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{{Short description|Naval battle in the Second World War}}
{{Short description|Naval battle in the Second World War}}
{{Other uses|Battle of Sirte (disambiguation){{!}}Battle of Sirte}}
{{Other uses|Battle of Sirte (disambiguation){{!}}Battle of Sirte}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox military conflict
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = First Battle of Sirte
| conflict          = First Battle of Sirte
| image            = Andrea Doria 1940.jpg
| image            = Andrea Doria 1940.jpg
| image_size       = 300px
| image_upright       = 1.0
| caption          = Italian battleship ''Andrea Doria'', 31 December 1939
| caption          = Italian battleship ''Andrea Doria'', 31 December 1939
| partof            = the [[Battle of the Mediterranean]] of [[World War II]]
| partof            = the [[Battle of the Mediterranean]] of the [[Second World War]]
| date              = 17 December 1941
| date              = 17 December 1941
| place            = [[Gulf of Sidra]], [[Mediterranean Sea]]
| place            = [[Gulf of Sidra]], [[Mediterranean Sea]]
| result            = Inconclusive
| coordinates = {{coord|34|8|4|N|17|57|5|E|display=title}}
| combatant1        = {{flagcountry|United Kingdom}} <br> {{flagcountry|Australia}} <br> {{flagdeco|Netherlands}} [[Dutch government-in-exile|Netherlands]]
| result            = Inconclusive  
| combatant1        = {{flagcountry|United Kingdom}} <br /> {{flagcountry|Australia}} <br /> {{flagdeco|Netherlands}} [[Dutch government-in-exile|Netherlands]]
| combatant2        = {{flagcountry|Fascist Italy (1922-1943)}}
| combatant2        = {{flagcountry|Fascist Italy (1922-1943)}}
| commander1        = {{flagdeco|UK|naval}} [[Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope|Andrew Cunningham]]<br/>{{flagdeco|UK|naval}} [[Philip Vian]]
| commander1        = {{flagdeco|UK|naval}} [[Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope|Andrew Cunningham]]<br />{{flagdeco|UK|naval}} [[Philip Vian]]
| commander2        = {{flagdeco|Fascist Italy (1922-1943)}} [[Angelo Iachino]]<br/>{{flagdeco|Fascist Italy (1922-1943)}} [[Guido Porzio Giovanola]]
| commander2        = {{flagdeco|Fascist Italy (1922-1943)}} [[Angelo Iachino]]<br />{{flagdeco|Fascist Italy (1922-1943)}} [[Guido Porzio Giovanola]]
| strength1        = 5 light cruisers <br> 14 destroyers
| strength1        = 5 light cruisers <br /> 14 destroyers
| strength2        = 4 battleships <br> 2 heavy cruisers <br> 3 light cruisers <br> 13 destroyers
| strength2        = 4 battleships <br /> 2 heavy cruisers <br /> 3 light cruisers <br /> 13 destroyers
| casualties1      = 1 killed <br> 2 destroyers damaged
| casualties1      = 1 killed <br /> 2 destroyers damaged
| casualties2      = None
| casualties2      = None
| campaignbox      = {{Campaignbox Mediterranean Campaign}}
| campaignbox      = {{Campaignbox Mediterranean Campaign}}
}}
}}


The '''First Battle of Sirte''' was fought between the British [[Royal Navy]] and the ''[[Regia Marina]]'' (Italian Royal Navy) during the [[Battle of the Mediterranean|Mediterranean campaign]] of the [[Second World War]]. The engagement took place on 17 December 1941, south-east of [[Malta]], in the [[Gulf of Sidra|Gulf of Sirte]]. It was tactically inconclusive as both forces were limited by the strategic goal of protecting a convoy of their own and as such, neither were looking to force a full scale engagement.
The '''First Battle of Sirte''' was fought between forces of the British [[Mediterranean Fleet]] and the {{lang|de|[[Regia Marina]]}} (Italian Royal Navy) during the [[Battle of the Mediterranean]] in the [[Second World War]]. The engagement took place on 17 December 1941, south-east of [[Malta]], in the [[Gulf of Sidra|Gulf of Sirte]]. The engagement was inconclusive as both forces were protecting convoys and wished to avoid battle.


In the following days, two Royal Navy forces based at Malta ran into an Italian minefield off [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]] and two British battleships were disabled by Italian [[Human torpedo|manned torpedoes]] at [[Alexandria]]. By the end of December, the balance of naval power in the Mediterranean had shifted in favour of the Italian Fleet.
In the following days, two Royal Navy forces based at Malta ran into Italian minefield T off [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]] and two British battleships were disabled by Italian [[Human torpedo]] during the [[Raid on Alexandria (1941)|Raid on Alexandria]]. By the end of December, the balance of naval power in the Mediterranean had shifted in favour of the {{lang|de|Regia Marina}}.


==Background==
==Background==
The British [[Eighth Army (United Kingdom)|Eighth Army]] and the [[Axis powers|Axis]] armies in North Africa were engaged in battles resulting from [[Operation Crusader]], which had been fought between 18 November and 4 December. Its aim was to defeat the ''[[Afrika Korps]]'' and relieve the siege of [[Tobruk]]. This had been achieved and Axis forces were conducting a fighting retreat; by 13 December, they were holding a defensive line at [[Gazala]], east of [[Benghazi]].<ref name="m&g">Greene & Massignani pp.196–204</ref> The Axis were desperate to supply their forces, intending to transport stores to [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]], their main port in [[Libya]] and Benghazi, the port closest to the front line.<ref name="m&g"/> The island garrison of Malta was under siege and the British wanted to supply their forces on the island.<ref name="m&g"/>
The British [[Eighth Army (United Kingdom)|Eighth Army]] and the [[Axis powers|Axis]] armies in North Africa were engaged in battles resulting from [[Operation Crusader]], which had been fought between 18 November and 4 December. Its aim was to defeat the ''[[Afrika Korps]]'' and relieve the siege of [[Tobruk]]. This had been achieved and Axis forces were conducting a fighting retreat; by 13 December, they were holding a defensive line at [[Gazala]], east of [[Benghazi]]. The Axis were desperate to supply their forces, intending to transport stores to [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]], their main port in [[Libya]] and Benghazi, the port closest to the front line. The island garrison of Malta was under siege and the British wanted to supply their forces on the island.{{sfn|Greene|Massignani|2002|pp=196–204}}


