First Battle of Sirte
Encyclopedia
The First Battle of Sirte was fought between the British Royal Navy
and the Regia Marina
(Italian Royal Navy) during the Mediterranean campaign
of the Second World War
. The engagement took place on 17 December 1941, southeast of Malta
, in the Gulf of Sirte
. The battle itself was relatively uneventful, but has come to describe a week of clashes and naval operations which well illustrate the cut and thrust of naval warfare in the Mediterranean at the time.
and the Axis armies 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, the 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 re-supply their forces, intending to run stores in to Tripoli
, their main port in Libya
, and Benghazi, the port closest to the front line.
Meanwhile, the island garrison of Malta was under siege, the British were keen to run in stores to resupply their forces there.
.
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 and , four destroyer
s and two torpedo boat
s.
Meanwhile, 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, at Malta after the battle, would proceed to Alexandria covered by the Malta Strike Force groups, Force K
and Force B. This operation would commence on 15 December.
M41’s passage started badly; soon after sailing on 13th, one group was attacked by the British submarine
, two ships were sunk; later that day two other ships collided and had to return to base, while the Distant Cover Force was sighted by the submarine . The battleship Vittorio Veneto was torpedoed, and forced to return.
The Italian Navy's High Command (Supermarina), rattled by these losses and a report that a British force of two battleships was abroad, ordered the ships to return to await reinforcement. In fact, the "force of two battleships" was a decoy mission carried out by the minelayer
.
was torpedoed and sunk by , just before midnight on the 14th. U-557 was accidentally sunk less than 48 hours later, by the Italian torpedo boat Orione.
On 15 December, Breconshire sailed from Alexandria; with her as escort were three cruisers and eight destroyers under Rear-Admiral
Philip Vian
(in ). On the 16th, the four destroyers of 4th Flotilla, under Commander G. Stokes (in ), left Malta, covered by Force K, which consisted of two cruisers and two destroyers under Captain W.G. "Bill" Agnew (in ).
, picking up escorts along the way. The close escort was provided by seven destroyers and a torpedo boat, giving direct protection to the merchant ships. By the time they reached Sicily
they were also accompanied by a "Close Cover Force", comprising the battleship , three light cruisers and three destroyers.
A third group, the "Distant Covering Force", also formed up for detached support, consisting of the battleships Littorio, and , two cruisers and 10 destroyers.
Some measure of the importance of the mission can be seen in the fact that 30 Italian warships were escorting four cargo ships.
The two British groups were also at sea and steaming toward each other; the opposing forces were destined to cross each other's tracks east of Malta on the 18th.
, apparently proceeding from Alexandria in order to intercept the Italian convoy. Thereafter, the British convoy was shadowed by Axis planes and attacked during the afternoon, no hits were scored. Also during the day, Agnew and Stokes met the west-bound convoy. By late afternoon, the Italian fleet was close by, spotter planes from the battleships had made contact with the British convoy.
At 17:42, the fleets sighted each other; Admiral Angelo Iachino
—commander of the Italian forces—moved to intercept in order to cover his convoy.
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 gun
s, allowing the Italian naval force to spot them at last. Iachino took in the Distant Covering Force and opened fire at about 32000 m (34,995.6 yd), 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 Decoy and Havock.
Lacking radar
and mindful of their defeat at the night battle of Matapan
, the Italians wished to avoid night combat. Expecting an attack, Iachino fired for only 15 minutes before disengaging and returning westward to protect his convoy. Only two British destroyers suffered the effects of Italian gunfire. suffered the loss of one seaman to a near-miss from a 8 in (203.2 mm) round, presumably fired by the Italian cruiser . The Australian
destroyer was also damaged by near-misses from the Italian destroyer Maestrale
.
At midday on the 18th, the Italian force also split up; three ships headed for Tripoli, accompanied by the Close Cover Force, while the other merchant ship, the German supply ship Ankara, headed for Benghazi.
The Distant Cover Force remained on station in the Gulf of Sirte until evening, before heading back to base. The British had now realized that the Italians had a convoy in the area; Vian searched for it without success as he returned to Alexandria.
