(waves rushing) - [Narrator] June 10th, 1918, the sea is calm, the night clear. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] Captain Seitz is impressed by his new ship's performance. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] At 3:15,
an Italian torpedo boat sights the SMS Szent Istvan, the pride of the Austro-Hungarian Navy. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] Unnoticed, the boat sneaks up to the huge battleship and fires. (speaks in foreign language) (dramatic music) (explosions boom) (confused shouting) (speaks in foreign language) (shouts orders in foreign language) - [Narrator] Frantically,
the crew struggles to stabilize the vessel, but in vain. (dramatic music) (stressed shouting) (shouts in foreign language) (water gurgling) - [Narrator] Three hours
later, the struggle is over. At 6:05 a.m., the Szent Istvan capsizes. Austria's Adriatic fleet has lost its most advanced battleship on her very first sortie. (melancholy music) (dark mysterious music) The wreck of the Szent
Istvan rests on the seabed at a depth of 66 meters. A 21,000 ton behemoth, 152 meters long. Her hull is a mass grave for 89 sailors. (bubbles gurgle) The Szent Istvan tragedy has
raised endless speculation yet the key question remains unsolved. How could just two torpedoes
wreak such devastation? In search for an answer, a team of Croatian naval
experts explores the wreck 90 years after World War I has ended. (bubbles gurgle)
(mysterious music) For underwater cameraman Marino Brzac, the fate of this battleship
is a personal matter. The Szent Istvan's coxswain
was his great-grandfather. - Szent Istvan (speaks
in foreign language) - [Narrator] "To me," Marino says, "the Szent Istvan is an icon, "and it holds a special secret. "Unveiling it may keep me busy "for the rest of my life. "It's to do with my great-grandfather. "He was aboard this ship. "Whenever I dive through this wreck, "I feel close to him." - Szent Istvan. (dramatic music) - [Narrator] The Szent Istvan
is one of the Imperial Navy's most powerful weapons. It is a giant beyond defeat. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] The battleship
is a popular postcard motif. The crew likes to pose,
proud of serving the crown on this state-of-the-art battleship. They are bound for glory. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] It never enters their minds that this crown jewel could be doomed. (harmonica music)
(singing in foreign language) (speaks in foreign language) (regal music) - [Narrator] October 21st, 1911, seven years before the disaster. Vienna celebrates an imperial wedding. The public mood is cheerful. But, preparations for war are underway in Austria and across Europe. The empire is crumbling. For too long, Emperor Franz
Josef has shunned reforms. Hostilities between the monarchy's nations could flare up any day. The Habsburg Empire is a major power but not really a power at sea. The Austro-Hungarian monarchy has only limited access to the Adriatic. Its navy is just a glorified coastguard protecting Austria's major ports. In Fiume, today's Rijeka, the construction of the Szent
Istvan begins in early 1912. (dramatic music) An investment of 60
million crowns is made, an army of workers employed. But their shipyard experience is poor. The Szent Istvan is one
of four heavy battleships the Austro-Hungarian empire is throwing into the European arms race. Hungary, an important part of the empire, seizes upon the opportunity to
pose as an industrial power. On January 17th, 1914, nearly the entire Hungarian high gentry are present at the ship's launch. The ship is named after
Hungary's patron saint. The Szent Istvan is the Navy's figurehead. Her triple turrets place her squarely in the Dreadnought class. These are the period's
mightiest battleships. - [Franz] I, Franz Dueller, chief engineer of the Szent
Istvan, have a premonition that my fate will be closely
connected with this ship. In the event of my death, I request that Miss Beatrice
Poldrugo in Pula be informed. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] Franz Dueller
in a family photograph. This is the only picture his daughter Valerie
possesses of her father. (speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] Like Marino
Brzac's family history, hers too is intimately
linked to the Szent Istvan. (speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] The photographs
of the Szent Istvan are a window to a sunken world, the world of her father of
which he'd never spoken to her. (speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] Only now,
90 years down the road, can Valerie begin to learn
about her father's past. She travels to Croatia, where
his naval career started. Strategically positioned,
the small harbor of Pula is turned into a huge naval port. The economic boom draws people from all corners of the monarchy, one of them Valerie's
