▁begin ▁off ensive ▁operations ▁against ▁the ▁Aust ro - H ung arian ▁fleet ▁in ▁the ▁Adri atic . ▁He ▁decided ▁to ▁break ▁the ▁Aust ro - H ung arian ▁block ade ▁of ▁the ▁port ▁of ▁Ant ivari , ▁Mont en eg ro , ▁and ▁to ▁eng age ▁any ▁ships ▁operating ▁out ▁of ▁nearby ▁C att aro . ▁He ▁split ▁his ▁available ▁forces ▁into ▁two ▁groups ▁with ▁the ▁arm ored ▁cru is ers ▁following ▁the ▁Alban ian ▁coast ▁and ▁the ▁batt les hips ▁trac ing ▁the ▁Italian ▁coast ▁before ▁cutting ▁across ▁the ▁Adri atic ▁to ▁rende z vous ▁at ▁Ant ivari ▁on ▁the ▁morning ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 6 th . ▁The ▁latter ▁group ▁s ank ▁the ▁protected ▁cru iser ▁ ▁that ▁morning ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Ant ivari ▁as ▁the ▁arm ored ▁cru is ers ▁were ▁coming ▁up ▁from ▁the ▁south . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁month , ▁the ▁French ▁began ▁inter mitt ently ▁esc ort ing ▁single ▁cargo ▁ships ▁to ▁Ant ivari , ▁usually ▁esc orted ▁by ▁the ▁arm ored ▁cru is ers ▁and ▁covered ▁by ▁the ▁main ▁battle f le et . ▁The ▁first ▁of ▁these ▁was ▁on ▁ 3 1 ▁September ▁when ▁four ▁arm ored ▁cru is ers ▁esc orted ▁the ▁ste amer ▁ ▁while ▁the ▁batt les hips ▁bomb arded ▁the ▁def enses ▁of ▁C att aro . ▁The ▁ 2 nd ▁D L ▁esc orted ▁the ▁cargo ▁ship ▁ ▁as ▁it ▁brought ▁long - range ▁art illery ▁pieces ▁to ▁Ant ivari ▁on ▁ 1 8 –