On the afternoon of the 18th the position of the Tripoli group was established, and the Malta Strike Force of one cruiser and two destroyers of Force B, and two cruisers and two destroyers of Force K—under the command of Capt. O’Conor, on board the cruiser —sortied at 18:00 to intercept. However, the force ran into a minefield 20 mi (17.4 nmi; 32.2 km) off Tripoli, in the early hours of 19 December. The minefield took the British by surprise as the water-depth was 600 ft (182.9 m), which they had thought was too deep for a minefield. Neptune struck four mines and sank, the destroyer also struck a mine and was scuttled the following day. The cruisers and were badly damaged but were able to return to Malta. Overall, about 830 Allied seamen, many of them New Zealand
ers from Neptune, lost their lives in the disaster.
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, was later forced to withdraw to Gibraltar.
equipped with manned torpedoes. Shortly after Vian's force arrived in Alexandria, on the night of 18/19 December, the Italians penetrated the harbour and attacked the fleet there. Jervis was damaged, two British battleships were crippled, and . This was a strategic change of fortune against the Allies whose effects were felt for several months.
Both sides achieved their strategic objectives; the British got supplies through to Malta, which was restored, at least for a while; the Axis got their ships through to Tripoli and Benghazi, although Benghazi fell to the Eighth army five days later, on 24 December.
Tactically, of the nine actions described here, four were British and three were Axis successes; two of them, including the eponymous First Battle of Sirte, were inconclusive.
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Vice Admiral Angelo Iachino (on Littorio)
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...
and the Regia Marina
Regia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
(Italian Royal Navy) during the Mediterranean campaign
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....
of the 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...
. The engagement took place on 17 December 1941, southeast of Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, in the Gulf of Sirte
Gulf of Sidra
Gulf of Sidra is a body of water in the Mediterranean Sea on the northern coast of Libya; it is also known as Gulf of Sirte or the Great Sirte or Greater Syrtis .- Geography :The Gulf of Sidra has been a major centre for tuna fishing in the Mediterranean for centuries...
. The battle itself was relatively uneventful, but has come to describe a week of clashes and naval operations which well illustrate the cut and thrust of naval warfare in the Mediterranean at the time.
Background
The British 8th ArmyEighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
and the Axis armies were engaged in battles resulting from Operation Crusader
Operation Crusader
Operation Crusader was a military operation by the British Eighth Army between 18 November–30 December 1941. The operation successfully relieved the 1941 Siege of Tobruk....
, which had been fought between 18 November and 4 December. Its aim was to defeat the Afrika Korps and relieve the siege of 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 ....
. This had been achieved, the Axis forces were conducting a fighting retreat; by 13 December, they were holding a defensive line at Gazala
Gazala
Gazala, or Ain el Gazala , is a small Libyan village near the coast in the northeastern portion of the country. It is located west of Tobruk....
, east of 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...
.
The Axis were desperate to re-supply their forces, intending to run stores in to Tripoli
Tripoli
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...
, their main port in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, and Benghazi, the port closest to the front line.
Meanwhile, the island garrison of Malta was under siege, the British were keen to run in stores to resupply their forces there.
Axis convoy M41
The Italians were preparing to send a major convoy of eight ships, designated M41, to Africa on 13 December 1941. That morning their previous re-supply attempt, two fast cruisers carrying fuel to Tripoli, had failed when both ships were sunk at the Battle of Cape Bon by a force of destroyers en route to AlexandriaAlexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
.
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
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s and , four destroyer
Destroyer
In 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 and two torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
s.
Meanwhile, 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, at Malta after the battle, would proceed to Alexandria covered by the Malta Strike Force groups, Force K
Force K
Force K was the designation for three British Royal Navy task forces during World War II. The first Force K operated from West Africa in 1939. The second and third Force Ks operated from Malta in 1941-1943.-First Force K:...
and Force B. This operation would commence on 15 December.
M41’s passage started badly; soon after sailing on 13th, one group was attacked by the British submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
, two ships were sunk; later that day two other ships collided and had to return to base, while the Distant Cover Force was sighted by the submarine . The battleship Vittorio Veneto was torpedoed, and forced to return.
The Italian Navy's High Command (Supermarina), rattled by these losses and a report that a British force of two battleships was abroad, ordered the ships to return to await reinforcement. In fact, the "force of two battleships" was a decoy mission carried out by the minelayer
Minelayer
Minelaying is the act of deploying explosive mines. Historically this has been carried out by ships, submarines and aircraft. Additionally, since World War I the term minelayer refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines...
.
Sinking of Galatea
The British were also preparing their operation, but their force was depleted when the light cruiserLight 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...
was torpedoed and sunk by , just before midnight on the 14th. U-557 was accidentally sunk less than 48 hours later, by the Italian torpedo boat Orione.