father, Franz Dueller. The young man enrolls in the
Imperial School of Engineering in the summer of 1905. He's dreaming of serving on one of Austria's mighty dreadnoughts. Modern battleships require
enhanced technical training. The young sailors practice
on training vessels. They too dream of future service
on one of the dreadnoughts. Valerie's venture into the past takes her to a palace in Pula that used to be the officers'
mess of the Imperial Navy. (inspiring music) Today, it's a library. In the lobby, graduation photographs of the former school are on display. Here, Valerie hopes to find her father. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] "So many
young boys," she says. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] But suddenly she
is struck by a familiar face. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] Franz Dueller
is 27 when he's promoted to the rank of Chief Engineer
on the new Szent Istvan. He's ambitious and respected
by his subordinates. - [Franz] I supervised
the aft boiler room, and I act in complete independence in military and technical matters. My command consists of six
non-commissioned officers, 24 stokers and 24 coal-carriers. I expect obedience and
unconditional discipline so that in combat,
everyone knows his place. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] Dueller knows that
his stokers lack experience, but he hopes that during the next months the crew will become
familiar with their ship. (proud music) But there are only a few
excursions to some small islands, just 45 minutes out of Pula. This is where the fleet
goes for target practice. (cannon fire booms) On these short runs, the ship
cannot be pushed to its limits and never reaches the
maximum speed of 20 knots, a negligence that will prove fateful. (shots echo)
(people scream) On June 28th, 1914, the shots of Sarajevo echo through the world. The Austrian Crown Prince is killed; World War I is unavoidable. Austria's declaration
of war against Serbia is the spark that sets Europe ablaze. The arsenals of the major
powers are stocked to bursting. (cannon fire booms)
(dramatic music) From May 15th on, the Austrian Empire has to fight on three fronts. One of its enemies is Italy, a former ally that changed sides. The war against Italy is
brutal to the extreme. Combat positions are
established in the Alps as high as 4,000 meters. But there are also skirmishes at sea. (dramatic music)
(explosions boom) The Italians changed sides
because they were promised generous territorial gains
in the Austrian Empire. For the empire, Italy's change of sides is a devastating blow. Together with their new
allies, the Italians succeed in blocking off the Adriatic Sea. Steel nets and naval mines
prevent Austrian ships from leaving the Adriatic. Suddenly, the Imperial Fleet is trapped. Exploiting this advantage
is this man's mission. Luigi Rizzo is the commander
of Italy's new Silver Bullet, a fleet of small wooden gunboats armed with only two torpedoes. The M.A.S. is Italy's new secret weapon. It's versatile and fast, and it will drive the trapped
Austrian fleet to despair. Thanks to these M.A.S. boats, the Italians take control
of Austria's coast. Austria has mighty weapons, but they are far too
slow to beat the M.A.S., so Austria's heavy armada
sits idly in their ports, waiting to be deployed. (scrubbing rasps)
(slow music) While the Szent Istvan's
crew spend their days polishing the Navy's pride and joy, hundreds of thousands of
men die in the trenches. (cannon fire booms)
(men shout) (sinister music) The blood-letting is especially
grim along the Isonzo River. It's a dogged struggle
for every inch of ground. On the Isonzo front, more than a million young
Italians and Austrians lay down their lives. (tense music) (explosion booms) As most soldiers on land are
facing death at any moment, their navy comrades have
all the time in the world to amuse themselves. There are 14 official brothels in Pula, one for each of the empire's nations. (sultry music) During war, even love-making is subject to military
discipline and rank, with frequency lists and time limits. The prices are regulated too, and visits to the conscript
brothel is three crowns. Officers pay twice as much. Whoever feels uncomfortable
with this regime tries to win the
affection of a local girl. Often enough, these young
women end up as single mothers. Franz Dueller, too, has a love
in Pula, Beatrice Poldrugo. The two get married, even
though it is difficult to get permission from his
superiors in the middle of war. (speaking in foreign language) But Franz Dueller wants
to do the right thing. He was a child born
out of wedlock himself, and he does not want his
child to suffer as he did. Nearly 90 years later,
Valerie continues her search for her father's past. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] "New documents,
