29 – Polar Assault
Polar, a historic city that dates back to the Roman era, is located on the Istrian Peninsula of the Austrian Empire. It has been a significant port in the Mediterranean since ancient times.
It’s no wonder that Polar, with its land embracing the sea with its outstretched hands, and an island like a bridle blocking the entrance, had the natural conditions to become a harbor itself. With the rich resources of Illyria and the northeastern part of Italy behind it, Polar was also well-positioned to develop as a coastal city.
Austria recognized its importance and developed Polar as a crucial port since the Napoleonic Wars. A massive shipyard, naval bases, and docks were established, and even a summer villa for the imperial family was built on the nearby Brioni Island. The Empire valued Polar greatly.
During the Ottoman-Egyptian War, the Italian Peninsula War, the Schleswig War, the Boer War, the Cretan Uprising, and the Second Balkan War, the Austrian Navy used Polar as a major operational base.
This war was no different.
The Austrian Navy gathered its main warships in Polar, which was more suitable for defense than the exposed Trieste, and sent its fleet to the Adriatic Sea to confront the French.
“How can we deal with them?”
The French Navy wanted to eliminate the Austrian warships in Polar, but as long as they guarded the entrance and had the Franz Emperor Fortress and about ten fortresses on both sides of the mainland, direct attack was impossible.
Even the British Navy, which boasted to be the strongest in the world, couldn’t do it.
But the French couldn’t just shake their heads and move on. They were not in a good position. They had to cover the entire Mediterranean alone since Britain did not participate, and they also had to worry about the Atlantic.
To create some leeway, they needed to deliver a significant blow that the Austrian Navy would not be able to recover from.
Young French officers came up with an idea after much deliberation.
“If we can’t push in with our main fleet, what if we use small torpedo boats, like minelaying ships, to launch a surprise attack on Polar?”
“A mine warfare?”
During the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese Navy had successfully tormented the fortified Port Arthur with torpedo boats. Hadn’t the German Navy done something similar in the Baltic Sea?
“There’s nothing we can’t do, but isn’t it too risky?”
“At least not in Polar.”
To enter the bay, Paula had to pass through a long entranceway, which was completely different from the conditions that Lucy and Lushun had faced.
So, just like gambling with luck, launching a torpedo attack was no different.
When the admirals mentioned this point and expressed their refusal, the officers suggested using a submarine that had been considered as auxiliary power.
“A submarine?”
“But isn’t that reckless?”
If it was a submarine, it wasn’t completely impossible. It seemed possible to infiltrate if they made good use of the nighttime.
From Noble mtl dot com
“There are officers who are willing to take risks for their homeland. If there is determination and possibility, isn’t it something we should try? Remember that we don’t have much room for error.”
Many admirals expressed doubt about the success of this operation and showed a skeptical reaction. However, by raising the hands of the officers of the Shosanpa, Admiral Louis Joseph Pibet, the Chief of Naval Operations, decided on the Polar attack.
The decision of the Chief of Naval Operations was also significantly influenced by the active activities of German submarines in the Baltic Sea.
Four Flavius-class submarines were prepared for the operation.
More advanced and powerful submarines like the Brumena Krone and Gustav Zede were either in the Atlantic or in the process of training crew members, so the Flavius-class was the only one that the Mediterranean Fleet could use.
The advantage was that even if they mobilized multiple submarines at the same time, they had enough number of submarines to not cause any problems.
On September 14th, the French submarine fleet set sail from Toulon and arrived at Otranto, Italy. During this process, one submarine had caused a problem, so there were only three ships that entered the port.
During the 24-hour grace period allowed by Italy, the submarine fleet refueled and filled up with water, gave the crew members a rest, and then set sail from Otranto, crossing the Adriatic Sea.
On September 18th, they met with the fleet that had been blockading the Otranto Strait and exchanged information about the movements of the Austrian fleet.
On September 20th, the submarines reached their final destination, the Istria Peninsula, but encountered an unexpected obstacle. The strong currents flowing at the entrance of the bay leading to Polar were the problem.
The tidal currents in the bay, which occurred with the ebb and flow, were so strong that the submarines couldn’t even move properly.
“The currents are too strong. There’s a risk of being swept away and running aground. This won’t do. Let’s turn back.”
Especially inside Polar, where the difference in water level was particularly severe, the problem was even more serious than expected. One of the submarine commanders, who thought that the problem was more difficult than anticipated, expressed the intention to give up the attack.
“If the captain says so, there’s no choice. We’ll turn back.”
No matter how much I thought about it, going in alone seemed too risky.
However, the aggressive commanders saw the danger as an opportunity. They believed that by utilizing the strong current, they could minimize their exposure time and enter the strait.
The captains of the two ships launched their attack.
On September 22nd, two French submarines boldly pushed forward, taking advantage of the darkness, and headed towards Pola. The French submarines stayed submerged for nearly an hour, but the Austrians failed to notice that enemy warships were approaching.
It was an act of arrogance to think they could enter the strait where fortresses were built on both sides.
“So, this is Pola? They’ve built a military port in such an impressive place.”
As they passed through a narrow and long passage, they saw a large island and fortress blocking the final entrance to the strait. Destroyers stood guard on both sides, ready to defend against any potential intruders.