==Prelude==
==Prelude==


===Axis convoys M41 and M42===
===Convoy M41/M42===


The Italians were preparing to send M41, a convoy of eight ships, to Africa on 13 December 1941. That morning, their previous supply attempt, two fast cruisers carrying fuel to Tripoli, had failed when both ships were sunk at the [[Battle of Cape Bon (1941)|Battle of Cape Bon]] by a force of destroyers ''en route'' to [[Alexandria]].<ref name="m&g"/>
The Italians were preparing to send Convoy M41, of eight ships, to Africa on 13 December 1941. That morning, their previous supply attempt, two fast cruisers carrying fuel to Tripoli, had failed when they were sunk at the [[Battle of Cape Bon (1941)|Battle of Cape Bon]] by a force of destroyers ''en route'' to [[Alexandria]]. The eight merchant ships were in three groups, with a close escort of five destroyers and a distant cover force of the [[battleship]]s {{Ship|Italian battleship|Littorio||2}} and {{Ship|Italian battleship|Vittorio Veneto||2}}, four [[destroyer]]s and two [[torpedo boat]]s. Soon after sailing on 13 December, a group of Convoy M41 was attacked by the British [[submarine]] {{HMS|Upright|N89|6}} and two ships were sunk; later that day two ships collided and had to return to base, while the distant cover force was sighted by the submarine {{HMS|Urge|N17|6}} and ''Vittorio Veneto'' was torpedoed and forced to return to port.{{sfn|Greene|Massignani|2002|pp=196–204}}


Convoy M41 consisted of eight merchant ships in three groups, with a close escort of five destroyers and a distant cover force of the [[battleship]]s {{Ship|Italian battleship|Littorio||2}} and {{Ship|Italian battleship|Vittorio Veneto||2}}, four [[destroyer]]s and two [[torpedo boat]]s.<ref name="m&g"/>
''[[Supermarina]]'', the high command of the Italian navy, rattled by these losses and a report that a British force of two battleships was at sea, ordered the ships to return to await reinforcement but the "force of two battleships" was a decoy operation by the [[minelayer]] {{HMS|Abdiel|M39|6}}. On 16 December, the four-ship Italian convoy, renamed Convoy M42, left [[Taranto]], picking up escorts along the way. The close escort was provided by seven destroyers and a torpedo boat; by the time they reached [[Sicily]] they were also accompanied by a close cover force, comprising the battleship {{Ship|Italian battleship|Duilio||2}}, three light cruisers and three destroyers. The distant covering force consisted of the battleships ''Littorio'', {{Ship|Italian battleship|Andrea Doria||2}} and {{Ship|Italian battleship|Giulio Cesare||2}}, two cruisers and 10 destroyers.{{sfn|Groves|1993|pp=72–74}}
 
Soon after sailing on 13 December, a group of M41 was attacked by the British [[submarine]] {{HMS|Upright|N89|6}} and two ships were sunk; later that day two ships collided and had to return to base, while the distant cover force was sighted by the submarine {{HMS|Urge|N17|6}} and ''Vittorio Veneto'' was torpedoed and forced to return to port.<ref name="m&g" />
 
''[[Supermarina]]'' the Italian navy high command, rattled by these losses and a report that a British force of two battleships was at sea, ordered the ships to return to await reinforcement but the "force of two battleships" was a decoy operation by the [[minelayer]] {{HMS|Abdiel|M39|6}}.<ref name="grv">Grove pp.72–74</ref>
 
On 16 December, the four-ship Italian convoy, renamed M42, left [[Taranto]], picking up escorts along the way. The close escort was provided by seven destroyers and a torpedo boat; by the time they reached [[Sicily]] they were also accompanied by a close cover force, comprising the battleship {{Ship|Italian battleship|Duilio||2}}, three light cruisers and three destroyers.<ref name="grv" /> The distant covering force consisted of the battleships ''Littorio'', {{Ship|Italian battleship|Andrea Doria||2}} and {{Ship|Italian battleship|Giulio Cesare||2}}, two cruisers and 10 destroyers.<ref name="grv" />


=== Allied convoy ===
=== Allied convoy ===
The British planned to run supplies to Malta using the fast merchant ship ''Breconshire'', covered by a force of cruisers and destroyers, while the destroyers from the Cape Bon engagement, would proceed to Alexandria from Malta covered by [[Force K]] and [[Force B]] from Malta on 15 December.<ref name="grv" />
The British planned to run supplies to Malta using the fast merchant ship ''Breconshire'', covered by a force of cruisers and destroyers, while the destroyers from the Cape Bon engagement would proceed to Alexandria from Malta covered by [[Force K]] and [[Force B]] from Malta on 15 December.{{sfn|Groves|1993|pp=72–74}} The British force was depleted when the [[light cruiser]] {{HMS|Galatea|71|6}} was torpedoed and sunk by {{GS|U-557||2}}, just before midnight on 14 December.{{sfn|Brown|1995|pp=54–55}} ''U-557'' was accidentally sunk less than 48 hours later, by the Italian torpedo boat ''Orione''.{{sfn|Blair|1996|pp=400, 736}} On 15 December, ''Breconshire'' sailed from Alexandria escorted by three cruisers and eight destroyers under [[Rear admiral (Royal Navy)|Rear-Admiral]] [[Philip Vian]] in {{HMS|Naiad|93|6}}. On 16 December, the four destroyers of 4th Flotilla (Commander G. Stokes in {{HMS|Sikh|F82|6}}) left Malta, covered by Force K (Captain [[William Agnew (Royal Navy officer)|William 'Bill' Agnew]] in {{HMS|Aurora|12|6}}), two cruisers and two destroyers.{{sfn|Greene|Massignani|2002|pp=196–204}} Thirty Italian warships were escorting four cargo ships. The two British groups were also at sea and steaming toward each other; the opposing forces were likely to cross each other's tracks east of Malta on 18 December.
 
The British force was depleted when the [[light cruiser]] {{HMS|Galatea|71|6}} was torpedoed and sunk by {{GS|U-557||2}}, just before midnight on 14 December.<ref name="b54">Brown pp. 54–55</ref> ''U-557'' was accidentally sunk less than 48 hours later, by the Italian torpedo boat ''Orione''.<ref>Blair pp. 400, 736</ref>
 
On 15 December, ''Breconshire'' sailed from Alexandria escorted by three cruisers and eight destroyers under [[Rear admiral (Royal Navy)|Rear-Admiral]] [[Philip Vian]] in {{HMS|Naiad|93|6}}. On 16 December, the four destroyers of 4th Flotilla (Commander G. Stokes in {{HMS|Sikh|F82|6}}) left Malta, covered by Force K (Captain W. G. "Bill" Agnew in {{HMS|Aurora|12|6}}), two cruisers and two destroyers.<ref name="m&g"/> Thirty Italian warships were escorting four cargo ships. The two British groups were also at sea and steaming toward each other; the opposing forces were likely to cross each other's tracks east of Malta on 18 December.


