Page 65 - Adriatico 1848. Ricerca e significato della contrapposizione marittima - Atti 25 settembre 1998

THE AUSTRIAN NAVY IN THE ADRIATIC SEA IN THE REVOI.UTIONARY YEAR 1848 55

In March 1849 the Danish commoclore Dahlerllp with over 40 years of pro-
fessional naval experience was appointecl vice-aclmiral ancl high-commancler of
the Allstrian navy. Be l'mll1c1 this navy small ancl weak. Nevertheless ancl upon an
imperial orcler he began to organise with the austrian naval sqllaclron, whose clirect
commancl he took himsell', ami in combination with the Austrian lancl forces on
the terraferma, a successl'ul blockacle 01' the ports 01' the stili revolutionary Republic
of Venice. At the same time he began his motivatecl work of reformation ancl reor-
ganisation 01' the austrian navy.
Meanwhile the armistice with Austria hacl been enclecl by Sarclinia in march
1849 ami the battle against the austrians was taken up again. But alreacly three
clays later on the 23rcl uncler the commancl 01' fielcl-marshal Racletzky the austrian
troops won a clecicling victory at Novara, by which lhe war with Sarclinia was
enc1ec\ anc\ a peace reachec\ ancl signecl. The combinecl Italian f1eet also leI' t the
Ac\riatic waters, in which they hacl stayecl up lo now.
Fielcl-marshal Racletzky now requirec\ l'rom lhe austrian t1eet to conquer the
port of Ancona, the capitai 01' the republican party in the Marche. Vice-aclmiral
Dahlemp sailecl wilh lhree austrian fregates ancl two war steamers as well as with
one regiment of German infantry on boarcl lo Ancona. Apart from some exchan-
ge 01' gunshots between the Austrian squaclron ancllhe sea l'ortress of Ancona no
further attacks were macle by the austrians because Ancona provecl to be too strong
and too well furnished with artillery.
Vice-aclmiral Dahlerup therefore retllrnecl with his naval squaclron to the
waters 01' Venice, where the blockacle ring \Vas further closecl ancl ma de so clense,
that even small boats 01' the venetians cOlllc\ not cross the blockacle lines. Also the
launch 01' a Venetian fire-ship against the AlIslrian fregale Venere remainecl, due
to a quick ancl able escape-manouvre 01' its caplain, wilhout successo 'l'ili AuguSl
1849 the situalion in the blockaclecl Venice hacl grown so clifficult, that the city 01'
the lagoons capitulatecl on August 22nc\.
Part 01' the capitulation conclitions was the surrencler 01' ali naval materia I by
the Venetians on one sicle ancl a generai parclon l'or ali clesertecl non commissio-
necl officers :1I1c1 crews by Austria on the opther sicle. The Austrian navy took over
a l'ew fregates uncler construction in the arsenal, three big ancl two small corvet-
tes, a l'ew steamers ancl a number 01' lagoon boats 01' various sizes.
01' these ship the best were taken over into the service 01' the Austrian navy,
which then possessecl 31 major ships insLead 01' 26 maior ships before the begin-
ning 01' the revolulion in Venice. As now also lhe Auslrian politicians in Vienna
better realisecl the importance 01' a strong navy, a few more small war-steamers
coulcl be bought. Even il' this increasecl lotal number 01' ships clicl not satis[y the
wicle-span intentions 01' the navy ancl high-commancler the number 01' ships was
clearly increasecl agains"t the number in the pre-revolutionary times.
As many of the venetian officers :l11d decksmen dici not rejoin the Austrian