On 15 December, Breconshire sailed from Alexandria; with her as escort were three cruisers and eight destroyers under Rear-Admiral
Rear Admiral (Royal Navy)
Rear Admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It is immediately superior to Commodore and is subordinate to Vice Admiral. It is a two-star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7....
Philip Vian
Philip Vian
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Philip Louis Vian, GCB, KBE, DSO & Two Bars was a British naval officer who served in both World Wars....
(in ). On the 16th, the four destroyers of 4th Flotilla, under Commander G. Stokes (in ), left Malta, covered by Force K, which consisted of two cruisers and two destroyers under Captain W.G. "Bill" Agnew (in ).
Axis convoy M42
On 16 December, the four-ship Italian convoy—re-designated M42—left TarantoTaranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
, picking up escorts along the way. The close escort was provided by seven destroyers and a torpedo boat, giving direct protection to the merchant ships. By the time they reached Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
they were also accompanied by a "Close Cover Force", comprising the battleship , three light cruisers and three destroyers.
A third group, the "Distant Covering Force", also formed up for detached support, consisting of the battleships Littorio, and , two cruisers and 10 destroyers.
Some measure of the importance of the mission can be seen in the fact that 30 Italian warships were escorting four cargo ships.
The two British groups were also at sea and steaming toward each other; the opposing forces were destined to cross each other's tracks east of Malta on the 18th.
The battle of Sirte
On the 17th, an Italian reconnaissance plane spotted the British west-bound formation near Sidi BarraniSidi Barrani
Sidi Barrani is a town in Egypt, near the Mediterranean Sea, about east of the border with Libya, and around from Tobruk, Libya.Probably named after Sidi Mohammed el Barrani, a Senussi fighter in the early 1900s, the village is mainly a Bedouin community...
, apparently proceeding from Alexandria in order to intercept the Italian convoy. Thereafter, the British convoy was shadowed by Axis planes and attacked during the afternoon, no hits were scored. Also during the day, Agnew and Stokes met the west-bound convoy. By late afternoon, the Italian fleet was close by, spotter planes from the battleships had made contact with the British convoy.
At 17:42, the fleets sighted each other; Admiral Angelo Iachino
Angelo Iachino
Angelo Iachino was an Italian admiral during World War II.-Early life and career:Born at Sanremo, Liguria, Iachino entered the Italian Naval Academy at Livorno in 1904, and graduated in 1907....
—commander of the Italian forces—moved to intercept in order to cover his convoy.
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 gun
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
s, allowing the Italian naval force to spot them at last. Iachino took in the Distant Covering Force and opened fire at about 32000 m (34,995.6 yd), 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 Decoy and Havock.
Lacking radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
and mindful of their defeat at the night battle of Matapan
Battle of Cape Matapan
The Battle of Cape Matapan was a Second World War naval battle fought from 27–29 March 1941. The cape is on the southwest coast of Greece's Peloponnesian peninsula...
, the Italians wished to avoid night combat. Expecting an attack, Iachino fired for only 15 minutes before disengaging and returning westward to protect his convoy. Only two British destroyers suffered the effects of Italian gunfire. suffered the loss of one seaman to a near-miss from a 8 in (203.2 mm) round, presumably fired by the Italian cruiser . The Australian
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...
destroyer was also damaged by near-misses from the Italian destroyer Maestrale
Maestrale class destroyer
The Maestrale class were a group of destroyers built for the Italian Navy and served in World War II. They were an enlarged version of the Dardo class destroyers. They were 10 m longer and introduced new pattern 120 mm guns...
.
Tripoli's minefield
After dark, Vian and Agnew parted company, Vian to return with Stokes to Alexandria, Agnew to bring Breconshire to Malta. In this, he was 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 the 18th.At midday on the 18th, the Italian force also split up; three ships headed for Tripoli, accompanied by the Close Cover Force, while the other merchant ship, the German supply ship Ankara, headed for Benghazi.
The Distant Cover Force remained on station in the Gulf of Sirte until evening, before heading back to base. The British had now realized that the Italians had a convoy in the area; Vian searched for it without success as he returned to Alexandria.
