Bombardment of Ancona

Austro-Hungarian dreadnoughts at Pula

Date	23–24 May 1915
Location	Ancona and surrounding seas and islands, Adriatic Sea
Result	Austro-Hungarian victory

Belligerents

Austria-Hungary

Italy

Strength

3 dreadnought battleships
8 pre-dreadnought battleships
2 light cruisers
9+ destroyers
8+ torpedo boats

1 destroyer
2 airships
1 flying boat

Casualties and losses

unknown human casualties,
light damage sustained by fleet

63 dead,
1 destroyer damaged,
1 airship damaged,
Severe damage to civilian infrastructure and coastal military installations

The Bombardment of Ancona was a naval engagement of the Adriatic Campaign of World War I between the navies of Italy and Austria-Hungary. Forces of the Imperial and Royal Navy attacked and bombarded military and civilian targets all across Ancona in central Italy and several other nearby islands and communities in response to Italy's declaration of war on Austria-Hungary.

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 and torpedo boat Tb 53T bombarded the port of Ancona. The destroyer SMS Lika, 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 Turbine. A small duel commenced with Lika coming out as the victor, damaging the enemy destroyer.

The next day on May 24, the majority of the Austrian fleet at Pula steamed for the Adriatic coast of Italy. This included the dreadnoughts SMS Viribus Unitis, Tegetthoff, Prinz Eugen and eight pre-dreadnoughts. 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.

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