I never got to see," she says. And she recognizes her father's signature. - [Valerie] Dueller Franz. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] It's her father's log about the last hours
onboard the Szent Istvan. She also finds a photograph of her father she's never seen before. Marino, too, owns a photograph
of his great-grandfather, the Szent Istvan's coxswain. He brings it along to
the diving expedition. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] When Marino first went down to the Szent Istvan, he says, it was a diving expedition like any other, that suddenly changed when he showed pictures of the wreck to his grandmother. "The Szent Istvan,"
she cried, all excited, "that's the ship my father was
on, your great-grandfather!" Ever since that revelation,
he says, the Szent Istvan has been part of his personal history. That's why he has brought his great-grandfather's photograph. (cannon fire booms)
(dramatic music) 1917: Combat action on the
Adriatic Sea is picking up, yet the heavy Austrian
battleships stay in port. The Italian M.A.S. boats are becoming an even greater menace. At Rizzo's initiative, they are
fitted with stealth engines, making their attacks even more dangerous. (somber music) The Szent Istvan's crew
continues to scrub and drill. The dull routine wears down the crew. The enthusiasm of the
early days has long faded. (melancholy music) Ineffective, the battleship
is still in the harbor. The mood is also dampened
by reduced food rations. All the men get to eat now
is cabbage and pea soup. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] The officer
acting as taster for the crew pretends that all is perfect. (speaks in foreign language) (bell chimes) - [Narrator] The engineers and stokers are beginning to grumble about
their miserable provisions. Their patience is running out and they make no bones about it. (men complain in foreign language) (utensils clatter)
(whistle trills) (speaks in foreign language) - [Franz] The crew is demoralized. I understand their discontent. They have been sentenced to idleness and are punished with revolting food. No one is still mindful of our
battle cry, "Viribus Unitis." (utensils scraping)
(speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] United strength
is no longer a theme, even among the officers whose boredom does at
least show some class. (speaking in foreign language) (cork pops)
(piano music) - [Narrator] Blood flows
on the front lines, champagne in the mess. In contrast to the crew, the officers can still
afford a pleasant lifestyle. They enjoy the privilege of doubling their food rations for money. The war seems far away, but in Vienna the impatience with the
Navy's passiveness is growing. In October 1917, with the 12th and last
battle on the Isonzo, the Austrian Army achieves
a decisive breakthrough. In spite of heavy losses, the army thrusts westward
to the Piave River. Emperor Karl, Franz Josef's successor, sees his chance to finally
defeat the Italians. He needs the Navy's support
but he distrusts its leadership and replaces the entire high command. Micklos Horthy from Hungary becomes the new commander of the fleet. Horthy served as Wing Commander of the former Emperor Franz Josef. As such, he has excellent
connections at the Viennese Court and he knows how to exploit them. When he is appointed Fleet Commander, he bypasses 48 senior officers. (piano tinkles)
(officers murmur) Horthy's appointment causes a great stir. At 49, he's the youngest fleet commander in the history of the Austrian Navy. (speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] Horthy has great plans. He wants to restore the
fighting spirit of the troops. In an attempt to force Austria's luck, he puts all the Navy's eggs in one basket. (dramatic music)
(engines purr) But the strategic situation is shifting. The western allies have sent
in additional warplanes, giving Italy supremacy in the air. Pula is hit by more and more bomb raids. (dramatic music) Meanwhile, Luigi Rizzo has stocked up the M.A.S. speedboat flotilla to 75 boats. The pressure on the Austrians is mounting. The Austrians attempted to build a similarly fast boat of
their own, but failed. Now, they are planning a daring coup. Austria's air reconnaissance is focused on the port of Ancona, the base of the M.A.S. boats. The Austrians are
planning to capture a boat and copy its construction. April 5th, 1918. An Austrian commando led by
an Italian-speaking sea cadet enters the enemy's dockyard
without being recognized. (speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] The Italian
guard does not notice that their documents are forged, nor does he see the Austrian uniforms. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] The party is allowed to pass. (tense music) (speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] The target
is the old harbor castle. According to the intelligence, this is where the M.A.S.
