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{{Short description|Naval engagement of the Adriatic Campaign of World War I}}
{{more citations needed|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Bombardment of Ancona
| partof = [[World War I]]
| image = File:Ramberg - Bombarding of Ancona, 1915, HGM, 2017-03-08.jpg
| image_size = 300px
| caption = ''Bombarding of Ancona'' by August von Ramberg
| date = 23–24 May 1915
| place = [[Province of Ancona|Ancona]], [[Adriatic Sea]]
| coordinates = 
| result = Austro-Hungarian victory
| combatant1 = {{flagcountry|Austria-Hungary}}
| combatant2 = {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Italy}}
| commander1 = 
| commander2 = 
| strength1 = 3 dreadnought battleships <br /> 8 pre-dreadnought battleships <br /> 2 scout cruisers <br /> 9+ destroyers <br /> 8+ torpedo boats
| strength2 = 1 destroyer <br /> 2 airships <br/> 1 flying boat
| casualties1 = Unknown killed
| casualties2 = 63 killed <br /> 1 destroyer damaged <br /> 1 airship damaged
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Mediterranean Sea 1914-1918}}
}}
[[File:Ancona mappa.png|thumb|Map of the province of Ancona.]]

The '''Bombardment of Ancona''' was a naval engagement of the [[Adriatic Campaign of World War I]] between the navies of [[Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)|Italy]] and [[Austria-Hungary]]. Forces of the [[Austro-Hungarian Navy|Imperial and Royal Navy]] attacked and bombarded military and civilian targets all across [[Province of Ancona|Ancona]] in [[central Italy]] and several other nearby islands and communities in response to Italy's declaration of war on Austria-Hungary.

== Prelude ==
When Italy declared war against Austria-Hungary on 23 May 1915, the Austrian fleet was quick to react; the navy launched several attacks on the [[Marche]] region of Italy. That day, the [[destroyer]] {{SMS|Dinara||6}} and [[torpedo boat]] ''[[Tb 53T]]'' bombarded the port of Ancona. The destroyer {{SMS|Lika||6}}, on a [[reconnaissance]] mission between [[Palagruža]] and [[Cape Gargano]], shelled the [[semaphore]] and radio station at [[Vieste]]. Defending those waters at the time was the Italian destroyer {{Ship|Italian destroyer|Turbine|1901|2}}. A small duel commenced with ''Lika'' coming out as the [[victory|victor]], damaging the enemy destroyer.

== Raid ==
[[File:Advance of the Austro-Hungarian torpedo destroyer “Scharfschütze” into the Corssini Canal on May 24 1915.png|thumb|''Advance of the Austro-Hungarian torpedo destroyer “Scharfschütze” into the Corssini Canal on May 24 1915'' (German illustration)]]
The next day, 24 May, the majority of the Austrian fleet at [[Pula|Pola]] steamed for the [[Adriatic Sea|Adriatic]] coast of Italy. This included the [[dreadnought]]s {{SMS|Viribus Unitis}}, {{SMS|Tegetthoff|1912|2}}, {{SMS|Prinz Eugen|1912|2}} and eight [[pre-dreadnought]]s. Other Austro-Hungarian ships were already in enemy waters or proceeding to the Ancona coast themselves. The fleet bombarded several of the Italian coastal cities and other targets in and around the Province of Ancona, especially damaging the city of Ancona.

SMS ''Tegetthoff'' and the destroyer {{SMS|Velebit}} shelled the Italian [[airship]] [[M.2 Città di Ferrara|''Città di Ferrara'']] off Ancona. The pre-dreadnought {{SMS|Radetzky|1909|6}} and two torpedo boats bombarded [[Potenza Picena]], then returned to Pola naval base. The pre-dreadnought {{SMS|Zrínyi||6}}—along with two more torpedo boats—bombarded [[Senigallia]], destroying a [[train]] and damaging a [[railway station]] and a bridge, before returning to Pola. The torpedo boat {{SMS|Tb 3||6}} was unsuccessfully bombed by an Italian [[flying boat]].