==Battle==
==Battle==
On 17 December, an Italian reconnaissance aircraft spotted the British west-bound formation near [[Sidi Barrani]], apparently proceeding from Alexandria to intercept the Italian convoy. The British convoy was shadowed by Axis aeroplanes and attacked during the afternoon but no hits were scored and Agnew and Stokes met the west-bound convoy. By late afternoon the Italian fleet was close by and spotter planes from the battleships had made contact with the British convoy, but the planes misidentified ''Breconshire'' as a battleship.<ref>Giorgio Giorgerini, ''La guerra italiana sul mare. La Marina tra vittoria e sconfitta 1940-1943'', p. 342.</ref><ref name="grv"/> At 17:42, the fleets sighted each other; Admiral [[Angelo Iachino]]—commander of the Italian forces—moved to intercept to defend his convoy.<ref name="grv"/>
On 17 December, an Italian reconnaissance aircraft spotted the British westbound formation near [[Sidi Barrani]], apparently proceeding from Alexandria to intercept the Italian convoy. The British convoy was shadowed by Axis aeroplanes and attacked during the afternoon but no hits were scored and Agnew and Stokes met the westbound convoy. By late afternoon the Italian fleet was close by and spotter planes from the battleships had made contact with the British convoy, but the planes misidentified ''Breconshire'' as a battleship.{{sfn|Giorgerini|2002|p=342}} At 17:42, the fleets sighted each other; Admiral [[Angelo Iachino]]—commander of the Italian forces—moved to intercept to defend his convoy.{{sfn|Groves|1993|pp=72–74}}


Vian also wished to avoid combat, so with the British giving ground and the Italians pursuing with caution, the British were easily able to avoid an engagement. Just after sunset, an air attack on the British ships caused them to return fire with their [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft guns]], allowing the Italian naval force to spot them. Iachino took in the distant covering force and opened fire at about {{convert|32000|m|yd|abbr=on}}, well out of range of the British guns. Vian immediately laid smoke and moved to the attack while ''Breconshire'' moved away, escorted by the destroyers {{HMS|Decoy|H75|6}} and {{HMS|Havock|H43|6}}.<ref name="m&g"/>
Vian also wished to avoid combat, so with the British giving ground and the Italians pursuing with caution, the British were easily able to avoid an engagement. Just after sunset, an air attack on the British ships caused them to return fire with their [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft guns]], allowing the Italian naval force to spot them. Iachino took in the distant covering force and opened fire at about {{cvt|32000|m|order=flip|abbr=on}}, well out of range of the British guns. Vian immediately laid smoke and moved to the attack while ''Breconshire'' moved away, escorted by the destroyers {{HMS|Decoy|H75|6}} and {{HMS|Havock|H43|6}}.{{sfn|Greene|Massignani|2002|pp=196–204}}


Lacking [[radar]] and mindful of their defeat in the night action at the [[Battle of Cape Matapan]], the Italians wished to avoid night combat. The Italians fired for only 15 minutes before disengaging and returning westward to cover convoy M42. {{HMS|Kipling|F91|6}} suffered the loss of one [[midshipman]] and some damage due to a near-miss either from an {{convert|8|in|mm|abbr=on}} shell, possibly fired by the Italian cruiser {{Ship|Italian cruiser|Gorizia||2}}<ref>{{Cite book|title=Mussolini s Navy: A Reference Guide to the Regia Marina 1930-1945|last=Brescia|first=Maurizio|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|year=2012|isbn=978-1848321151|pages=77}}</ref> or, as stated by British official reports,  by {{convert|320|mm|in|order=flip|abbr=on}} shell splinters fired by ''Andrea Doria'' and ''Giulio Cesare'', that knocked down wireless aerials and holed the hull, superstructure and ship's boats.<ref>{{Cite web |title=H. M. Ships Damaged or Sunk by Enemy Action in WWII |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/media-room/publications/hm-ships-damaged-or-sunk-enemy-action-wwii |website=Royal Australian Navy |access-date=13 February 2022}}</ref> According to Italian sources, the [[Royal Australian Navy]] (RAN) destroyer {{HMAS|Nizam|G38|6}} was also damaged by near-misses from the {{ship|Italian destroyer|Maestrale||6}}.<ref>Bragadin, p. 149</ref> British reports tell of other warships punctured by splinters.<ref>O´Hara (2009), p. 158</ref>
Lacking [[radar]] and mindful of their defeat in the night action at the [[Battle of Cape Matapan]], the Italians wished to avoid a night engagement. The Italians fired for only 15 minutes before disengaging and returning westwards to cover convoy M42. {{HMS|Kipling|F91|6}} suffered the loss of one [[midshipman]] and some damage due to a near-miss either from an {{cvt|8|in|abbr=on}} shell, possibly fired by the Italian cruiser {{Ship|Italian cruiser|Gorizia||2}} or as stated by British official reports by {{cvt|320|mm|order=flip|abbr=on}} shell splinters from ''Andrea Doria'' and ''Giulio Cesare'', that knocked down wireless aerials and holed the hull, superstructure and ship's boats.{{sfn|Brescia|2012|p=77}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=H. M. Ships Damaged or Sunk by Enemy Action in WWII |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/media-room/publications/hm-ships-damaged-or-sunk-enemy-action-wwii |website=Royal Australian Navy |access-date=13 February 2016}}</ref> According to Italian sources, the [[Royal Australian Navy]] (RAN) destroyer {{HMAS|Nizam|G38|6}} was also damaged by near-misses from the {{ship|Italian destroyer|Maestrale||6}}.{{sfn|Bragadin|1957|p=149}} British reports tell of other warships punctured by splinters.{{sfn|O'Hara|2009|p=158}}


==Aftermath==
==Aftermath==


===Minefield off Tripoli===
===Minefield T===


After dark, Vian to return with Stokes to Alexandria, leaving Agnew to bring ''Breconshire'' to Malta, joined by Force B, one cruiser (the other was under repair) and two destroyers. ''Breconshire'' and her escorts arrived in Malta at 15:00 on 18 December.<ref name="grv"/> At midday, the Italian force also split up and three ships headed for Tripoli, accompanied by the close cover force, while the German supply ship ''Ankara'', headed for Benghazi. The distant cover force remained on station in the Gulf of Sidra until evening, before heading back to base. The British had now realised that the Italians had a convoy in the area; Vian searched for it without success as he returned to Alexandria.
After dark, Vian turned to return with Stokes to Alexandria, leaving Agnew to bring ''Breconshire'' to Malta, joined by Force B, one cruiser (the other was under repair) and two destroyers. ''Breconshire'' and her escorts arrived in Malta at 15:00 on 18 December.{{sfn|Groves|1993|pp=72–74}} At midday, the Italian force also split up and three ships headed for Tripoli, accompanied by the close cover force, while the German supply ship ''Ankara'', headed for Benghazi. The distant cover force remained on station in the Gulf of Sidra until evening, before heading back to base. The British had now realised that the Italians had a convoy in the area; Vian searched for it without success as he returned to Alexandria.


