Austrians bombard Antivari

The British chronology of the war records under 1 March 1915 the bombardment of the Montenegrin port of Antivari, today’s Bar, by an Austro-Hungarian squadron. In reality it was a night raid by destroyers and torpedo boats. The ships left their base in the Bay of Kotor around midnight on 1–2 March, and the action in the port itself took place in the early hours of 2 March. It was the most serious Austro-Hungarian attack on Antivari so far.

Montenegro’s supply port

Antivari was the only important port of the Kingdom of Montenegro. Through it came the supplies sent by the Allies, above all grain, food and ammunition, on which the survival of the small state depended. That is why the port had been a target of the Austro-Hungarian Navy from the first days of the war. It had been shelled as early as August 1914, and on 16 August the French fleet sank the cruiser Zenta, which was blockading the coast, nearby. Further bombardments followed in September, October and November. In September the French landed guns at Antivari, which were then hauled up Mount Lovćen, above the Bay of Kotor.

The Austrians were also after the royal yacht Rumija, a gift from Sultan Abdul Hamid II to Prince, later King, Nicholas I. During the war the yacht carried troops and arms. According to Montenegrin historians, the Austrians had already tried to destroy it at least twice in February, without success.

The night raid

The operation was covered by the destroyers Csikós, Streiter and Ulan, while three torpedo boats, numbered 57, 66 and 67, entered the port. They were commanded by Linienschiffsleutnant Albert Heinz-Erian. The ships arrived off Antivari at about 2.30 a.m. One of the torpedo boats torpedoed the main wooden pier, which was completely destroyed. Another laid several mines in the port, and its men went ashore and set fire to the stores of grain delivered by the Allies. Two smaller supply ships were also destroyed.

Rumija lay abandoned by her crew. The Austrians cut her moorings and tried to tow the yacht away, but the weather was worsening. The commander therefore gave up the prize, and at about 3.45 a.m. torpedo boat 57 torpedoed the yacht from a range of about 200 metres. Rumija broke in two and sank. The Montenegrin artillery opened fire, but destroyed only a small boat towed by the raiders. The Austro-Hungarian ships returned to base without loss of life.

Significance

The raid showed how defenceless the Montenegrin coast was against a fleet stationed a few dozen kilometres away. The destruction of the pier and the stores hampered supplies to Montenegro, but did not stop them. Austria-Hungary confined itself to raids and did not try to take the port, although according to some historians it could have done so without much difficulty. The wreck of Rumija still lies on the bottom of the harbour at Bar, not far from the main breakwater.