Austrian [[scout cruiser]] {{SMS|Admiral Spaun||6}} bombarded the Italian [[signal station]] at [[Cretaccio Island]], while {{SMS|Sankt Georg||6}}—with two torpedo boats—shelled [[Rimini]], damaging a [[freight train]]. The destroyer {{SMS|Streiter||6}} attacked the signal station near [[Torre di Mileto]]. The light cruiser {{SMS|Novara|1912|6}}, a destroyer and two torpedo boats entered [[Corsini Channel]] and shelled an Italian torpedo boat station, another semaphore station, and few batteries of [[coastal artillery]].

The scout cruiser {{SMS|Helgoland|Austria-Hungary|6}}—supported by four destroyers—ran into the Italian destroyer ''Turbine'', in a [[pitched battle]] south of [[Pelagosa]]. The destroyer {{SMS|Tátra||6}} shelled the railway embankment near [[Manfredonia]] while the destroyer {{SMS|Csepel||6}} shelled the Manfredonia railway station. Finally Austro-Hungarian flying boats dropped [[Ammunition#Ordnance ammunition|ordnance]] on [[Venice]] and seaplane [[hangar]]s at [[Chiaravalle, Marche|Chiaravalle]].¨

== Aftermath  ==
Heavy damage was inflicted by the Austrian navy, and 63 people, both Italian military and civilian personnel, died in Ancona alone.<ref>''Grga Novak, Jadransko more u sukobima i borbama kroz stoljeća'', book 2, Split, 2004 {{in lang|hr}}</ref> The dome of [[Ancona Cathedral]] was damaged, too. Austrian casualties were light. The war in the Adriatic Sea continued, culminating in a large Allied [[blockade]] to prevent the Austro-Hungarian fleet from leaving the Adriatic. The "[[Otranto Barrage]]" would be raided by the Austro-Hungarians several times throughout the war, but major Austro-Hungarian warships rarely left the bases after this raid.

== Notes ==
{{reflist}}
{{coord|43|41|9|N|13|33|9|E|type:waterbody|display=title}}

== Bibliography ==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book | editor-last=Gardiner|editor-first=Robert|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921|location=[[Annapolis, Maryland]]|publisher=[[Naval Institute Press]]|year=1985| isbn=978-0-87021-907-8|oclc=12119866}}
* {{cite book | last=Tarrant|first=V. E.|title=The U-Boat Offensive: 1914–1945|location=Annapolis, Maryland|publisher=Naval Institute Press|year=1989|isbn=978-0-87021-764-7|oclc=20338385}}
* {{cite book | last=Baumgartner|first=Lothar|author2=Erwin Sieche|title=Die Schiffe der k.(u.)k. Kriegsmarine im Bild=Austro-Hungarian warships in photographs|language=German|location=[[Vienna|Wien]]|publisher=Verlagsbuchhandlung Stöhr|year=1999|isbn=978-3-901208-25-6|oclc=43596931}}
* {{cite book | first=Thomas L.|last=Sakmyster|authorlink=Thomas L. Sakmyster|title=Hungary's Admiral on Horseback|publisher=East European Monographs|location=Boulder, CO|year=1994|isbn=0-88033-293-X}}
* {{cite book | first=John Flournoy|last=Montgomery|title=The Unwilling Satellite|location=New York| publisher=The Devin-Adair Company|year=1947|isbn=1-931313-57-1}}
* {{cite book | authorlink=Owen Rutter|first=Owen|last=Rutter|title=Regent of Hungary: The Authorized Life of Admiral Nicholas Horthy|location=London|publisher=Rich and Cowan|year=1938}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927222605/http://www.naval-history.net/WW1CampaignsSerbia.htm Serbia, Balkans & Macedonia 1914–18]
* [http://worldatwar.net/chandelle/v1/v1n2/adriatic.html Combined Operations in the Adriatic, 1915–18]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20011128080426/http://www.geocities.com/tegetthoff66/main.html Tegetthoff class dreadnoughts&nbsp;– the primary online source for this topic since 1998]
* [http://www.naval-history.net/WW1NavyAustrian.htm Austro-Hungarian Navy]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bombardment Of Ancona}}
[[Category:Naval battles of World War I involving Austria-Hungary|Ancona]]
[[Category:Naval battles of World War I involving Italy|Ancona]]
[[Category:Mediterranean naval operations of World War I|Ancona]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1915|Ancona]]
[[Category:Naval bombing operations and battles|Ancona]]
[[Category:May 1915 events]]
[[Category:History of Ancona]]