10th February 1918 On this day:  Move to Biggin Hill Daily Activity   9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers. Front quiet except for occasional shelling. One man wounded by enemy sniper. War Diaries The Bakar Mockery 1918   The Bakar mockery (Italian Beffa di Buccari) was an escapade of the Italian Navy (Regia Marina) in the last year of World War I. Whilst it had little material effect on the war at sea, it was a particularly bold venture which had a welcome effect on Italian morale. This was at a low ebb following the defeat at Caporetto a few months previously. Background In World War I, Italy was allied to France and Britain against the Central Powers, Austria-Hungary and Germany. Italy’s campaign on land against the Austrian army had been stalemated for two and a half years, with little movement, though at the cost of huge casualties. At sea an equality with the Austro-Hungarian Navy in capital ships had led to a deadlock, with neither side wishing to risk their loss. The war in the Adriatic Sea was a contest between small ships with night raids and patrols leading to losses from mines and submarines. In this arena, the Italian Navy had developed a commando force of fast torpedo boats, the MAS, which attracted men with a buccaneering spirit. In November 1917 the deadlock was upset by an Austrian offensive supported by German forces made available by the collapse of the Russian front. In the battle of Caporetto the Italian army was defeated and in a period of three weeks the front was pushed back 50 miles to within striking distance of Venice. Action The Bakar raid was conceived by the Italians as an attack on Austrian shipping in the harbour at Buccari (now Bakar, in Croatia). As it lay 80 km inside a sheltered waterway, it was thought to be beyond attack, so the raid was intended as a psychological, as well as a physical, assault. The operation was led by Capitano di Fregata Costanzo Ciano and comprised three MAS boats, with a total crew of 30 men. One of the boats, MAS 96, was commanded by Lt Luigi Rizzo, who later led the assault on the battleship SMS Szent István off Premuda. Also on board was Gabriele D’Annunzio, the poet. On 10 February 1918 the three MAS boats, under tow by torpedo boats to conserve fuel, escorted by two destroyers and a scout, set out from their base. After 14 hours sailing, at 2200, they entered the Farasina channel, a waterway between Istria and the island of Cherso (now Cres). Several hours later, having evaded Austrian patrols and the shore batteries at Porto Re (now Kraljevica), the flotilla arrived outside the Bay. The MAS boats slipped their tows and entered as their escort withdrew. At about a mile from the target, the MAS switched from petrol engines to silenced electrical engines for the final approach. Closing with their targets the three fired their torpedoes, launching a total of six. However their boldness was not rewarded and the torpedoes scored no hits. Five of them became entangled in nets or otherwise failed to explode, while the sixth exploded harmlessly, slightly damaging a freighter and raising the alarm. Despite the alert, however the MAS boats were able to escape and, making a dash down the channel, regained the open sea where they were re-united with their escort. Aftermath <> Despite the lack of material success, the raid was a considerable fillip to Italian morale, as well as a psychological blow to the Austrians. In this it resembled the Doolittle raid on Tokyo in the Second World War and was a prelude to the Flight over Vienna, D’Annunzio’s air raid on the Austrian capital. The Bakar Mockery was celebrated in several booklets at the time and was heavily publicized by D’Annunzio, who realised its propaganda value. John Doran    CLOSE SUPPORT ARLEUX SECTOR L1 Weather fine, visibility rather poor owing to ground mist. No aerial activity. Enemy shelled back areas special attention being paid to TUNNEL DUMP. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1  Church Parade  Working Parties  Football Match    Reorganisation  Shelling  Reliefs Complete  Reliefs  Reorganisation  Reliefs  Working Parties  A Large Explosion  Training  Reorganisation Complete  Reliefs  Test  In Reserve  Reinforcements  On the March  On the March  Dull Day  Training  Enemy Active    Orders  Orders        Intelligence  Reorganisation  New RFC Squadron formed  Reinforcements  Church  Slight enemy shelling.  Wire Bombarded  Operational Order 6/18.  Reliefs  156th Infantry Brigade Order No.28.  Result of Test Call for Artillery Barrages Can you add to this factual information? Do you know the whereabouts of a unit on a particular day? Do you have a copy of an official war diary entry? Details of an an incident? The loss of a ship? A letter, postcard, photo or any other interesting snipts? If your information relates only to an individual, eg. enlistment, award of a medal or death, please use this form: Add a story.

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Want to know more about 10th of February 1918? There are:43 items tagged 10th of February 1918 available in our Library   These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.

Remembering those who died this day, 10th of February 1918. Leading Boatman Amsden. Eastcliff Coastguard Station H.M. Coastguard Read their Story. Pte. Walter Ashby. 7th Btn. South Staffordshire Regiment Read their Story. Able Sea. William Thomas Boyle. HMTB 92 Read their Story. Pte. Charles Cox. B Coy. 37th Btn. Read their Story. Gnr. Herbert Rennie Ferndale. att. 11th Trench Mortar Brigade 41st Btn. Hermann Georg Rudolph Knostmann. Read their Story. Add a name to this list.

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