THE NAVAL ACTION OF LISSA.

Southland Times, Issue 573, 3 October 1866, Page 3

THE NAVAL ACTION OF LISSA.

The Patrie, under date of Vienna, July 22, publishes the following account of the action between the Italian and the Austrian squadrons in the Adriatic : — " Admiral Tegethoff, the same who on May 12, 1864, had to retire before the brave little squadron of the Danes in the action of Heligoland, was on board the armor-plated frigate, Archduke Maximilian, lying off the port of Pola, when a signal from a sloop which had been sent to cruise denoted some movement of importance. There were then under stes m only two wooden ships of the line, the

Kaiser, three-decker, and a two-decker, and an iron-plated frigate. "With this moderate force the admiral put to sea, and was joined soon after by several armored gunboats. When in sight of Zara he received intelligence that the Italian fleet, comprising twenty-three vessels, most of them iron-plated, were about to attack Lissa. Three other vessels, of which two had belonged to the fleet of the Austrian Lloyd's, but had recently been com r erted into vessels of war, and an armored corvette, joined the admiral's squadron. This force, of which the three-decked Kaiser formed the centre, took up its station at some distance from Lissa, the guns of which town had, on the previous evening, crippled an Italian armoured frigate. Upon the squadron coming into sight, the firing, both on sea and land, became appalling. Four Italian armored vessels, two frigates and two corvettes, bore down under full steam upon the Austrian three-decker. The action became furious, the tl raedecker, enveloped in smoke, appeared like some monstrous animal standing at bay against a pack of hounds. Her guuners, nearly all Dalmatians, and who were not under fire for the first time, replied to the broadsides of their antagonists by a fire less rapid, but better aimed. The admiral, seeing the danger in which that ship was placed, weit to its aid, and directed his own vessel at full speed upon one of the large Italian frigates. This frigate, already damaged at the water line, was stove in a little, above the deck. A great cry was heard, a loud clamor, an immense gulf seemed to open amid the waves, and then wide spreading circles were seen upon the surface of the water, which had again become smooth. The frigate had been swallowed up. Tts ent gulfment was, however, marked by a glorious episode. A half battalion of Bersagtieri, who were on board, climbed up into the tops, and, while holding on by the ropes, shouldered their rifles as on a parade ground, and sent a final volley upon the deck of the Archduke Maximilian. This parting farewell produced terrible effects — twenty killed and thirty wounded falling around the Admiral, who seemed to be invulnerable. Scarcely had this event been concluded, when a fearful explosion was heard. A shower of iron and wooden fragments, mingled with portions of human bodies, fell upon the decks of the vessels, and an immense wall of water appeared to rise up nejar the "Kaiser. The Austrian admiral then found that a hollow shot from one of the guns of the three-decker had caused the explosion of a second Italian frigate. Thus, two vessels were destroyed, two crews lost, besides other serious damages to the fleet. On board the Austrian ships the killed were numerous, among them being one of the most distinguished officers of the Austrian marine, the Irishman, Captain Eric O'Klin (sic). Trieste has been illuminated ; Spalatro, Zara, and Bagusa, which has furnished the fleet with many of its combatants, have been decked out with flags. This battlewill have a great moral effect, for it is mystery that in all the towns just mentioned there exists a party which is seeking to promote annexation to Italy. The Fatrie also contains the following letter from Milan, dated July 22 : — " The fleet has at last shaken off its immobility. After quitting the waters of Ancona it proceeded towards the island of Lissa, which it bombarded. The Austrian fleet, although inferior in number, offered battle to the Italian squadron. The information already received is very confused, but from despatches recently arrived we gather some interesting facts. It appears that on board the Austrian ships were embarked a number of Tyrolese sharpshooters, whose fire inflicted much damage ■to the Italians. Two of the Italian vessels are lost, but one the Palestro — although the official account is silent upon the pomt — was captured by the enemy, and was blown up by its crew rather than haul down its flag. Besides these two vessels lost, three others were entirely hors de combat. The action in its results was indecisive, but the retirement of the Austrians gave an appearance of victory to the Italians. One result of the action, howeveiv was to demonstrate the superiority of the French iron-plating over that of all other countries. The Italian squadron comprise several vessels built and plated in France, not one of which has suffered, notwithstanding the terrible fire of the Austrians. On the contrary, all the vessels constructed . in England are in a deplorable condition, and have their armor-plating apparel. The Bed Italia, which sank almost at a stroke, was a vessel of very large dimensions, quite new, and entirely constructed in English yards.