In the afternoon, the position of the Tripoli group was established; a cruiser and two destroyers of Force B and two cruisers and two destroyers of Force K (Captain O'Conor, on the cruiser {{HMS|Neptune|20|6}}) sortied at 18:00 to intercept. The force ran into a minefield {{convert|20|mi|nmi km|abbr=on}} off Tripoli, in the early hours of 19 December. The minefield took the British by surprise as the water-depth was {{convert|600|ft|m|abbr=on}}, which they had thought was too deep for mines. ''Neptune'' struck four mines and sank, the destroyer {{HMS|Kandahar|F28|6}} struck a mine and was scuttled the following day. The cruisers ''Aurora'' and {{HMS|Penelope|97|2}} were badly damaged but were able to return to Malta. About 830 Allied seamen, many of them New Zealanders from ''Neptune'', lost their lives in the disaster.<ref name="b54"/> The Malta Strike Force, which had been such an active threat to Axis shipping to Libya during most of 1941, was much reduced in its effectiveness and was later forced to withdraw to Gibraltar.<ref>Bartimeus p.195</ref>
In the afternoon, the position of the Tripoli group was established; a cruiser and two destroyers of Force B and two cruisers and two destroyers of Force K (Captain O'Conor, on the cruiser {{HMS|Neptune|20|6}}) sortied from Malta at 18:00 to intercept. The force ran into a minefield (Minefield T) {{cvt|20|mi|nmi+km|abbr=on}} off Tripoli, in the early hours of 19 December. The minefield took the British by surprise as the water-depth was {{cvt|600|ft|m|abbr=on}}, which they had thought was too deep for mines. ''Neptune'' struck four mines and sank, the destroyer {{HMS|Kandahar|F28|6}} struck a mine and was scuttled the following day. The cruisers ''Aurora'' and {{HMS|Penelope|97|2}} were badly damaged but were able to return to Malta. About 830 Allied seamen, many of them New Zealanders from ''Neptune'', were killed.{{sfn|Brown|1995|p=54}} The Malta Strike Force, which had been such a threat to Axis shipping to Libya during most of 1941, was much reduced in its effectiveness and was later forced to withdraw to Gibraltar.{{sfn|Bartimeus|1944|p=195}}


===Attack on Alexandria===
===Attack on Alexandria===
{{Main|Raid on Alexandria (1941)}}
{{Main|Raid on Alexandria (1941)}}
While steaming back to Alexandria along with Vian's force, destroyer {{HMS|Jervis||6}} reported an apparently successful depth-charge attack on an unidentified submarine.<ref>Bartimeus p.190</ref> The only axis submarine off Alexandria was the Italian {{Ship|Italian submarine|Sciré|1938|2}}, which was carrying a group of six Italian frogmen commandos, including [[Luigi Durand De La Penne]], equipped with [[manned torpedo]]es. Shortly after Vian's force arrived in Alexandria, on the night of 18 December, the Italians penetrated the harbour and attacked the fleet. ''Jervis'' was damaged, a large Norwegian tanker disabled and the battleships {{HMS|Valiant|1914|6}} and {{HMS|Queen Elizabeth|1913|2}} were severely damaged. This was a strategic change of fortune against the Allies whose effects were felt in the Mediterranean for several months.<ref name="m&g"/>
While steaming back to Alexandria along with Vian's force, destroyer {{HMS|Jervis||6}} reported an apparently successful depth-charge attack on an unidentified submarine.{{sfn|Bartimeus|1944|p=190}} The only axis submarine off Alexandria was the Italian {{Ship|Italian submarine|Sciré|1938|2}}, which was carrying a group of six Italian frogmen commandos, including [[Luigi Durand De La Penne]], equipped with [[manned torpedo]]es. Shortly after Vian's force arrived in Alexandria, on the night of 18 December, the Italians penetrated the harbour and attacked the fleet. ''Jervis'' was damaged, a large Norwegian tanker disabled and the battleships {{HMS|Valiant|1914|6}} and {{HMS|Queen Elizabeth|1913|2}} were severely damaged. This was a strategic change of fortune against the Allies whose effects were felt in the Mediterranean for several months.{{sfn|Greene|Massignani|2002|pp=196–204}}