The French submarines finally submerged and passed beneath the destroyers.
And what lay inside the strait was truly a breathtaking sight. In the vast expanse of the circular sea, the Austrian fleet was anchored in an orderly manner, displaying their majestic presence.
There were so many Austrian ships that the French submarines hesitated to fire torpedoes.
But it didn’t take long for them to find valuable targets for their torpedoes.
The Austrians had strategically anchored four of their latest battleships near the shade of the island, presumably to strike down any enemies entering the port. Thanks to this arrangement, the submarines had an easier task.
The French submarines confirmed their targets and opened their torpedo tubes.
“Fire!”
*
The Berlin Imperial Palace, capital of the German Empire.
A new officer entered the room and saluted. It wasn’t the usual adjutant, but a naval officer in uniform.
When I gestured, the naval officer briskly walked over and presented a report. It was rare for the navy to report anything to me unless a battleship was severely damaged.
I quickly scanned the contents and furrowed my brows.
“So, French submarines entered Pola and destroyed Austrian battleships?”
It was a shocking story.
All of the main battleships of the Polarian Austrian Navy were anchored here. If they could neutralize this place, the Allied forces’ operations in the Mediterranean would practically come to an end.
Of course, Pola was thoroughly fortified. They had even deployed a destroyer at the entrance, taking lessons from the Russo-Japanese War. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that they had done everything they could for defense. So, the fact that a submarine had penetrated such a place was mind-boggling.
In the previous chapter, France had touched the port of Kotor, which borders Montenegro, but they had never attacked Pola. It was somewhat bewildering to see France coming out like this.
“Could it be that France is desperate because England is not intervening?”
The contents of the report were even more absurd.
It just so happened that the most powerful pre-dreadnought battleships, SMS Tegatoff and SMS Prinz Eugen, had been hit by torpedoes. For the Austrian Navy, which possessed a total of thirteen battleships combining pre-dreadnought and dreadnought classes, it was a loss that they couldn’t handle.
They couldn’t challenge the superiority of the French Mediterranean fleet until these two new battleships returned to the front line.
Now, the French Navy could effectively blockade the Mediterranean more than before.
I couldn’t stand seeing that.
“Even if we have to endure some losses, we can’t let France act as it pleases.”
It would be difficult for the Habsburg Empire to leave the Mediterranean in such a precarious situation. Italy would take advantage of that.
After a moment of thought, I spoke to the naval officer.
“Tell Admiral Tirpitz to come to me within an hour.”
Fortunately, Admiral Tirpitz was in Berlin, so he didn’t have to worry alone.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Exactly one hour later, Admiral Tirpitz arrived, looking somewhat intimidating. I asked him about our response to this incident.
“As Your Majesty is well aware, the East African forces led by General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck have landed and turned the island of Madagascar upside down.”
I remembered hearing a somewhat hopeful story that the colonial forces of Madagascar had suffered a major defeat in the hands of Vorbeck, and that we might be able to gain control of the island.
“That one demonstration terrified the French. If Madagascar collapsed against a small African army, what would they think if an Eastern fleet invaded the Red Sea?”
The Eastern fleet.
Objectively speaking, the Eastern fleet was not particularly large in scale. It might have made a decent impression in the Far East, where the great powers did not have large fleets, but it would be difficult to be taken seriously near the Mediterranean.
However, in a situation where even one more ship was lacking, the value of the Eastern fleet completely changed.
Only then could I understand the Minister’s thoughts.
“They must be trembling in fear. Blocking the Suez Canal means weakening the connection with the Eastern colonies.”
Due to the opening of the Panama Canal in August 1914, complete blockade was impossible, but even blocking the Suez Canal alone could shake the French colonial empire.
“That’s right. The French will find a way to split their fleet and respond to Schuppe.”
Wéiwéigūowéijiùzhāo. It is a Chinese idiom that means to surround the state of Wèi to save the state of Zhào. Tirpitz planned to pressure the Red Sea to relieve Austria’s burden.
“Assuming we get the reaction we want, what about the logistics of the Eastern fleet? Can we rely on our colonies in Africa?”
The African colonies were underdeveloped and had very few facilities for anchoring cruisers. There was no possibility of repair or maintenance, and coal supply was not easy.
“We plan to purchase coal from neutral countries.”
Are you planning to get cooperation from the Netherlands or Portugal?
“For the time being, it seems like a good plan. But if Schuppe is driven out or if Britain becomes an enemy, the situation will worsen, won’t it?”
“I have thought about that as well. What if we move our submarines in the North Sea to Trieste and Pola?”
Deploy our submarines in the Mediterranean.
There were submarine units in Austria, but they did not inspire much confidence.
In the previous episode, a submarine unit for Mediterranean operations was organized in June 1915. If we advance this plan, the burden on the negotiating countries will increase.
The more I thought about Tirpitz’s proposal, the more cunning it seemed. If we could make this plan successful, it would not only relieve Austria’s burden but also give us control over the Eastern Mediterranean. I had one question in mind.
“How are we going to move the submarines?”
“The large submarines will be transported through the Strait of Gibraltar, and the small submarines will be dismantled and moved by rail.”
That seemed reasonable.
“I urge you to proceed actively.”
I decided to give support to Tirpitz’s plan.