Armoured frigate 2^nd class	3.588 t
Prinz Eugen	Armoured frigate 2^nd class	3.588 t
Don Juan d'Austria	Armoured frigate 2^nd class	3.588 t
Drache	Armoured frigate 3^rd class	3.065 t
Salamander	Armoured frigate 3^rd class	3.065 t
Kaiserin Elisabeth	Scouting paddle-wheeler	1.470 t

SECOND DIVISION /Wooden ships/ Commodore Anton von Petz

*Kaiser* (flagship)	Ship-of-the Line	5.194 t
Novara	Frigate 1^st class	2.497 t
Fürst Felix Schwarzenberg	Frigate 1^st class	2.514 t
Graf Radetzky	Frigate 2^nd class	2.198 t
Adria	Frigate 2^nd class	2.198 t
Donau	Frigate 2^nd class	2.198 t
Erzherzog Friedrich	Corvette	1.474 t
Greif	Scouting paddle-wheeler	1.260 t
Stadion (unarmed)	Scouting steamer	1.400 t

THIRD DIVISION /Gunboats/ Lieutenant-Commander Ludwig Eberle

*Hum* (flagship)	Gunboat	869 t
Dalmat	Gunboat	869 t
Vellebich	Gunboat	869 t
Wall	Gunboat	852 t
Reka	Gunboat	852 t
Seehund	Gunboat	852 t
Streiter	Gunboat	852 t
Narenta	Schooner	501
Kerka	Schooner	501 t
Andreas Hofer	Scouting paddle-wheeler	770 t

TOTAL: 27 ships, Displacement: 57.344 t, 10.360 HP, 532 guns (from these 115 rifled, 24 pounders), Complements: 7871 officers and men.

The Italian Fleet: C-in-C Admiral Carlo di Pellion Conte di Persano

FIRST SQUADRON (Ironclads) Admiral Persano

*Ré d'Italia* (flagship)	Armoured frigate	5.700 t
Ré di Portogallo	Armoured frigate	5.700 t
Maria Pia	Armoured frigate	4.250 t
San Martino	Armoured frigate	4.250 t
Ancona	Armoured frigate	4.250 t
Castelfidardo	Armoured frigate	4.250 t
Messaggiero	Scouting paddle-wheeler	1.000 t

SECOND SQUADRON (Wooden ships) Admiral Giovannbattista Conte Albini

*Maria Adelaide* (flagship)	Frigate	3.459 t
Duca di Genova	Frigate	3.515 t
Carlo Alberto	Frigate	3.200 t
Gaeta	Frigate	3.980 t
Garibaldi	Frigate	3.680 t
Principe Umberto	Frigate	3.501 t
Vittorio Emanuele	Frigate	3.415 t
San Giovanni	Corvette	1.780 t
Guiscardo	Corvette	1.400 t

THIRD SQUADRON (Armoured ships) Rear Admiral Giuseppe Vacca

*Principe* *di Garigano* (flagship)	Armoured frigate	4.086 t
Affondatore	Armoured ram ship	4.070 t
Terribile	Armoured corvette	2.700 t
Formidabile	Armoured corvette	2.700 t
Palestro	Armoured gunboat	2.000 t
Varese	Armoured gunboat	2.000 t
Esploratore	Scouting paddle wheeler	1.000 t

FLOTTILLA (It was subordinated to the FIRST SQUADRON)

Vinzaglia	Gunboat	262 t
Montebello	Gunboat	262 t
Canfienza	Gunboat	262
Sirena	Scouting boat	?
?	Cargo steamer	?

TOTAL: 34 ships. Displacement: 86.022 t, 14.160 HP, 645 guns (from these about 300 rifled with 15-25 cm calibres). Complements: 10.866 officers and men.

Tegetthoff in the days before the battle has initiated a basic change, namely he has brought into service a tactical code book in German language instead of the Italian language code book used until that time. He has showed to his ships' captains the expected force movement and manoeuvres with help of little ships' models. It was a great disadvantage for his fleet that he had to disembark about one thousand well trained sailors who were originated from Venice; therefore they were seen as undependable men.