==Results==
==Results==
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Admiral Angelo Iachino (on ''Littorio'')
Admiral Angelo Iachino (on ''Littorio'')
* Close covering force – Vice Admiral [[Raffaele de Courten]] (on ''Duca d'Aosta''):
* Close covering force – Vice Admiral [[Raffaele de Courten]] (on ''Duca d'Aosta'')
** One [[battleship]]: {{ship|Italian battleship|Duilio||2}};
** One [[battleship]]: {{ship|Italian battleship|Duilio||2}}
** Three [[light cruiser]]s (''7a Divisione Incrociatori''): {{Ship|Italian cruiser|Emanuele Filiberto Duca d'Aosta||2}}, {{Ship|Italian cruiser|Muzio Attendolo||2}}, {{Ship|Italian cruiser|Raimondo Montecuccoli||2}};
** Three [[light cruiser]]s (''7a Divisione Incrociatori''): {{Ship|Italian cruiser|Emanuele Filiberto Duca d'Aosta||2}}, {{Ship|Italian cruiser|Muzio Attendolo||2}}, {{Ship|Italian cruiser|Raimondo Montecuccoli||2}}
** Three [[destroyer]]s: {{ship|Italian destroyer|Ascari||2}}, {{ship|Italian destroyer|Aviere|1937|2}}, and {{ship|Italian destroyer|Camicia Nera||2}}.
** Three [[destroyer]]s, {{ship|Italian destroyer|Ascari||2}}, {{ship|Italian destroyer|Aviere|1937|2}}, and {{ship|Italian destroyer|Camicia Nera||2}}
* Distant covering force – Vice Admiral [[Angelo Parona]] (on ''Gorizia''):
* Distant covering force – Vice Admiral [[Angelo Parona]] (on ''Gorizia'')
** Three battleships: {{ship|Italian battleship|Andrea Doria||2}}, {{ship|Italian battleship|Giulio Cesare||2}}, and {{ship|Italian battleship|Littorio||2}};
** Three battleships: {{ship|Italian battleship|Andrea Doria||2}}, {{ship|Italian battleship|Giulio Cesare||2}} and {{ship|Italian battleship|Littorio||2}}
** Two [[heavy cruiser]]s:  {{Ship|Italian cruiser|Gorizia||2}}, and {{Ship|Italian cruiser|Trento||2}};
** Two [[heavy cruiser]]s:  {{Ship|Italian cruiser|Gorizia||2}}, and {{Ship|Italian cruiser|Trento||2}}
** 10 destroyers: ''[[Italian destroyer Vincenzo Gioberti|Vincenzo Gioberti]]'', [[Italian destroyer Alfredo Oriani|''Alfredo Oriani'']] (''9a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere'');
** 10 destroyers, {{ship|Italian destroyer|Vincenzo Gioberti||2}}, {{ship|Italian destroyer|Alfredo Oriani||2}} (''9a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere'')
::{{ship|Italian destroyer|Maestrale||2}} (''10a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere'');
::{{ship|Italian destroyer|Maestrale||2}} (''10a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere'')
::{{ship|Italian destroyer|Carabiniere|1938|2}}, {{ship|Italian destroyer|Corazziere|1938|2}} (''12a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere'');
::{{ship|Italian destroyer|Carabiniere|1938|2}}, {{ship|Italian destroyer|Corazziere|1938|2}} (''12a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere'')
::{{ship|Italian destroyer|Alpino|1938|2}}, {{ship|Italian destroyer|Bersagliere|1938|2}}, {{ship|Italian destroyer|Fuciliere|1938|2}}, {{ship|Italian destroyer|Granatiere|1938|2}} (''13a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere'');
::{{ship|Italian destroyer|Alpino|1938|2}}, {{ship|Italian destroyer|Bersagliere|1938|2}}, {{ship|Italian destroyer|Fuciliere|1938|2}}, {{ship|Italian destroyer|Granatiere|1938|2}} (''13a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere'')
::{{ship|Italian destroyer|Antoniotto Usodimare||2}} (''16a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere'').
::{{ship|Italian destroyer|Antoniotto Usodimare||2}} (''16a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere'')
* Close escort:
* Close escort:
** Six destroyers: {{ship|Italian destroyer|Saetta||2}} (''7a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere'');
** Six destroyers: {{ship|Italian destroyer|Saetta||2}} (''7a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere'')
::{{ship|Italian destroyer|Antonio da Noli||2}}, {{ship|Italian destroyer|Ugolino Vivaldi||2}} (''14a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere'');
::{{ship|Italian destroyer|Antonio da Noli||2}}, {{ship|Italian destroyer|Ugolino Vivaldi||2}} (''14a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere'')
::''[[Italian destroyer Lanzerotto Malocello|Lanzerotto Malocello]]'', {{ship|Italian destroyer|Nicolò Zeno||2}} (''15a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere'');
::{{ship|Italian destroyer|Lanzerotto Malocello||2}}, {{ship|Italian destroyer|Nicolò Zeno||2}} (''15a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere'')
::{{ship|Italian destroyer|Emanuele Pessagno||2}} (''16a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere'');
::{{ship|Italian destroyer|Emanuele Pessagno||2}} (''16a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere'')
* One [[torpedo boat]]: {{ship|Italian torpedo boat|Pegaso|1936|2}}.
* {{ship|Italian torpedo boat|Pegaso|1936|2}}
* M42 convoy:
* Convoy M42
** Three [[motorship]]s: ''Monginevro'', ''Napoli'', ''Vettor Pisani'';
** [[motorship]]s ''Monginevro'', ''Napoli'', ''Vettor Pisani''
** One [[Cargo ship|freighter]]: ''Ankara'' (German).
** [[Cargo ship|freighter]] ''Ankara'' (German)


===Allies===
===Allies===
[[File:Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|border|40px]] [[File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg|40px]] [[File:Flag of Australia.svg|40px]]  [[File:Flag of New Zealand.svg|40px]]
[[File:Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|border|40px]] [[File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg|40px]] [[File:Flag of Australia.svg|40px]]  [[File:Flag of New Zealand.svg|40px]]
* Convoy Escort – Rear-Admiral Philip Vian (on ''Naiad'')
* Convoy Escort – Rear-Admiral Philip Vian (on ''Naiad'')
** Three light cruisers: {{HMS|Naiad|93|6}}, {{HMS|Euryalus|42|2}}, {{HMS|Carlisle|D67|2}};
** Three light cruisers: {{HMS|Naiad|93|6}}, {{HMS|Euryalus|42|2}}, {{HMS|Carlisle|D67|2}}
** Eight destroyers : {{HMS|Jervis}}, {{HMS|Kimberley|F50|2}}, {{HMS|Kingston|F64|2}}, {{HMS|Kipling|F91|2}} (damaged), {{HMAS|Nizam|G38|6}} (damaged), {{HMS|Havock|H43|6}}, {{HMS|Hasty|H24|2}} and {{HMS|Decoy|H75|2}} (''14th Destroyer Flotilla'').
** Eight destroyers, {{HMS|Jervis}}, {{HMS|Kimberley|F50|2}}, {{HMS|Kingston|F64|2}}, {{HMS|Kipling|F91|2}} (damaged), {{HMAS|Nizam|G38|6}} (damaged), {{HMS|Havock|H43|6}}, {{HMS|Hasty|H24|2}} and {{HMS|Decoy|H75|2}} (''14th Destroyer Flotilla'')
* Convoy
* Convoy
** One fast merchantman: [[MV Breconshire|''Breconshire'']]
** Fast merchantman: [[MV Breconshire|''Breconshire'']]
* Force K
* Force K
** Two light cruisers: {{HMS|Aurora|12|6}}, {{HMS|Penelope|97|2}}
** Two light cruisers: {{HMS|Aurora|12|6}}, {{HMS|Penelope|97|2}}
Line 116: Line 107:
** Two destroyers: {{HMS|Jaguar|F34|6}}, {{HMS|Kandahar|F28|2}}
** Two destroyers: {{HMS|Jaguar|F34|6}}, {{HMS|Kandahar|F28|2}}
* [[4th Destroyer Flotilla]]
* [[4th Destroyer Flotilla]]
** Four destroyers : {{HMS|Sikh|F82|6}}, {{HMS|Maori|F24|2}}, {{HMS|Legion|G74|2}}, [[HNLMS Isaac Sweers (1940)|HNLMS ''Isaac Sweers'']] (''4th Destroyer Flotilla'').
** Four destroyers, {{HMS|Sikh|F82|6}}, {{HMS|Maori|F24|2}}, {{HMS|Legion|G74|2}}, {{HNLMS|Isaac Sweers|1940|6}}