flotilla is moored. (dramatic music)
(speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] What follows
is a bitter disappointment. The Austrians only find a single boat with the engine removed. (speaking in foreign language)
(shot rings out) - [Narrator] Their plan has been betrayed. The harbor guard has already been alarmed. The Austrians are taken into custody. (shouting in foreign language) - [Narrator] Although the coup has failed, it has made the Italians nervous. (knocking) For Corvette Captain Rizzo,
the episode is not over. He is summons to the High Command. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] As commander
of the M.A.S. flotilla, Rizzo is charged by his superior with failing to properly
secure the port area. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] He's told that his negligence will have consequences. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] For neglect
of his supervisory duties, Rizzo is sentenced to seven days in jail, a blemish the ambitious naval officer wants to delete from his
record as quickly as possible. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] The opportunity
to do so will soon arise. (dramatic music) Emperor Karl is pushing
for the army and the navy to finally strike in unison. He charges the new fleet
commander to lead the operation. At the very last moment,
Horthy informs the commanders of the heavy battleships of his plan. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] Horthy tells the captains that the fleet will attempt
to break through the blockade that's keeping it trapped in the Adriatic. (speaks foreign language) - [Narrator] The attack
will be carried out by the Rapid Cruisers. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] The heavy battleships
will bring up the rear. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] The admiralty
ship, the Prinz Eugen, the Tegetthoff, and for the
first time, the Szent Istvan. Absolute discretion is expected. (dramatic music) - [Narrator] The arrival of
ammunition trains in Pula raises speculations. When a ban on leave is
decreed for the entire fleet on July 6th, everyone knows that a major operation is imminent. Right away, preparations
are made to put to sea. (dramatic music) The Szent Istvan is getting
ready for her first engagement. Expectations are high. A breakthrough at Otranto
could tip the scales in the war against Italy. (dramatic music) It's a risky undertaking. (speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] For 883 days, the Szent Istvan has lain at the quayside and is not sufficiently
prepared for the combat. Yet all is tuned to victory. The operation is to bring personal triumph to the fleet's commander. Horthy invites the empire's
most famous news reporter, Egon Erwin Kisch aboard
his admiralty ship. (speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] Kisch is to report the combat action to the press. (ships horn drones) The battleships put out in two squadrons. Viribus Unitis and
Prinz Eugen on June 8th, Szent Istvan and her sister
ship the following day. They are due to depart at
9:00 p.m. that evening. At 2:00 p.m., the Szent Istvan stokers begin to fire up the 12 boilers. They work under great stress, eager to demonstrate their
readiness for combat. Franz Dueller relies on his men. (tense music) A camera team goes aboard the Tegetthoff. They are to document the first deployment of the navy's new wonder-weapon in the hope of harvesting images of glory for war propaganda. (tense music) It's just past 9:00 p.m.
when Franz Dueller reports, "Steam up," to the bridge. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] Captain Heinrich Seitz issues the order to put to sea. (speaking in foreign language) (bugle toots) Seitz is well aware that six torpedo boats and one destroyer are a weak escort, but they are all he has. (speaking in foreign language) (chadburn rings) - [Narrator] Under the cover of darkness, Seitz hopes to safely
reach the Bay of Tajer, where the fleet is to lie
concealed during daylight. But the expedition is
ill-fated from the start. The harbor guard has
failed to open the barrier. The fleet cannot leave port. (shouting in foreign language) - [Narrator] The engines
have to be stopped. (shouting in foreign language) - [Narrator] The First Officer simply forgot to inform the harbor master. The consequences are grave. The fleet loses valuable
sailing time in the dark. (tense music) On the Italian side, the
M.A.S. boats are leaving port for their night patrol. To save fuel, they are being
towed out to sea by tugboats. That night, Rizzo's boat will lie in wait between the islands of Silba and Premuda. 15 minutes past 10, the Szent Istvan is one
hour behind schedule. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] The captain
orders more speed. In the boiler room, the
stokers are giving it all, trying to make up for the lost time. Their all-out effort is
supposed to compensate for their lack of routine. (shovels clattering) But the wet coal, too, is a
problem, causing extreme smoke. Franz Dueller moves back and forth between the boiler and the engine rooms, to make sure that all is clear. (speaking in foreign language) - [Franz] We have never
before moved under full steam. Everything seems to work. The crew are doing their jobs diligently. The ship is gathering speed. The aim is to reach the
Bay of Tajer at dawn. (wake rushes)
(sea bird caws) - [Narrator] On board the admiralty ship, nothing is known of the Szent
Istvan's delayed departure. Horthy withdraws for the night. On his way to the cabin, he notices that Kish is still at work. (tense music) The reporter is writing an article about the impending action
of the heavy battleships, garnished with the strategic
detail Horthy described to him. Horthy is nervous. The stakes are high. To distract himself, he
tries to impress Kish with his green and golden dragon tattoo. "The most beautiful tattoo I ever saw, "but a bad omen," Kish will write later. There is no further incident during the journey of the second squadron. It even seems that higher speed
can make up for the delay. (speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] The captain asks when the ship will reach Tajer. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] "Likely
around six," is the answer. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] Now it's clear that the fleet will not be able to pass the
dangerous area along the coast under cover of darkness. Captain Seitz is worried. (speaking in foreign language) (melancholy music) - [Narrator] It's 3:15;
dawn is gradually breaking. (wake rushing) (speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] Near the island of Premuda, Captain Rizzo is on the
way home from a patrol with M.A.S. 15 and M.A.S. 21. Little does he know
that an enemy formation, including the two heaviest
battleships of the Imperial Navy, is close by.
