Raid on Ruse


The Raid on Ruse was the first naval action to take place on the Romanian front during World War I. It took place on the first day of the campaign, 27 August 1916, just as Romanian troops were crossing the border into Transylvania, then part of Austria-Hungary.

The Romanian attack

During the night of 27 August 1916 three Romanian small torpedo boats attacked the Austro-Hungarian Navy's Danube Flotilla stationed in the Bulgarian port of Ruse, which consisted of five monitors and four armed river boats. The objective was to sink one of the monitors, but the attack failed in its immediate purpose, as only one barge loaded with fuel was sunk and a quay was damaged by another torpedo. Due to this attack, however, the Austro-Hungarian Danube Flotilla retreated west along the Danube, stopping at Belene and subsequently taking extensive defensive measures. The three crewmen of Rândunica were received as heroes in Bucharest, and the retreating Austro-Hungarian warships were prevented from interfering in the subsequent Battle of Turtucaia.