==See also==
==See also==
Line 125: Line 116:


==References==
==References==
* Bartimeus: ''East of Malta, West of Suez'', Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 1944.
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Blair|first=Clay|title=Hitler's U-Boat War:The Hunters 1939–1942|year=1996|publisher=Random House|location=New York|isbn=0-394-58839-8}}
* {{cite book |last=Bartimeus |title=East of Malta, West of Suez |year=1944 |publisher=Little, Brown |location=Boston |oclc=1727304}}
* Bragadin, Marc'Antonio: ''The Italian Navy in World War II'', United States Naval Institute, Annapolis, 1957. {{ISBN|0-405-13031-7}}
* {{cite book |last=Blair |first=Clay |title=Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunters 1939–1942 |year=1996 |publisher=Random House |location=New York |isbn=0-394-58839-8}}
* Brown, David: ''Warship Losses of World War Two'', Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 1995. {{ISBN|1-55750-914-X}}
* {{cite book |last=Bragadin |first=M. |authorlink=Marcantonio Bragadin (admiral) |editor-last=Fioravanzo |editor-first=G. |translator-last=Hoffman |translator-first=G. |title=The Italian Navy in World War II |year=1957 |orig-year=1948 |publisher=United States Naval Institute |location=Annapolis, Maryland |edition=Eng. trans. |oclc=602717421}}
* G.G.Connell, ''Mediterranean Maelstrom: HMS Jervis and the 14th Flotilla'' (1987): ISBN
* {{cite book |last=Brescia |first=Maurizio |title=Mussolini s Navy: A Reference Guide to the Regia Marina 1930–1945 |publisher=Seaforth |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-84832-115-1}}
* {{cite book|last1=Greene|first1=Jack|last2=Massignani|first2=Alessandro|title=The Naval War in the Mediterranean 1940–1943|year=1998|publisher=Chatham Publishing|location=London|isbn= 1-885119-61-5}}
* {{cite book |last=Brown |first=David |title=Warship Losses of World War Two |year=1995 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, MD |isbn=1-55750-914-X}}
* Eric Groves : ''Sea Battles in Close-Up'' Vol II (1993): {{ISBN|0-7110-2118-X}}
* {{cite book |first=Giorgio |last=Giorgerini |title=La guerra italiana sul mare. La Marina tra vittoria e sconfitta 1940–1943 |trans-title=The Italian War at Sea. The Navy between Victory and Defeat |year=2002 |publisher=Mondadori |location=Milano |isbn=978-8-80-450150-3}}
* O'Hara, Vincent P. (2009). ''Struggle for the Middle Sea: the great navies at war in the Mediterranean theater, 1940-1945''. Naval Institute Press. {{ISBN|1-59114-648-8}}
* {{cite book |last1=Greene |first1=J. |last2=Massignani |first2=A. |title=The Naval War in the Mediterranean 1940–1943 |year=2002 |orig-year=1998 |publisher=Chatham |location=Rochester |edition=pbk. repr. |isbn=1-86176-190-2}}
* Stephen Roskill : ''The War at Sea 1939–1945 '' Vol I (1954): ISBN (none)
* {{cite book |first=Eric |last=Groves |title=Sea Battles in Close-Up |volume=II |year=1993 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, MD |isbn=0-7110-2118-X}}
* {{cite book|last1=Rohwer|first1=Jürgen|last2=Hummelchen|first2=Gerhard|title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945|year=1992|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn= 1-55750-105-X}}
* {{cite book |last=O'Hara |first=Vincent P. |year=2009 |title=Struggle for the Middle Sea: The Great Navies at War in the Mediterranean Theater, 1940–1945 |publisher=Conway |location=London |isbn=978-1-84486-102-6}}
{{refend}}
 
==Further reading==
* {{cite book |first=G. G. |last=Connell |title=Mediterranean Maelstrom: HMS Jervis and the 14th Flotilla |year=1987 |publisher=William Kimber |location=London |isbn=978-0-7183-0643-4}}
* {{cite book |series=History of the Second World War United Kingdom Military Series |title=The War at Sea 1939–1945: The Defensive |volume=I |last=Roskill |first=S. W. |author-link=Stephen Roskill |editor-last=Butler |editor-first=J. R. M. |editor-link=James Ramsay Montagu Butler |year=1957 |orig-year=1954 |publisher=HMSO |location=London |edition=4th impr. |url=http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/UK-RN-I/index.html |oclc=881709135 |access-date=24 November 2017 |archive-date=27 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220227021618/http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/UK-RN-I/index.html |url-status=live}}
* {{cite book |first1=Jürgen |last1=Rohwer |first2=Gerhard |last2=Hümmelchen |title=Chronology of the War at Sea, 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two |year=2005 |orig-year=1972 |publisher=Chatham |location=London |edition=3rd rev. |isbn=1-86176-257-7}}
* {{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=Peter |last2=Walker |first2=Edwin |series=Sea Battles in Close-up (No. 11) |title=The Battles of the Malta Striking Forces |year=1974|publisher=Ian Allan |location=Shepperton |isbn=0-7110-0528-1}}


==External links==
==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090912020612/http://www.regiamarinaitaliana.it/Sirte1.html La I Battaglia della Sirte] {{in lang|it}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090912020612/http://www.regiamarinaitaliana.it/Sirte1.html La I Battaglia della Sirte] {{in lang|it}}
* [http://digilander.libero.it/planciacomando/WW2/primasirte1.htm Prima battaglia della Sirte] – Plancia di Commando {{in lang|it}}
* [http://digilander.libero.it/planciacomando/WW2/primasirte1.htm Prima battaglia della Sirte] – Plancia di Commando {{in lang|it}}
* [https://www.regiamarina.net/ The Italian Navy in World War II]


{{coord|34|8|4|N|17|57|5|E|display=title}}
{{World War II}}


[[Category:Conflicts in 1941|Sirte]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1941|Sirte]]
Line 154: Line 153:
[[Category:Mediterranean convoys of World War II|Sirte]]
[[Category:Mediterranean convoys of World War II|Sirte]]
[[Category:Mine warfare|Sirte]]
[[Category:Mine warfare|Sirte]]
[[Category:December 1941 events]]
[[Category:December 1941 in Africa]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in December 1941]]

Latest revision as of 07:49, 8 March 2026


For other uses, see Battle of Sirte.

