Why Durazzo resists a simple victory or defeat label

Allied cruisers and destroyers attempted to place the retreating Austro-Hungarian force between groups led by Dartmouth and Nino Bixio. Lika had already sunk, while Triglav was disabled by earlier mine damage before the later surface action. Attributing Triglav's eventual loss chiefly to the minefield changes the assessment of that action, although there is still a case for including it among the battle losses. The Allies had also lost the submarine Monge, a steamer and a sailing vessel during the raid, while cruisers on both sides would suffer damage. If the Austro-Hungarian aim after the mine strikes was to withdraw and the surviving ships did so, their escape supports an argument against treating the action as a clear Allied victory. Allied control of the sea after the withdrawal offers a competing basis for claiming success. The verdict depends on how the raid and subsequent pursuit are distinguished and which operational aims are being judged.