On the afternoon of the 18th the position of the Tripoli group was established, and the Malta Strike Force of one cruiser and two destroyers of Force B, and two cruisers and two destroyers of Force K—under the command of Capt. O’Conor, on board the cruiser —sortied at 18:00 to intercept. However, the force ran into a minefield 20 mi (17.4 nmi; 32.2 km) off Tripoli, in the early hours of 19 December. The minefield took the British by surprise as the water-depth was 600 ft (182.9 m), which they had thought was too deep for a minefield. Neptune struck four mines and sank, the destroyer also struck a mine and was scuttled the following day. The cruisers and were badly damaged but were able to return to Malta. Overall, about 830 Allied seamen, many of them New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
ers from Neptune, lost their lives in the disaster.
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, was later forced to withdraw to Gibraltar.
Jervis antisubmarine chase
As Vian’s force returned to Alexandria, —one of his destroyers—encountered a submarine, which she attacked and thought she had sunk. However, this was not confirmed, as no submarine in the area was reported lost or having been attacked.The attack in Alexandria
The submarine reportedly sunk was not , although she was in the vicinity with a group of Italian frogmenLuigi Durand De La Penne
Luigi Durand de la Penne was an Italian naval diver in Decima MAS during World War II. De la Penne was born in Genoa, where he also died.De la Penne graduated from the Italian Naval Academy in Livorno in 1934...
equipped with manned torpedoes. Shortly after Vian's force arrived in Alexandria, on the night of 18/19 December, the Italians penetrated the harbour and attacked the fleet there. Jervis was damaged, two British battleships were crippled, and . This was a strategic change of fortune against the Allies whose effects were felt for several months.
Conclusions
It is hard to describe this series of actions as anything other than inconclusive.Both sides achieved their strategic objectives; the British got supplies through to Malta, which was restored, at least for a while; the Axis got their ships through to Tripoli and Benghazi, although Benghazi fell to the Eighth army five days later, on 24 December.
Tactically, of the nine actions described here, four were British and three were Axis successes; two of them, including the eponymous First Battle of Sirte, were inconclusive.
Italy
Vice Admiral Angelo Iachino (on Littorio)
- Close covering force - Rear Admiral Raffaele de Courten (on Duca d'Aosta):
- 1 battleshipBattleshipA battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
: ; - 3 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 (7a Divisione Incrociatori): , , ; - 3 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: Ascari, Aviere, and Camicia Nera.
- 1 battleship
- Distant covering force - Rear Admiral Angelo Parona (on Gorizia):
- 3 battleships: , , and ;
- 2 heavy cruiserHeavy cruiserThe heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
s: , and ; - 10 destroyers: Vincenzo Gioberti, Alfredo Oriani (9a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere); Maestrale (10a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere); Carabiniere, Corazziere (12a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere); Alpino, Bersagliere, Fuciliere, Granatiere (13a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere); Antoniotto Usodimare (16a Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere).
- Close escort:
- 6 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);
- 1 torpedo boatTorpedo boatA torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
: PegasoOrsa class torpedo boatThe Orsa class were a group of large torpedo boats or destroyer escorts built for the Italian Navy in the late 1930s. They were an enlarged version of the , with more endurance and a greater depth charge load but less powerful machinery and a lighter gun armament. The surviving pair were rebuilt as...
.
- M42 convoy:
- 3 motorships: Monginevro, Napoli, Vettor Pisani;
- 1 freighterCargo shipA cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
: Ankara (German).
Allies
- Convoy Escort - Rear-Admiral Philip Vian (on Naiad)
- 3 light cruisers: , , ;
- 8 destroyers (14th Destroyers Flotilla): HMS Jervis, , , Kipling (damaged), (damaged), , , .
- Convoy
- 1 fast merchantman: Breconshire
- Force K
- 2 light cruisers: HMS Aurora (badly damaged in a minefield after the battle), Penelope (damaged in a minefield after the battle),
- 2 destroyers ,
- Force B
- 1 cruiser: HMS Neptune (lost in a minefield after the battle);
- 2 destroyers: , Kandahar (lost in a minefield after the battle);
- 4th Destroyer Flotilla
- 4 destroyers (4th Destroyers Flotilla): , , , Isaac SweersGerard Callenburgh class destroyerThe Gerard Callenburgh class were a group of four destroyers ordered for the Royal Netherlands Navy just before World War II. Two ships were completed - the Gerard Callenburgh by the Germans after being captured and the Isaac Sweers in Britain after being evacuated as the Netherlands fell to the...
.
- 4 destroyers (4th Destroyers Flotilla): , , , Isaac Sweers
External links
- La I Battaglia della Sirte
- Prima battaglia della Sirte - Plancia di Commando