Strait of Otranto

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Map showing the location of the Strait of Otranto.

Bay of Vlora

Otranto harbour

The Strait of Otranto (Canale d'Otranto in Italian) connects the Adriatic Sea with the Ionian Sea. Its width is 45-55 nautical mile (85–100 km). The strait is named after the Italian city of Otranto.

History

During World War I, the strait was of strategic significance. The Allied navies of Italy, France, and Great Britain, by blockading the strait, mostly with light naval forces and lightly armed fishermen, hindered the cautious Austro-Hungarian Navy from freely entering the Mediterranean Sea, and effectively kept them out of the naval theatre of war.

However, the barrage was notoriously ineffective against the German u-boats operating out of the Adriatic, which were to plague the Allied powers for most of the war throughout the Mediterranean.^[1]

References

Coordinates: 40°13′10″N 18°55′32″E / 40.21944°N 18.92556°E / 40.21944; 18.92556

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