Italian Adriatic Fleet 1915–18

Fiercely fought with all the latest weaponry of World War I, Italy’s Adriatic campaign is the forgotten war of the dreadnought era. Fully illustrated, this is its first history in English. Fought across the narrowest naval frontline of World War I, with almost daily combat, the Adriatic Sea was perhaps the war’s most active coastal naval campaign, yet it is barely known in the English-speaking world.

Although the two battle fleets never met, the Adriatic was ferociously fought over by Italy and Austro-Hungary’s cruisers, destroyers, torpedo boats and submarines. It was a war of hit-and-run attacks, port raids, blockades and evasions, convoy warfare, shore bombardments and amphibious operations. Renowned naval historian Enrico Cernuschi draws upon his decades of research to present the first complete history in English of Italy’s Adriatic naval war, and the fleets and flotillas that fought it.

The theatre saw successful use of new technology and tactics, including the first battleship to be sunk by torpedo, as well as extensive use of aircraft and flying boats. Packed with rare and unpublished photos, superb original artwork, 3D maps and diagrams, this book explores the Regia Marina’s warships, command structures, intelligence, relations with other Allied navies, as well as a thorough history of Adriatic naval actions, most of which have never been written about in English.