(tense music) For Rizzo, it was an eventless night. He's on his way to meet the tugboat when a high plume of smoke on
the horizon catches his eyes. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] Rizzo immediately recognizes the outline of a battleship. He decides to take a huge risk. He orders his boats to slow down and creep up to the enemy formation. His M.A.S. succeeds in slipping
through the escort line. The Szent Istvan crew is
oblivious of the danger. Rizzo is in a make-or-break situation. (speaks in foreign langauge) - [Narrator] He fires both torpedoes. (tense music) (explosion booms) (shouting in foreign language) - [Narrator] Rizzo escapes. On the Szent Istvan, a life
and death struggle begins. Both torpedoes have ripped
through the double floor below the boiler rooms. (speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] Chief Engineer
Dueller orders all pumps on. None of the men is prepared
for this situation. (dramatic music)
(men shouting) Water shoots through the
breaches under enormous pressure. The bulkheads give way. (shouts in foreign language) - [Narrator] With blankets and wedges, the men try to close
leaks and broken tubes. But there's no way to stop the water. (tragic music)
(men shouting) - [Franz] I scream at the men. The boilers must stay lit. The chaos is total. The pumps cannot cope
with the massive inrush. I can feel the Szent
Istvan beginning to list. (panicked shouting) - [Narrator] At 4:00 a.m., the
spark of the Viribus Unitis receives the report of the
Szent Istvan's torpedo hits. Immediately, Admiral Horthy is informed. (knocking) - Admiral, Admiral! (speaks in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] Horthy
knows his plan is doomed. At 4:20, the Szent Istvan
sends her first S.O.S. call to the Tegetthoff, asking to be towed, but the rescue operation turns into chaos. Fearing submarines, the Tegetthoff leaves the vicinity of the attack and opens fire. (cannon fire booming) Her shells hit friendly vessels. (melancholy music) The Szent Istvan keels over more and more, but her stokers are not giving up. They do all they can to
keep the boilers burning. As long as there is steam pressure and the pumps and auxiliary
engines are running, there is hope that the
ship might be beached on the island of Molat. But the water keeps rising. (alarm bells ringing)
(urgent shouting) (speaking in foreign language) (shouting in foreign language) - [Narrator] Only two
boilers are still burning. Dueller can only order
the boilers to be put out. The risk of an explosion
is just too great. (shouts in foreign language) (panicked shouting) - [Narrator] Shutting
down the last two boilers means giving up the Szent Istvan. Now, it's a race for dear life. The men want to abandon ship, but no such order has been given. (tense music) The drama is witnessed
by the Tegetthoff crew. Instead of recording a triumphant victory, the camera man films the
Szent Istvan's death struggle. The fate of the floating
fortress is sealed. She is listing at more than 30 degrees. (shouting in foreign language) - [Narrator] For the stokers,
there is little chance to leave the boiler room alive. Dueller urges his comrades up on deck. He knows that some of them cannot swim. (dramatic music) Severe listing and
darkness hamper the flight. (panicked shouting) The men are groping in the dark; only a few make it to the lower deck. Even here, all is flooded. (dramatic music) In the boiler room to
the very last minute, Franz Dueller tries to save his men. (tragic music) - [Narrator] The Szent
Istvan has keeled over. On the hull, there is
nothing to hold onto. As the men are hurled down the sides, they are injured by sharp sea shells. I escape swimming. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] As a child, Valerie says, she heard the story
but could not grasp it. Now she can feel what happened and appreciate her father's heroism. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] With relief, she recounts that most
of the crew were saved. Although four officers and 85
men went down with the ship, the majority were rescued. Valerie is proud of her father, and deeply touched by the fact that he, in spite of his injuries, was
able to save most of his men. (speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] While Franz
Dueller and his comrades swim for their lives, the Szent
Istvan sinks into the sea. As if struggling against its doom, the behemoth heaves a few