The Italian Count Persano on 7^th June has got the order to annihilate the enemy's fleet and to land on Dalmatian coast. The Count was reluctant, because he wanted to wait until, his newest armoured vessel, the Affondatore will join the fleet. When he has got more imperative orders, he sailed out to the open sea under the pressure of these messages, but he returned already on the next day to port of Ancona. Ricasoli Prime Minister and Depretis Navy Minister have pressed on the Admiral in vain, who had collected his ships' captains to tell them the occupation plan of the Island of Lissa only when the King on 14^th June had threatened him with dismissal. Persano could get more time with this plan, namely the embarkation of the expedition force (6.000 soldiers) required several days. The Admiral has made another effort to wait for the Affondatore which became already his obsession, but the Minister of Navy ordered him to sail immediately.

On 16^th July 1866 the Italian Fleet has sailed from Ancona for the Island of Lissa (today Vis). This island with his area of 30 square kilometres is situated 30 miles from the Dalmatian coast. Its population was very few, and a garrison, counted 1833 soldiers, was stationed there. On the island there were well strengthened battery positions high above the sea level. To destroy these batteries with ships' guns seemed difficult, so it was vital to land the troops of the Army and the Marines. The Italian Fleet steamed in four groups toward the island. The Messaggiero was sent out under British flag to get some intelligence from the waters around of Lissa. The siege has started on 18^th July and the Italian ships' guns in a few hours have silenced one or two batteries. At the evening only the Forts of Wellington and Bentinck which were built by the former English garrison and situated high above the sea level, and the Battery of Zapparina were answering the gunfire. Persano has sent a dispatch steamer to Ancona in the evening with a message to Minister Depretis: "We have overwhelmed the Gibraltar of Adriatic Sea" and in a Post Script he stated that he needs more troops for the landing.

The defenders of Lissa have seen with a surprise that the attackers have interrupted the siege in the evening, and the next day only the Formidable entered the harbour of Lissa and fired from very small distance at the defending posts. Persano at the end of the second day gave an order to Formidabile to retreat and has postponed the landing. The garrison casualties during the 48 hours siege were 24 dead and 70 wounded, while the Italian Fleet had lost 16 dead and 96 wounded.

In Pola Tegetthoff has learnt from signals the events of Lissa, and he has sent more messages to War Ministry in Vienna, and to the Southern Headquarter of Army and requested permission to sail, or direct orders. After a long silence he had got the following double-meaning answer: "The duty of Fleet to protect Trieste and Istria."

On 19^th July at 09.35 hours the Rear Admiral got a signal from Zara: "Before Lissa renewed gunfire, 22 enemy warships".

Now Tegetthoff did not wait for new orders and at 10.30 on the same day he sent the following message to Archduke Albrecht in Vienna: "I'm sailing with the Fleet". He gave an order to make more steam in the boilers, and to sail. At 11.40 hours he signalled to Pola: "The Admiral is sailing". In the last moment a signal arrived from Vienna: "To the Highest order you must use your own discretion, and only for fleet demonstration you must not sail!" So the Imperial-Royal Fleet has sailed for Lissa.

At dawn of 20^th July 1866 a south-eastern wind has ruffled the waves of Adriatic Sea, the rain was drizzling and a light summer fog swirled above the water. The Italian Fleet, augmented at dawn with the Affondatore, was ready to land the expedition force, but Admiral Albini had refused obedience on base, that the surf is too dangerous on the coast. Persano, who had seen that the sea is very calm, has called together his ships' captain to make a war council. On the council they have decided that they will sink the Imperial-Royal warships by attacks with rams. The Italian ships had not any formation when at 07.50 two scouting ships have reported to the Commander of the Fleet: "Suspicious ship in sight!"

The Imperial-Royal fleet was approaching with a speed of 10 kilometres per hour in a triple arrow formation. In the first arrow came the ironclads, in the second approached the wooden ships, and in the third were the gunboats and paddle-wheeler steamers. Tegetthoff was on board of the flagship, Ferdinand Max. The waves became higher and they had to close the gun-ports. The crew got vine and bread for breakfast. At ten o clock the sun was coming out from the clouds and the wind was backing to north-west. Then the last fog patches also disappeared and the outlines of Lissa were clearly seen, and also the enemy fleet before them.

Tegetthoff at 10.30 gave the order: "Forward with full steam!" After that he sent a new flag signal: "Attack the enemy and sink them!" On board of the flagship they have also prepared another flag order with this text: "This battle must be the victory of Lissa!" When it was hoisted, the halyard had parted, so the signal flags were flying on half mast during the all battle as the symbols of Tegetthoff's victorious will.

