Sea battle at Cape Spada
Italian light cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni under fire during the battle
| date | July 19, 1940 |
|---|---|
| place | in front of Cape Spada , Crete , Mediterranean |
| output | British victory |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
| Troop strength | |
| 1 light cruiser , 5 destroyers |
2 light cruisers |
| losses | |
|
no |
121 dead, |
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The sea battle at Cape Spada took place on July 19, 1940 between Allied and Italian naval forces in the eastern Mediterranean off Cape Spada , which is located in the northwest of Crete.
background
The naval battle occurred when an Allied force cruising in the Aegean Sea met two Italian light cruisers that were moving from Tripoli to Leros in the Dodecanese , an Italian colony.
The Allied Association was supported by the Australian captain John Collins , who later rose to the Admiral on board the also Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney commands, while the Italian commander Rear Admiral Ferdinando Casardi on the flagship of the 2nd Cruiser Division dalle RN Giovanni Bande Nere found. The latter consisted of two light cruisers that were designed for high speed, but only had light armor.
Course of battle
When the Italian light cruisers and British destroyers first came into contact with combat at around 7:30 a.m., the light cruiser HMAS Sydney and the destroyer HMS Havock were about 40 nm north. The allied force immediately ran north to pull the enemy onto Collins' flagship HMAS Sydney . After the light cruiser, which had sighted the enemy ships a few minutes earlier, opened fire at 8:29 a.m., the Italian cruisers immediately turned to the southwest.
During the following exchange of fire, the RN Bartolomeo Colleoni was severely hit several times by the HMAS Sydney . After the rudder was hit by a chance hit at about 9:23 a.m. , the cruiser was unable to maneuver. The ship, which continued to fire but was no longer steerable, was sunk at 9:59 a.m. by torpedoes from the destroyers HMS Hyperion and HMS Ilex .
The Allies then broke off the fight because the ammunition on their ships was running out. The Giovanni dalle Bande Nere returned to Benghazi . 555 men were rescued from the Bartolomeo Colleoni , 121 went down with the ship.
Ships involved
Marina Regia
- Rear Admiral Ferdinando Casardi
- two light cruisers: RN Bartolomeo Colleoni ( sunk ), RN Giovanni dalle Bande Nere
Allies
- Captain John Collins
-
Royal Australian Navy: a light cruiser: HMAS Sydney (slightly damaged) -
Royal Navy: five destroyers: HMS Hasty , HMS Havock (damaged) HMS Hero , HMS Hyperion , HMS Ilex
-
Web links
- Action off Cape Spada
- Scontro di Capo Spada - Plancia di Comando (ital.)
- Chronicle of naval warfare 1939–1945 07/40