First Battle of Sirte
Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean of the Second World War

Italian battleship Andrea Doria, 31 December 1939
Date17 December 1941
Location
Gulf of Sidra, Mediterranean Sea
34°8′4″N 17°57′5″E / 34.13444°N 17.95139°E / 34.13444; 17.95139
Result Inconclusive
Belligerents
 United Kingdom
 Australia
Netherlands		 Template:Country data Fascist Italy (1922-1943)
Commanders and leaders
Andrew Cunningham
Philip Vian		 Template:Country data Fascist Italy (1922-1943) Angelo Iachino
Template:Country data Fascist Italy (1922-1943) Guido Porzio Giovanola
Strength
5 light cruisers
14 destroyers		 4 battleships
2 heavy cruisers
3 light cruisers
13 destroyers
Casualties and losses
1 killed
2 destroyers damaged		 None
Template:Campaignbox Mediterranean Campaign

The First Battle of Sirte was fought between forces of the British Mediterranean Fleet and the Regia Marina (Italian Royal Navy) during the Battle of the Mediterranean in the Second World War. The engagement took place on 17 December 1941, south-east of Malta, in the Gulf of Sirte. The engagement was inconclusive as both forces were protecting convoys and wished to avoid battle.

In the following days, two Royal Navy forces based at Malta ran into Italian minefield T off Tripoli and two British battleships were disabled by Italian Human torpedo during the Raid on Alexandria. By the end of December, the balance of naval power in the Mediterranean had shifted in favour of the Regia Marina.

Background[edit | edit source]

The British Eighth Army and the Axis armies in North Africa were engaged in battles resulting from Operation Crusader, which had been fought between 18 November and 4 December. Its aim was to defeat the Afrika Korps and relieve the siege of Tobruk. This had been achieved and Axis forces were conducting a fighting retreat; by 13 December, they were holding a defensive line at Gazala, east of Benghazi. The Axis were desperate to supply their forces, intending to transport stores to Tripoli, their main port in Libya and Benghazi, the port closest to the front line. The island garrison of Malta was under siege and the British wanted to supply their forces on the island.[1]

Prelude[edit | edit source]

Convoy M41/M42[edit | edit source]

The Italians were preparing to send Convoy M41, of eight ships, to Africa on 13 December 1941. That morning, their previous supply attempt, two fast cruisers carrying fuel to Tripoli, had failed when they were sunk at the Battle of Cape Bon by a force of destroyers en route to Alexandria. The eight merchant ships were in three groups, with a close escort of five destroyers and a distant cover force of the battleships Littorio and Vittorio Veneto, four destroyers and two torpedo boats. Soon after sailing on 13 December, a group of Convoy M41 was attacked by the British submarine HMS Upright and two ships were sunk; later that day two ships collided and had to return to base, while the distant cover force was sighted by the submarine HMS Urge and Vittorio Veneto was torpedoed and forced to return to port.[1]

Supermarina, the high command of the Italian navy, rattled by these losses and a report that a British force of two battleships was at sea, ordered the ships to return to await reinforcement but the "force of two battleships" was a decoy operation by the minelayer HMS Abdiel. On 16 December, the four-ship Italian convoy, renamed Convoy M42, left Taranto, picking up escorts along the way. The close escort was provided by seven destroyers and a torpedo boat; by the time they reached Sicily they were also accompanied by a close cover force, comprising the battleship Duilio, three light cruisers and three destroyers. The distant covering force consisted of the battleships Littorio, Andrea Doria and Giulio Cesare, two cruisers and 10 destroyers.[2]

Allied convoy[edit | edit source]

The British planned to run supplies to Malta using the fast merchant ship Breconshire, covered by a force of cruisers and destroyers, while the destroyers from the Cape Bon engagement would proceed to Alexandria from Malta covered by Force K and Force B from Malta on 15 December.[2] The British force was depleted when the light cruiser HMS Galatea was torpedoed and sunk by U-557, just before midnight on 14 December.[3] U-557 was accidentally sunk less than 48 hours later, by the Italian torpedo boat Orione.[4] On 15 December, Breconshire sailed from Alexandria escorted by three cruisers and eight destroyers under Rear-Admiral Philip Vian in HMS Naiad. On 16 December, the four destroyers of 4th Flotilla (Commander G. Stokes in HMS Sikh) left Malta, covered by Force K (Captain William 'Bill' Agnew in HMS Aurora), two cruisers and two destroyers.[1] Thirty Italian warships were escorting four cargo ships. The two British groups were also at sea and steaming toward each other; the opposing forces were likely to cross each other's tracks east of Malta on 18 December.

Battle[edit | edit source]

On 17 December, an Italian reconnaissance aircraft spotted the British westbound formation near Sidi Barrani, apparently proceeding from Alexandria to intercept the Italian convoy. The British convoy was shadowed by Axis aeroplanes and attacked during the afternoon but no hits were scored and Agnew and Stokes met the westbound convoy. By late afternoon the Italian fleet was close by and spotter planes from the battleships had made contact with the British convoy, but the planes misidentified Breconshire as a battleship.[5] At 17:42, the fleets sighted each other; Admiral Angelo Iachino—commander of the Italian forces—moved to intercept to defend his convoy.[2]

Vian also wished to avoid combat, so with the British giving ground and the Italians pursuing with caution, the British were easily able to avoid an engagement. Just after sunset, an air attack on the British ships caused them to return fire with their anti-aircraft guns, allowing the Italian naval force to spot them. Iachino took in the distant covering force and opened fire at about 105,000 ft (32,000 m), well out of range of the British guns. Vian immediately laid smoke and moved to the attack while Breconshire moved away, escorted by the destroyers HMS Decoy and HMS Havock.[1]

Lacking radar and mindful of their defeat in the night action at the Battle of Cape Matapan, the Italians wished to avoid a night engagement. The Italians fired for only 15 minutes before disengaging and returning westwards to cover convoy M42. HMS Kipling suffered the loss of one midshipman and some damage due to a near-miss either from an 8 in (200 mm) shell, possibly fired by the Italian cruiser Gorizia or as stated by British official reports by 13 in (320 mm) shell splinters from Andrea Doria and Giulio Cesare, that knocked down wireless aerials and holed the hull, superstructure and ship's boats.[6][7] According to Italian sources, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) destroyer Template:HMAS was also damaged by near-misses from the Italian destroyer Maestrale.[8] British reports tell of other warships punctured by splinters.[9]

Aftermath[edit | edit source]

Minefield T[edit | edit source]

After dark, Vian turned to return with Stokes to Alexandria, leaving Agnew to bring Breconshire to Malta, joined by Force B, one cruiser (the other was under repair) and two destroyers. Breconshire and her escorts arrived in Malta at 15:00 on 18 December.[2] At midday, the Italian force also split up and three ships headed for Tripoli, accompanied by the close cover force, while the German supply ship Ankara, headed for Benghazi. The distant cover force remained on station in the Gulf of Sidra until evening, before heading back to base. The British had now realised that the Italians had a convoy in the area; Vian searched for it without success as he returned to Alexandria.

