11 July 1915: Operation of landing at Pelagosa

11/07/15

the operation of landing on Pelagosa Island (today Palagruža, Croatia) of a ward of 90 sailors starting from Brindisi under command of Lieutenant Alberto da Zara, to whom they take part, starts from Brindisi

- the explorer Marsala, flagship (rear admiral Enrico Millo, commander of the operation);

- the Quarto in support of the auxiliary cruiser Città di Palermo which carries the landing section and the materials for the installation of an RT station;

- the destroyers Animoso, Ardente, Ardito and Audace of the 1st Squadron, destined to escort the Quarto and to transport the avant-garde squads in charge of taking land and creating landing heads on the S (Zadlo) and NW (Stara Vlaka) beaches of island;

- the destroyer Strale and the deep-sea torpedo boats Airone, Arpia, Astore, Cassiopea, Centauro, Clio intended for preventive dredging of the waters in front of the beach of Zadlo;

- the French destroyers Bisson, Bouclier, Commandant Riviére and Magon, destined to escort the Marsala and to carry out the offensive reconnaissance of the anchorages on the island of Lagosta, with cutting of the telegraph cables.

The remote support is provided by the armored cruisers Giuseppe Garibaldi and Varese, while the submarine Velella is lurking in the waters of Pelagosa, the Nereide in those in front of Punta Planka and the French Monge guards the access to Cattaro.

The operation succeeds perfectly: on the island six light-keepers are taken prisoner, after a few hours the various naval groups return to Brindisi, the landing department is left to garrison while the submarine Velella remains lurking in the waters around the island.

Source: Military Navy