Battle of Cape Spada
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Cape Spada was a naval battle
during the Battle of the Mediterranean
in Second World War
. It took place on 19 July 1940 in the Mediterranean Sea
off Cape Spada, the north-western extremity of Crete
.
to Leros
, at that time an Italian colony in the Dodecanese
Islands. The Allied squadron was commanded by the Australia
n Captain John Collins aboard the light cruiser
and included the British
H class destroyers
, , , and the similar I class destroyer
. The Italian 2nd Cruiser Division was commanded by Rear Admiral Ferdinando Casardi and consisted of the high-speed light cruisers and .
In the running battle which followed, Bartolomeo Colleoni was hard hit by Sydney and after a shell hit the boilers at 09:23 she stopped dead in the water. She fought on but was unable to manoeuvre or use the main battery; despite the fire from her 100 mm (3.9 in) guns, she was sunk by three torpedoes launched from Ilex and Hyperion at 09:59. Sydney continued to fire against Bande Nere. She was hit in the funnel by a single Italian shell, but managed to hit Bande Nere at least twice, killing eight in the bow and the hangar. Later, Sydney disengaged because she was short of ammunition and Giovanni delle Bande Nere returned to Benghazi
, shadowed by the battleship HMS Warspite and a screen of destroyers. 555 survivors of Bartolomeo Colleoni were rescued; 121 died. The British destroyers were bombed by Italian aircraft in the aftermath, resulting in damage to HMS Havock, whose nº 2 boiler was flooded. A floatplane from Warspite, which was searching for Bande Nere, ditched in the sea and was lost near Tobruk
. The crew was captured by the Italians. Allied convoy AN.2 was ordered to sail back to Port Said
and remain there until it was eventually known that Bande Nere had reached Benghazi.
Despite their speed advantage, the Italian cruisers failed to outrun HMAS Sydney because the most obvious route of escape to the south was to be changed to south-southwest, in order to avoid being trapped between the enemy and the shores of Crete. This gave the Australian cruiser the chance to close the range, as she did. The light armour of Colleoni and Bande Nere was unable to defeat Sydney´s rounds. The lack of aerial recce was another factor contributing to the successful Allies' chase.
Naval battle
A naval battle is a battle fought using boats, ships or other waterborne vessels. Most naval battles have occurred at sea, but a few have taken place on lakes or rivers. The earliest recorded naval battle took place in 1210 BC near Cyprus...
during the Battle of the Mediterranean
Battle of the Mediterranean
The Battle of the Mediterranean was the name given to the naval campaign fought in the Mediterranean Sea during World War II, from 10 June 1940-2 May 1945....
in Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It took place on 19 July 1940 in the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
off Cape Spada, the north-western extremity of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
.
Prelude
The battle occurred when an Allied squadron patrolling the Aegean encountered two Italian cruisers transferring from TripoliTripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
to Leros
Leros
Leros is a Greek island and municipality in the Dodecanese in the southern Aegean Sea. It lies 317 km from Athens's port of Piraeus, from which it can be reached by an 11-hour ferry ride . Leros is part of the Kalymnos peripheral unit...
, at that time an Italian colony in the Dodecanese
Dodecanese
The Dodecanese are a group of 12 larger plus 150 smaller Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, of which 26 are inhabited. Τhis island group generally defines the eastern limit of the Sea of Crete. They belong to the Southern Sporades island group...
Islands. The Allied squadron was commanded by the Australia
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
n Captain John Collins aboard the light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
and included the British
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
H class destroyers
G and H class destroyer
The G- and H-class destroyers were a class of twenty-four destroyers of the Royal Navy launched in 1935–1939. They served in World War II and sixteen were lost, with a seventeenth being written off as a constructive total loss...
, , , and the similar I class destroyer
I class destroyer
The I class was a class of eight destroyers plus a flotilla leader of the British Royal Navy ordered under the 1935 naval programme, laid down in 1936 and completed in 1937 and 1938...
. The Italian 2nd Cruiser Division was commanded by Rear Admiral Ferdinando Casardi and consisted of the high-speed light cruisers and .
Battle
When the Italians encountered the Allied destroyers at about 07:30, Sydney and Havock were 40 mi (34.8 nmi; 64.4 km) to the north on a sweep for submarines. The other destroyers led the Italian cruisers on a chase northwards to give Sydney time to come to the rescue. Sydney sighted the Italians at 08:26, opening fire at 08:29, and the Italian cruisers turned away to the southwest.In the running battle which followed, Bartolomeo Colleoni was hard hit by Sydney and after a shell hit the boilers at 09:23 she stopped dead in the water. She fought on but was unable to manoeuvre or use the main battery; despite the fire from her 100 mm (3.9 in) guns, she was sunk by three torpedoes launched from Ilex and Hyperion at 09:59. Sydney continued to fire against Bande Nere. She was hit in the funnel by a single Italian shell, but managed to hit Bande Nere at least twice, killing eight in the bow and the hangar. Later, Sydney disengaged because she was short of ammunition and Giovanni delle Bande Nere returned to Benghazi
Benghazi
Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...
, shadowed by the battleship HMS Warspite and a screen of destroyers. 555 survivors of Bartolomeo Colleoni were rescued; 121 died. The British destroyers were bombed by Italian aircraft in the aftermath, resulting in damage to HMS Havock, whose nº 2 boiler was flooded. A floatplane from Warspite, which was searching for Bande Nere, ditched in the sea and was lost near Tobruk
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
. The crew was captured by the Italians. Allied convoy AN.2 was ordered to sail back to Port Said
Port Said
Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
and remain there until it was eventually known that Bande Nere had reached Benghazi.
Despite their speed advantage, the Italian cruisers failed to outrun HMAS Sydney because the most obvious route of escape to the south was to be changed to south-southwest, in order to avoid being trapped between the enemy and the shores of Crete. This gave the Australian cruiser the chance to close the range, as she did. The light armour of Colleoni and Bande Nere was unable to defeat Sydney´s rounds. The lack of aerial recce was another factor contributing to the successful Allies' chase.
Italy
- Rear Admiral Ferdinando Casardi
- Regia Marina: 2 light cruiserLight cruiserA light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
s: (sunk),
- Regia Marina: 2 light cruiser
Allies
- Captain John Collins
- 1 light cruiser: (slightly damaged)
- 5 destroyerDestroyerIn naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s: , , , ,