A scornful phrase was said in the ranks of the Italians sailors when prepared themselves for the battle: Ecco i pescatori! (Here are coming the fishermen!) The vessels of Tegetthoff in that time had not yet any prestige before the Italians, and the crew of the pride Italian ironclads prepared with a great arrogance for the engagement with the fishermen.

When Persano has sighted the Tegetthoff who attacked directly them, felt into panic. He has given so many orders in a few minutes that he managed to confuse everybody. He sent an order to Albini to finish the landing (it was not yet started), and to form a combat formation behind the armoured vessels. Albini even in this emergency did not pull together himself, and he has pleaded later that he did not do anything because he has not got any order. In the chaos Persano could place his ships in a line, but with their stems in opposite bearing than the enemy. This chaos was increased by the two Italians ships, who had reported in that moment the faults of their engines, and the Formidable (which has got some direct hits during the encounter with the coastal batteries and earlier has requested permission to return to port) leaving the main body of fleet sailed for Ancona. Later on her captain stated that his ship was too weak to fight, but she was surprisingly quick in the run away. Then Persano had thought better of it and gave an order to his ships to form a column, and when the Imperial-Royal Fleet came into guns' range the Italian vessels once again were manoeuvring in confusion.

In the van of the Italian column sailed Vacca's three armoured ships, and in that time Persano has decided to do a very unusual movement. He had chosen the moment of the battle' start to go over with a part of his staff from his flagship, Ré d'Italia, to the Affondatore, to the ship for what he waited so much, and did not want to sail without her to a deciding engagement. To execute this transfer they had to stop both vessels and this has more increased the chaos. The Ré d'Italia hauled down the Admiral's flag, but the Affondatore had not such a kind flag, so she hoisted only a Rear Admiral's flag. The Fleet had not even got any information the ships' change of the Commander-in-Chief, but this transfer has caused a gap in the column of the ironclads. The squadron of Persano was left behind so much that there was a very great gap after the Vacca's squadron. Tegetthoff has perceived immediately where he must break through the battle line of the Italians. Persano has remained in a rather great distance from the battle of his fighting ironclads with his new flagship, later on he has steamed to-and-fro in an entirely individual route, while he sent more and more signal order. Afterwards he has tried to reason his actions:

"I have recognised the possibility, if I take my station out of the battle line in an ironclad which has a greater speed, I can be able to run to the centre of the combat, or send with great care the required orders to different parts of the Fleet and to control their movement if it is needed."

The artillery duel had started in a distance of 1.500 metres. Captain Baron Moll, the commander of Drache was killed in the first moments. Tegetthoff gave a flag order: "Follow the Commander-in-Chief!" The Imperial-Royal ironclads have closed up and have broken through the enemy battle line. The Italian ships have turned to port, while the Imperial-Royal wooden ships under the order of Commodore Petz have turned to starboard. So the flagship of Petz had met in an acute angle with the flagship of Italian Admiral Riboty, the Ré di Portogallo. Petz did not evade the Italian ironclad charging him, and he did not care about that the situation is not suitable to make a ram attack. He wanted to cover with his ship the weaker units, so he rammed the enemy with full speed. In this case the attacker has suffered much more damages. The rotten bowsprit of Kaiser came away, her funnel was smashed and the felt down rigging and sails got fire. The mortally wounded Ensign Proch was fallen from the maintop on deck. In the next moment intensive Italian shell fire had hit the wooden ship which has got into a mess, and the steering gear and engine room have got direct hits, so the Kaiser had to swing out from the battle line. In the same time on board Novara an enemy cannonball has killed her commander, Captain Erik Klint.

The Ré d'Italia has just got herself underway again, when the Imperial-Royal ships were breaking through their battle line. As Admiral Albini's wooden ships (with 420 guns) were unwilling to join the combat against the armoured vessels, so ships of Tegetthoff have concentrated their fire on Ré d'Italia.

Tegetthoff's flagship, the Ferdinand Max has tried two times with the ramming in the swirl of the combat. First she took aim San Martino, and after that the Palestro. When Tegetthoff' ship has rammed Palestro, this meeting, as in case of the Kaiser, has happened in an acute angle. The Italian vessel has escaped, but one of her topgallant mast with an Italian flag felt on deck of the attacker. Then a brave Dalmatian Petty Officer, Quartermaster Karcovich, run into the fallen rigging, ripped off the tricolour and as a prize he put on the bulwark Ferdinand Max.

