Four older Austro-Hungarian destroyers attacked drifters patrolling the Otranto Barrage while six larger French destroyers were escorting a convoy nearby. Only Casque and Commandant Rivière initially engaged because reliable radio coordination was lacking. When Italian reinforcements arrived in darkness, Giuseppe Cesare Abba rammed Casque and Boutefeu then rammed the Italian destroyer. Three damaged Allied ships required towing while the smaller Austro-Hungarian force escaped, making command and identification failures more damaging than enemy fire.
Chapter · 1:39:01-1:44:08
A night destroyer clash defeats itself
Four smaller Austro-Hungarian destroyers escape six French opponents after communications failures and collisions disrupt the Allied response.