Second Battle of Sirte - March 22,1942 A powerful attack by the Regia Marina on a Malta Convoy is frustrated by a smaller British escort. Consisting of four merchant ships,eighteen destroyers, one AA cruiser and and four light cruisers, convoy MW 10 steamed for Malta with civilian and military supplies. The escort commander - the very able Admiral Phillip Vian. One Destroyer Division was to lay smoke if the Regia Marina was encountered. The other five were to act as a rear guard, and other units were dispatched from Malta. At 1430 an the 22nd the convoy ran into two heavy cruisers (Zara , Gorizia) with escorts and at 1637 the battleship Littorio came into sight. Until 1630 British DD’s dodged in and out of the smoke screen firing short volleys at the Italians. DD Havock, damaged by BB fire left the engagement for port. At 1834 the Royal Navy launched torpedoes - DD HMS Kingston is hit in engine room at left dead in the water. DD HMS Lively is damaged - some flooding but she keeps formation. At 1855 Littorio is hit and a seaplane is set afire. At 1900 Regia Marina turns for home. However, short of fuel and low on ammunition the escort force loses sight of convoy and steams for Alexandria. On March 26th,merchant ships come under heavy German air attacks and one is sunk twenty miles from Malta, one towed in, two make it under own power, a destroyer was damaged by mine in process. Of 24000 tons cargo loaded in Egypt, 4500 are unloaded. Kingston was hit by bombs while in dry dock at Malta - she was scrapped.Italian DD’s Scirroco and Lanciere sank in storm proceeding to base. While the Royal Navy defended the convoy successfully. The Regia Marina inflicted damage on ships the British were very short of - DD’s, and joined in air attacks by the Luftwaffe prevented most supplies from reaching Malta - a strategic success for the Italians. During this time, the Regia Marina had achieved control of the central Mediterranean at cost to the Royal Navy. More convoys were to suffer comparable losses before the Siege of Malta was finally broken. Royal Navy Regia Marina 3 Light Cruisers (CL) Damaged 1 BB light damage 6 DD’s damaged 39 KIA (l-r) map of action, RN CL behind smoke,DDs lay smoke, RN Gorizia fires salvo,BB Littorio, DD Kingston, CL Bande Nere, DDs lay smoke, DD Kingston, BB Littorio, CL HMS Cleopatra
Posted on: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 14:03:13 +0000
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