The sea was covered with dense gunpowder smoke, when at 11.30 Captain Sterneck; commander of the flagship has sighted the Ré d'Italia in a gap. Sterneck has directed his ship straight to the enemy, and the collision in this case was executed exactly so, as Tegetthoff has showed to his officers with the little models. The Ferdinand Max has bored in rectangular angle into the Italian ironclad, and made an enormous gap in her side, and when the Ferdinand Max backed, the Ré d'Italia was finished. Her agony has lasted for three minutes. The Italian crew has fought bravely, and the rifle volley given immediately before the collision caused many damages, and wounded severely Tegetthoff's aid-de-camp, Lieutenant Minutillo. Captain Faa di Bruno, the commander, on board of Italian ship after the collision wanted to haul down the flag to prevent the Austrian to get it. Cadet Razzetti, who in the chaos of the battle has misunderstood presumably the purpose of his commander, guarded the flag's halyard with his own body, and with the flag was falling into his watery grave. The Italian Member of Parliament, Boggio, who has participated in the attempt of invasion as a political guest, has fought with a pistol in hand till the last moment. The brave commander, Faa di Bruno stated, that the duty of a captain is to die with his ship, and in the last moment he was shooting himself on the bridge of his sinking ship, and his Chief Engineer was firing with the last gun when the waves went over the vessel.

In the catastrophe of Ré d'Italia 27 Italian officers and 364 crew members have lost their lives. The Austrian has tried the save the survivor, but then other Italian ships have opened fire on them, so they had to suspend the rescue. Tegetthoff has recognized only after the battle that the victim was the Ré d'Italia. This was the last case in the history of sea battles when a ship has sunk another vessel with ram.

Afterwards an Italian armoured vessel came so close to the side of Ferdinand Max, that the gunners of flagship could hear clearly the Italian orders of fire. The Italian broadside went off, but it had not any effect, save the dense powder smoke. The Italian gunners in their great haste presumably have put only the propellant gun powder into the guns without shells.

Meantime the Italian Palestro has got fire on board and the damaged ship left the combat' site toward west. In this time the damaged and slowly steaming Kaiser has met with the Affondatore. The Italian captain directed his ship to the damaged wooden ship-of-the-line to break up her side with her ram, but when they were 200 metres from the Kaiser, Persano had interfered and ordered another course. The Italian captain, even Persano's own staff asked him in vain, Admiral Persano had brooked no opposition. The Affondatore has turned away, so the severely damaged Kaiser had escaped.

The Italian Commander-in-Chief had made hauled a new flag signal: "General chase, I'm giving free hand to everybody!"

Tegetthoff had seen the time ample and fought through himself to coast of Lissa, where seen with delight that there are yet Imperial flags over the Forts. Now he had organised his fleet in a three columns formation instead of three arrows and waited, whether Persano will try to reopen the battle. The Imperial Rear Admiral was strengthened in his opinion by the recent engagement that the Italian armoured vessels can not be sunk with his gun fire, only by ramming. He fully realized the fact that with control of a more gallant Italian Commander-in-Chief his fleet could have been shot to shambles.

The gunfire has silenced gradually and the combat has ceased. Only the Palestro were swinging between two fleets as a burning torch. The Italian Commander-in-Chief at 12.40 has started to give a rain of signals: "Follow me!" "Attack the enemy if it is coming into range!" At 13.00: "To fight in close combat!" Later on: "The Commander-in-Chief will manoeuvre independently!" Immediately after this: "Execute the received orders! and "Form a line of battle without respect to the succession!" Finally: "Follow in succession the Commander-in-chief!

At 14.30 the burning Palestro had exploded. Her crew has tried to save the ship by flooding of the powder and ammunition rooms, but the shells laying in chaos on deck were started by the fire and finally this caused the loss of the vessel. From her complement of 228 could rescue only 26 seamen.

On board Affondatore staff officer D'Amico strongly pressed for Persano to take the lead and continue the combat, but the Commander-in-Chief to answer this request only had made hoisted another flag signal: "The Admiral informs the fleet that the ship which is not fighting, she is not on her station!" In the same time he gave order to his flagship to retreat from the combat. At 15.00 by signals he asked where the Ré d'Italia is. "Sunken!" have replied the Italian ships nearby. The Formidabile and San Marino have reported that they must leave the formation because of damages. The boilers of Varese went out of order, so she requested a tugboat. Persano has turned back to Ancona with his fleet, so the battle was ended. However the Affondatore has foundered in a storm, so she did not arrive at the port.

