The Italian Adriatic Fleet 1915-18
by Enrico Cernuschi; Osprey

This 80 page title is the latest in Osprey's Fleet Series and covers a topic hitherto neglected in English. Divided into;
The Fleet's Purpose
The Fleet's Fighting Power
How the Fleet Operated
Combat and Analysis
it is an interesting if somewhat abbreviated account of Italy's WW1 naval operations. One matter not generally known is that pre-1915 France was regarded as the most likely enemy (Austro-Hungary was an Italian treaty partner at this time). The text briefly covers the path to war trumpetered by the fascists who would later propel Mussolini to power.

It describes the Fleet's makeup, its shortcomings in larger ships and its successful adoption of what would later be called "coastal forces", which came to dominate the restricted waters of the Adriatic, in which there were only fleet skirmishes. It mentions the use of very large floating batteries but frustratingly gives little real detail and also summarises Italy's poor industrial base when it came to shipbuilding (Italy was largely dependent on British coal for the entire war).

Until early in the 1900's the AH navy was actually part of the army and this, together with the ramshackle government in Vienna and Budapest, no doubt hampered its development. At the same time political manouvreing in the Italian navy disrupted its operations, which nevertheless eventually proved successful. The author is quite dismissive of British and French ships at the Otranto Barrage (let's face it nobody much likes the poms) and makes much of Italy's intelligence services op's during and immediately after the war (where did they go by 1940?).

Recommended.