In the afternoon, the position of the Tripoli group was established; a cruiser and two destroyers of Force B and two cruisers and two destroyers of Force K (Captain O'Conor, on the cruiser HMS Neptune) sortied from Malta at 18:00 to intercept. The force ran into a minefield (Minefield T) 20 mi (17 nmi; 32 km) off Tripoli, in the early hours of 19 December. The minefield took the British by surprise as the water-depth was 600 ft (180 m), which they had thought was too deep for mines. Neptune struck four mines and sank, the destroyer HMS Kandahar struck a mine and was scuttled the following day. The cruisers Aurora and Penelope were badly damaged but were able to return to Malta. About 830 Allied seamen, many of them New Zealanders from Neptune, were killed.[10] The Malta Strike Force, which had been such a threat to Axis shipping to Libya during most of 1941, was much reduced in its effectiveness and was later forced to withdraw to Gibraltar.[11]

Attack on Alexandria[edit | edit source]

Main article: Raid on Alexandria (1941)

While steaming back to Alexandria along with Vian's force, destroyer HMS Jervis reported an apparently successful depth-charge attack on an unidentified submarine.[12] The only axis submarine off Alexandria was the Italian Sciré, which was carrying a group of six Italian frogmen commandos, including Luigi Durand De La Penne, equipped with manned torpedoes. Shortly after Vian's force arrived in Alexandria, on the night of 18 December, the Italians penetrated the harbour and attacked the fleet. Jervis was damaged, a large Norwegian tanker disabled and the battleships HMS Valiant and Queen Elizabeth were severely damaged. This was a strategic change of fortune against the Allies whose effects were felt in the Mediterranean for several months.[1]

Results[edit | edit source]

Both sides achieved their strategic objectives; the British got supplies through to Malta and the Axis got their ships through to Tripoli and Benghazi, although Benghazi fell to the Eighth Army five days later, on 24 December.

Order of battle[edit | edit source]

Forces present 17 December 1941[13]

Italy[edit | edit source]

Admiral Angelo Iachino (on Littorio)

Maestrale (10a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere)
Carabiniere, Corazziere (12a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere)
Alpino, Bersagliere, Fuciliere, Granatiere (13a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere)
Antoniotto Usodimare (16a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere)
  • Close escort:
    • Six destroyers: Saetta (7a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere)
Antonio da Noli, Ugolino Vivaldi (14a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere)
Lanzerotto Malocello, Nicolò Zeno (15a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere)
Emanuele Pessagno (16a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere)

Allies[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

Notes[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Greene & Massignani 2002, pp. 196–204.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Groves 1993, pp. 72–74.
  3. ↑ Brown 1995, pp. 54–55.
  4. ↑ Blair 1996, pp. 400, 736.
  5. ↑ Giorgerini 2002, p. 342.
  6. ↑ Brescia 2012, p. 77.
  7. ↑ "H. M. Ships Damaged or Sunk by Enemy Action in WWII". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  8. ↑ Bragadin 1957, p. 149.
  9. ↑ O'Hara 2009, p. 158.
  10. ↑ Brown 1995, p. 54.
  11. ↑ Bartimeus 1944, p. 195.
  12. ↑ Bartimeus 1944, p. 190.
  13. ↑ Order of Battle -First Battle of Sirte by Dan Muir

References[edit | edit source]

  • Bartimeus (1944). East of Malta, West of Suez. Boston: Little, Brown. OCLC 1727304.
  • Blair, Clay (1996). Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunters 1939–1942. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-394-58839-8.
  • Bragadin, M. (1957) [1948]. Fioravanzo, G. (ed.). The Italian Navy in World War II. Translated by Hoffman, G. (Eng. trans. ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. OCLC 602717421.
  • Brescia, Maurizio (2012). Mussolini s Navy: A Reference Guide to the Regia Marina 1930–1945. Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-84832-115-1.
  • Brown, David (1995). Warship Losses of World War Two. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-914-X.
  • Giorgerini, Giorgio (2002). La guerra italiana sul mare. La Marina tra vittoria e sconfitta 1940–1943 [The Italian War at Sea. The Navy between Victory and Defeat]. Milano: Mondadori. ISBN 978-8-80-450150-3.
  • Greene, J.; Massignani, A. (2002) [1998]. The Naval War in the Mediterranean 1940–1943 (pbk. repr. ed.). Rochester: Chatham. ISBN 1-86176-190-2.
  • Groves, Eric (1993). Sea Battles in Close-Up. Vol. II. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-7110-2118-X.
  • O'Hara, Vincent P. (2009). Struggle for the Middle Sea: The Great Navies at War in the Mediterranean Theater, 1940–1945. London: Conway. ISBN 978-1-84486-102-6.

Further reading[edit | edit source]

  • Connell, G. G. (1987). Mediterranean Maelstrom: HMS Jervis and the 14th Flotilla. London: William Kimber. ISBN 978-0-7183-0643-4.
  • Roskill, S. W. (1957) [1954]. Butler, J. R. M. (ed.). The War at Sea 1939–1945: The Defensive. History of the Second World War United Kingdom Military Series. Vol. I (4th impr. ed.). London: HMSO. OCLC 881709135. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  • Rohwer, Jürgen; Hümmelchen, Gerhard (2005) [1972]. Chronology of the War at Sea, 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (3rd rev. ed.). London: Chatham. ISBN 1-86176-257-7.
  • Smith, Peter; Walker, Edwin (1974). The Battles of the Malta Striking Forces. Sea Battles in Close-up (No. 11). Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0528-1.

External links[edit | edit source]

Template:World War II

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