They could have spared themselves the mortal danger of the assault (with hundreds of deaths) and the Italian navy could have obtained as war compensation the battleship Viribus Unitis (as happened later with the SMS Tegetthoff).
They could have spared themselves the mortal danger of the assault, and hundreds of deaths. Furthermore, the Italian navy could have obtained-as "war compensation" and in perfect conditions-the battleship Viribus Unitis (as happened later, after the end of WWI, with the SMS Tegetthoff).