times before it goes down, its bow tilting forwards. (tragic music) (metal creaking and grinding) It's the 10th of June, 1918, 6:05 a.m.. Later that day, the fleet's commander inspects the location of the disaster. There's no trace of the fresh tragedy. The loss of the Szent Istvan
is also his personal defeat. Reporter Kisch recognizes this
moment's historical impact. The dreadnoughts are history. The loss of a vessel that cost 60 million proves the futility of this super-weapon. Marino Brzac and his
diving buddy, Daniel Frka, are looking for the Szent Istvan. It's their third expedition to the wreck. (speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] This time, they
come with great expectations. The two divers plan to take measurements of the impact holes. Daniel Frka, the engineer,
is still wondering why the armor of the hull did
not withstand the torpedoes. He hopes to find an
answer during this dive. (speaking in foreign language)
(mysterious music) - [Narrator] The two professional divers are a well-proven team. Together they have found many shipwrecks and investigated the
circumstances of their demise. Now, they hope to unveil the
secret of the Szent Istvan. (bubbles gurgle)
(mysterious music) While the team prepares
to take measurements, Marino glides into the hull. He is surrounded by silent
witnesses to the tragedy. Among them, this plate. His great-grandfather may
have once eaten from it. Thoughts like this pass through his mind while he explores the
wreck, meter by meter, to shed light on the ships demise. As Marino films the gaping breaches, he's surprised by their
enormous dimensions. Five meters by almost seven meters. (speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] The measurements
and Marino's footage seem to confirm what
experts like Daniel Frka have long suspected; the builders had been stingy on the steel. (speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] "The torpedoes," Daniel says, "were aimed at a depth of two meters. "They hit the hull exactly
at the armor's bottom edge. "Part of the explosion took
place in the armed area "where it did little damage, "but the unarmed area was too
weak to withstand the impact. "The water rushed in
exactly on this border line. "The torpedoes hit the
ship's most sensitive part, "the two boiler rooms." (water exploding) The crew had no chance. The ship was doomed. (eerie music) Rizzo's M.A.S. boats returned to Ancona. June 10th, the day the Szent Istvan sank is pronounced a holiday
of the Italian navy. (speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] Corvette Captain
Rizzo become a national hero. Rizzo is swamped with congratulations and much recognition from high places. Even the King of Great
Britain sends his compliments. - [Man] British Embassy,
Rome, 21st June 1918. (speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] Rizzo's spectacular attack has far-reaching consequences. The tragedy of the Szent Istvan is more than the loss of a mighty weapon; it's the fatal blow to the Empire's navy. (melancholy music) The fleet will never again put out. The failure to break
through the Otranto barrage is a serious setback for the Austrians. A few weeks later, the
Danube Monarchy founders. October 25th, 1918, Admiral
Horthy decorates the heroes of the Szent Istvan;
among them, Franz Dueller. He receives the Emperor's
Commendation for Bravery. - [Franz] I feel honored
by this recognition, but the joy is overshadowed
by the loss of our ship and the mourning for my dead comrades. (shutter clicking) - [Narrator] After the diving expedition, Marino Brzac and Valerie
Herrnstein meet once again. During this meeting, the
diver has a surprise. (speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] Marino shows Valerie the plate he brought back
from the Szent Istvan. It will be displayed in
the Navy Museum in Pula. (speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] Almost all the
casualties of this tragedy remain on the sea floor. Only a few bodies were given
up by the Szent Istvan. They are buried at the
Naval Cemetery in Pula. Valerie Herrnstein wishes
to honor their memory. (melancholy music) But all the old lady can find is the grave of one young sea
cadet, Jozef Serda Teodorski. Born at Hruszow, died on the Szent Istvan. In the light of early dawn, 89 sailors were taken, but the
rescue of more than 1,000 men is primarily the merit of
her father, Franz Dueller. He struggled to keep the ship afloat for almost three hours
and she is convinced he was the true hero of the Szent Istvan. (melancholy music) (somber music)