The fleet of Tegetthoff was yet weaker, so he could not pursuit the enemy. He had met his objection, Lissa was liberated, and the result of the battle has made a deep moral effect to both sides.

The Imperial-Royal Fleet had lost no ship, and only one, the Kaiser had severe damages, but 3 officers and 35 sailors were dead, and 15 officers and 123 sailors wounded. On the Italian side 3 armoured vessels were sunk and a number were badly damaged. 38 officers and 574 sailors were killed and 4 officers and 32 sailors wounded.

The achievement of the Italian gunners was unexampled very weak. Not a single of their shells was breaking through the armour of Imperial-Royal ships; even a rare dent there could only be seen on the plates. Only the wooden hulled Kaiser was badly damaged, as she has fought with more than one ironclad. The fighting spirit of the Kaiser is in striking contrast to the cowardice of Albini and his wooden ships, as they simply have refused to participate in the combat.

The Commander-in-Chief of returned Italian Fleet has tried for a long time to show the defeat as a great victory with different tales, but finally they were proved to be forgery. An inquiry had proved that Persano is not only a coward but also a liar, so he was sentenced to loose his rank. Same was the fate of Admiral Albini.

Tegetthoff was awarded to the Middle Cross of the Order Maria Theresia and he was nominated a Secret Councillor. Here is a good example for the bad will of the Viennese bureaucracy. The Italians have propagated false news that the ship-of-the-line Kaiser was sunk and there is an enormous loss in the officer corps of the fleet. To deny these rumours Tegetthoff had given a banquet on board Kaiser staying in port of Trieste, on which all officers have participated. With this event the enemy propaganda was silenced, but from Vienna brought the Admiral to book for the banquet and asked him who will pay its costs. After a long exchange of letters Tegetthoff made an offer to pay for it from his own pocket, but do not bother him with this matter. Finally the Treasury had paid, but the Victor of Lissa got a reprimand for his arbitrary costs. After the early death of Tegetthoff in the Imperial-Royal, and later on Austrian-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Fleet there was always a ship which had his name, until the collapse of 1918.

The next and probably not full list of names which was made after the Order of Battle 1866 and the Crew's Lists, shows well, that on what important posts have fought already in that time the Hungarian seamen in the Adriatic Sea:

Lieutenant Mihály Máriássy (Habsburg),

Sea Priest Ferenc Horváth (Habsburg),

Ensign Vilmos Barta (Prinz Eugen),

Engineer Rezső Füredi (Prinz Eugen),

Sub-Lieutenant Hermann Herczeg (Salamander),

Lieutenant Kalmár Sándor (Novara),

Surgeon 2^nd class János Barta II. (Adria),

Ensign Jakab Lévay (Erzherzog Friedrich),

Ensign István Patay (Erzherzog Friedrich),

Lieutenant Jenő Gyulai Gaál (Vellebich),

Surgeon Lieutenant-Commander Ede Fejér dr. (Dalmat),

Ensign Vilmos Dőry (Andreas Hofer),

Surgeon 1^st class Alajos Kopics (Kerka),

Surgeon Lieutenant-Commander Ambrus Janka dr. (Erzherzog Friedrich),

Lieutenant Alajos Andréka (Adria).

On the Island of Lissa a few years later have established a Memorial Monument with a Lion to the memory of killed heroes of the battle. After the end of the I. World War the occupying Italian troops had took away this Monument with its base and re-established in the park of Naval Academy of Livorno so, that they covered the original epigraphs on the pedestal with marble tables with their own text.

In the last few years on the original site, in the cemetery near to Sveti Jerolim (San Girolamo) Grey Friars' Monastery on the small Prirovo Peninsula in the Bay of Lissa Island (Otok Vis) where the small town of Lissa (Vis) is situated, was established the replica of Lion Monument which can be visited.

Photos, drawings and paintings related to the Battle of Lissa

The original Monument of Lissa what the Italians after the I. World War as a prize transferred to Livorno and it is there with other epigraphs in the park of Italian Naval Academy.

The new Monument of Lissa, the replica of the original.

The epigraphs of the restored pedestal of the replica.

