Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 303, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 December 1918 — AUSTRIAN NAVAL BASE DEMOLISHED [ARTICLE]

AUSTRIAN NAVAL BASE DEMOLISHED

Illinois SaHor Describes Feat of American, British and Itak ian Fleet. ALLIES HAVE NO CASUALTIES Mighty Base at Durazzo Is Laid In Ruins, Several Warships and at Least Four. Submarines Are Destroyed; Waukegan, nt—How the American, Italian and British sailors destroyed the enemy fleet and reduced Durazzo, Albania, the mighty Austrian naval base, to ruins, Is graphically told in an uncensored letter by George Miltimore of Waukegan, stationed on A United States submarine chaser, in a letter to Thomas H. McCann, as follows: “We are just returning from an attack we made on an Austrian port. American submarine chasers cooperated with allied marines in destroying a strong Austrian submarine reudlzlon and port of disembarkation. We left our base last week and put “A few days later we shoved off for Durazzo, an Albanian town captured early In the war by the Austrians and turned into an Austrian submarine babe and port of disembarkation for Austrian troops on their way to the Macedonian front. "We maneuvered over the fortifications for about an hour when the English light cruisers and destroyers and torpedo boats, with the Italian battleship, destroyers and torpedo boats and English and French submarines appeared on the horizon, hearing down 'on us at full speed. Our ship had the exceptional honor of being flagship of the squadron, which representecLUncle Sam in the scrap. "We were assigned to submarine and torpedo defense for the other ships, and were the first ship in line

and the first to draw fire from the land batteries. ' We were from two to three thousand yards' nearer the beach than the other ships, and the shqjls began dropping all around us and whizzing just' over our aerial. “One broadside from a battleship silenced the'Shore battery just about the time they had our range. Our bombardment started at noon and lasted about an hour and a half. The Austrian submarines came out and were Immediately attacked by our fast chasers. . , “In one attack, as a submarine came up for a sight, the second shot from a chaser cut his periscope clean off. “After a short run, dropping light depth charges on it, we blew the submarine clear out of the water. ’ “Another chaser pounced on another submarine as It was about to discharge a torpedo Into the fleet of warships and a few more ash cans (depth charges) sent one more Hun pirate and its crew on its final submergence. Still another unit of chasers saved at least two first-class 'destroyers from mines by cutting in across their bow and sinking mines by gunfire which lay dend ahead In the destroyer’s course. At times during the bombardment, when we would be in a certain position as a broadside was being delivered, the concussion would be great enough to roll our light' craft as though In a heavy sea. When the bombardment

was finished, the whole allied fleet steamed back to open sea, while the United States chasers remained’ and., kept up’ the defense until It was obvious np more submarines were forthcoming. “We soon got Into formation and under full speed headed out to sea and picked up the main fleet. The town of Durazzo was bombed by planes from 5 a. m. every half hour until after we finished. The results were as follows: One big Austrian transport sunk and two large supply ships;, one large Austrian destroyer and one torpedoboat; at least four submarines Sunk and one Austrian plane brought down. Our whole fleet returned intact, with no casualties, and Durazzo Is no' more. We intercept eu an Austrian nos* diets aboard who were wounded during the ,eariy bombardment. “It appears that some were just leaving the transport and others v-«re stationed in the town when they met their fate. There were a «jntimber of nurses.aboard and when they saw the United States chasers they rushed to the rail to wave to the American eobs.” “We turned the ship free afterward and let it proceed back to the Austrians, even though the crew and nurses seemed quite pleased at being made prisoners by the Americans. “This scheme was brought about tain and commander in charge of this ™ £ en’onzT ana nas enougn reserve here. HeTw Statel navy man and hero of the Spanlsh-Ameri* can .ar,"