SMS Helgoland (1912)

[4] In late 1915, the Austro-Hungarian Navy began a series of raids against the merchant ships supplying Allied forces in Serbia and Montenegro.

On the night of 22/23 November 1915, Helgoland, Saida, and the 1st Torpedo Division raided the Albanian coast and sank a pair of Italian transports carrying flour.

On the night of 28/29 December 1915, while making her sortie, Helgoland rammed and sank the French submarine Monge between Brindisi and the Albanian port of Durazzo.

On the night of 31 May/1 June 1916, the ship covered a raid by two destroyers and three torpedo boats on the drifters defending the Strait of Otranto against submarines trying to exit the Adriatic Sea, sinking one.

[6] Erich Heyssler assumed command of Helgoland in April 1917 and Miklós Horthy planned another raid on the drifters using a force composed of the three Novara-class cruisers.

The skipper of the drifter Gowan Lea, Joseph Watt, refused to surrender and abandon ship when demanded by Helgoland, despite the cruiser only being 100 yards (91 m) away.

They were intercepted shortly afterward by a stronger group of two British protected cruisers, Bristol and Dartmouth, escorted by four Italian destroyers.

Dartmouth opened fire with her 6-inch (152 mm) guns at a range of 10,600 yards (9,700 m) and Horthy ordered his ships to make smoke several minutes later.

This nearly caused the three Austrian cruisers to collide in the dense smoke, but covered them against the fire from the British ships as they closed the range.

[9] The three cruisers were gradually drawing away from their pursuers when Novara, leading the Austrian ships, was hit several times; most critically in the engine room that knocked out half her boilers.

[13] Following the Armistice of Villa Giusti between Italy and Austria-Hungary on 3 November, the entire Austro-Hungarian fleet was transferred to the newly formed Yugoslavia.

[14] Italy received Helgoland from Austria-Hungary on 19 September 1920 as part of the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye that ended the country's participation in World War I.

Brindisi sailed for Istanbul on 3 July, visiting a number of ports in Italy, Greece, and Turkey en route.

[1] Brindisi hosted King Victor Emmanuel III aboard during the ceremonies that transferred Fiume to Italian control in accordance with the Treaty of Rome in February–March 1924.

The ship was reactivated on 1 June 1927 when she was assigned as the flagship of the 1st Destroyer Squadron under the command of Rear Admiral Enrico Cuturi.