The Organisations who have made and permitted the restoration.

Eduard Nezbeda, 'Die Seeschlacht von Lissa, 1866'. Oil painting, 1911, private collection, Vienna. Portrayal of the triple-decker wooden battleship Kaiser (centre of picture) ramming the Italian ironclad Ré di Portogallo. The Kaiser suffered substantial damage in the engagement.

Coloured contemporary lithograph by F. Kollarz of the naval battle of Lissa, 20 July 1866.

'The Naval Battle between the Austrian and Italian Fleets, in the Adriatic', Harper's Weekly, New York, 1 September 1866, 549 (Reprinted 1898). Steel engraving print, showing the Imperial-Royal triple-decker wooden battleship Kaiser engaged in close gunfire with Italian ironclad Ré di Portogallo in the middle ground, and to the right the masts of the sinking Ré d'Italia can be seen.

Lissa, 1866, engraving, n.d., shows the Ré d'Italia sinking after being rammed by Tegetthoff's flagship, the Ferdinand Max. The damaged Imperial-Royal triple-decker Kaiser is seen in the central foreground.

C. Frederik Sorenson, 'Battle of Lissa'. Painting, Heeresgeschichtliches Museum, Vienna. Shows the Ré d'Italia sinking after being rammed by Tegetthoff's flagship, the Ferdinand Max.

Battle of Lissa 1866. Contemporary painting, showing the badly damaged and burning Imperial-Royal triple-decker Kaiser in the right of picture, and the Ré d'Italia in the centre being rammed by Tegetthoff's ironclad Ferdinand Max. On the left is the burning Italian ironclad Palestro.

Sinking of the Ré d'Italia. Contemporary lithograph, showing the sinking of the Italian flagship Ré d'Italia, with the Imperial-Royal Kaiser to right of picture, and in the foreground a group of survivors attempt to board rescue boats

The Ré d'Italia begins to roll over as Captain Sterneck, the commander of the Erzherzog Ferdinand Max backs out his ship of the hole he has torn in the side of the Italian ship Original painting.

Alex Kirchner, 'The Battle of Lissa 1866'. Original painting. View of survivors from the sunken Ré d'Italia waving for assistance as the Imperial-Royal frigate Ferdinand Max approaches under fire.

The Battle of Lissa. Painting / print showing a panorama of the battle, with the Ré d'Italia sinking in the left middle foreground and the Affondatore steaming by on the left

The Battle of Lissa. Painting / print showing a panorama of the battle.

The Battle of Lissa. Contemporary French print showing the Italian vessel Palestro blowing up, as survivors of the Ré d'Italia cling to flotsam and jetsam in the water.

'The Ré d'Italia sinking after being rammed by Tegetthoff's flagship the Ferdinand Max'. Painting.

Alex Kirchner's triptych. Three views are given, with the Battle of Helgoland 1864 on the left, the k.u.k. Fleet in the middle, and the Battle of Lissa 1866 on the right

Admiral Tegetthoff on the bridge of Erzherzog Ferdinand Max. Contemporary engraving.

Anton Romako, 'Tegetthoff in der Seeschlacht von Lissa' Tegetthoff at the naval battle of Lissa, Osterreich Galerie, Wien. Contemporary painting

Battle of Lissa 1866, chromolithograph postcard

The Italian stream frigate Prince Umberto rescuing sailors from the wreck of the Ré d'Italia.

The triple-decker Kaiser after the battle of Lissa. Contemporary photo.

'The wooden ship-of-line Kaiser after the battle of Lissa'. Contemporary photo. Shows damage to the vessel in the form of a lost foremast and bowsprit. It is possible this photograph was taken whilst the vessel was at anchor off Lissa immediately after the battle.

The Italian fleet at Ancona following the battle at Lissa. Contemporary photo.

The ironclad Erzherzog Ferdinand Max, after the battle of Lissa'. Contemporary photo.

The "S.M.S. Bellona" - Launched in Pola in 1858 as the "Kaiser", it took part in the battle of Lissa. From 1902, and after refitting, it became the "Bellona", with a complement of 904 and top speed of 12 knots

The Imperial-Royal Fleet at Pola', end 1866 / early 1867. Contemporary photo. Showing the frigate Schwarzenberg in centre of picture, the Erzherzog Ferdinand Max to the left, at the Kaiser at anchor in the left background.