The
Balkan correspondent wrote 24 May that the Serbian navy was still young hardly
10 years old and still growing and learning. The number of ships and personnel
was still limited although both were continuously increased. The purpose was to
be able to protect at least her long coastline with all the islands. At that
moment consisted the navy of a destroyer, 12 torpedo boats, 4 submarines and 24
other vessels. In the beginning of the year were 256 officers and 2,000 petty
officers and sailors in service with a reserve of another 165 officers and 570
men. The two flag officers and other superior officers and the major part of
the officers served in the former Austrian-Hungarian navy just like the old
petty officers. The main parts of the ships had also been part of the Austrian
navy. Newly purchased were the destroyer, 6 torpedo boats, the submarines and
some floating planes. With that new modern material and the training ship Dalmacija
(the former small German cruiser Niobe) was a squadron formed which left
the naval bases in the Gulf of Tivat (Teodo) in the Bocchedi Cattaro on 15 May.
This bases consisted of a beautiful and natural harbour and a completely
equipped yard with at the end of the war an arsenal full with stores. The
squadron was commanded by vice admiral Prisja and was to visit Corfu and
Bizerta and to repay the visits of the British, French and Greek navies at
Serbia. The squadron consisted of the destroyer Hvar as flagship, the
training ship Dalmatie (Dalmacija), the six new torpedo
boats, 2 submarines and 3 floating planes. It was not sure if the floating
planes were the whole voyage part of the squadron. This was to be decided at
Corfu. During 5 days was Corfu visited and from there two days ago departed
towards Bizerte and Malta. While returning from Malta towards Cattaro was the
war grave yard at Argostoli to be visited. The return at Cattaro was to be on
15 June.
