Hidden shore guns opened fire as the raiders left Durazzo, and the narrow route through the minefield made their course predictable. Tatra's propellers tore a mine loose, after which Lika suffered at least two explosions and sank. One tentative explanation is that some mines were chained together, allowing a disturbed mine to draw another into a ship's path; the arrangement remains disputed. Triglav struck another mine while attempting to help and was disabled after losing ten crew members. The force rescued all but 50 of Lika's crew and shifted the tow as one destroyer's propeller became fouled, reducing its speed to 20 knots. Balaton took over towing during the rescue effort. The slowed force needed cover, and Helgoland's request brought the armoured cruiser Kaiser Karl VI out from Cattaro.
Chapter · 27:32-30:12
At Durazzo, minefields turned a raid into a rescue problem
Leaving Durazzo through a predictable channel, the Tatra force struck mines that sank Lika, disabled Triglav and trapped the survivors in a slow withdrawal.