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Operation Harpoon (1942)
Encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Operation Harpoon (2002)
Operation Harpoon was one of two simultaneous Allied convoy
s sent to supply Malta
in the Axis-dominated Mediterranean Sea
in mid-June 1942, during the Second World War
. One convoy, Operation Vigorous
, left Alexandria
. The other, Operation Harpoon, travelled in the opposite direction from Gibraltar
. Both convoys met with fierce Axis opposition and only two of Harpoon′s six merchant ships completed the journey, at the cost of several Allied warships.
They were followed by Operation Pedestal
.
and Italy's declaration of war, the Mediterranean
had been an Allied "lake". The French Fleet
and the Royal Navy
's Mediterranean Fleet dominated the only potential and credible adversary, Italy's Regia Marina
.
The French surrender and its consequences changed that. The French Fleet became a potential threat in Axis hands and so was, in part, destroyed
, adding to French antipathy toward the British. French bases in North Africa
ceased to offer protection to Allied shipping. The Regia Marina possessed potent modern warships, particularly battleships and heavy cruisers, and Italian and Libya
n territory provided centrally located naval and air bases that could cut British supply routes. The fall of Greece
and Crete
in 1941 extended the reach of Axis forces which were consequently able to intercept Allied shipping from Alexandria
and Suez
by air.
Italian and German armies in Libyan territory also threatened Egypt
and the control of the strategically important Suez Canal. A catastrophe in Egypt might in turn lead to destabilisation of Britain's control of Middle Eastern oil supplies, or even worse, to the Axis gaining control of them. This apocalyptic scenario depended upon Axis forces in North Africa receiving adequate supplies from Italy.
Malta threatened this Axis supply route, but itself needed regular resupply and reinforcement, in order to be effective and to resist Axis invasion.
By mid-June, 1942, Malta's supply situation had deteriorated. The Luftwaffe
had joined the Regia Aeronautica
to isolate and starve the island and it had become untenable as an offensive base. Axis armies had advanced into Egypt and Crete
thereby acquiring their own advance bases and denying the British safety over much of the eastern Mediterranean.
Fresh aircraft were regularly flown in to Malta, but food and fuel were diminishing. In response, Britain invested large amounts of effort to ensure resupply. Two convoys, codenamed Harpoon and Vigorous, were gathered, sailing simultaneously to split Axis forces. To contest the two Malta convoys, the Axis airforces had a total of 347 Italian and 128 German aircraft in the western Mediterranean, of which 175 Italian aircraft were based in Sardinia, with the rest in Sicily while 53 Italian and 122 German aircraft were based in the eastern Mediterranean; a total of 650 aircraft, although not all were operational.
A series of British naval disasters allowed the Regia Marina to gain naval supremacy in the east-central Mediterranean. The Italian Fleet took advantage of the situation and moved onto the offensive, blocking or decimating at least three large British convoys bound for Malta. This led to a number of naval engagements, such as the Second Battle of Sirte
, the Battle of Mid-June or Operation Harpoon (plus Operation Vigorous
) and finally to Operation Pedestal
, all of them favourable to the Axis. However, the only real success of the Italian Fleet was the attack on the Harpoon convoy.
on 12 June 1942, comprising six merchantmen (Troilus, Burdwan and Orari from Britain; Tanimbar from Holland and the Chant and the tanker Kentucky from the U.S.) carrying a total of 43000 ST (39,008.9 t) of cargo and oil. They were escorted by the anti-aircraft cruiser , nine destroyers, the fast minelayer and smaller ships. Distant cover was provided by the battleship
, the aircraft carrier
s and , the cruisers , and , and a number of destroyers.The two aircraft carriers embarked a total of 16 Sea Hurricanes, six Fairey Fulmar
s, and 18 Fairey Swordfish
.
with Savoia-Marchetti SM.79
torpedo bombers. The cruiser HMS Liverpool was damaged and towed back to Gibraltar by HMS Antelope, under aerial attacks, arriving there on the 17th. Later on 14 June, the covering force also returned to Gibraltar, just before the Strait of Sicily
. On the same day, the fast minelayer HMS Welshman was detached and traveled to Malta alone, where she delivered some cargo, then sailed back to strengthen the convoy's escort on the 15th.
Next day, the 15th, the now lightly defended convoy was subjected to a coordinated attack, near Pantelleria
, by Axis aircraft and the ships of the Italian 7th Division (cruisers , and destroyers Ascari
, Oriani
, Malocello
, Premuda and Vivaldi
), commanded by Vice-Admiral Alberto da Zara
.
The five fleet destroyers in the convoy escort made a smokescreen and attacked the Italian squadron, but the Tribal-class destroyer
and the P-class destroyer were hit by gunfire from both Italian cruisers and disabled. In return, the Italian destroyer Vivaldi was struck by her British counterparts and caught fire, but was taken in tow and saved by Malocello and Premuda. Then both fleets broke the engagement.
Three more merchantmen—the 10,000 ton tanker
Kentucky, Chant and the freighter Burdwan—were disabled by air attack, abandoned and later sunk by gunfire and torpedoes from Raimondo Montecuccoli and the destroyers Ascari and Oriani. Chant had already been sent to the bottom by aerial bombs when the Italian squadron found her still smoldering wreckage site. The cruiser and the minesweeper also received hits from Italian gunfire.
Partridge was recovered and even tried to tow Bedouin, but then the Italian cruisers with two destroyers reappeared; the tow was cast off, leaving Bedouin adrift.
Partridge managed to withdraw and head back for Gibraltar, but Bedouin—already shattered by at least twelve 6 in (152.4 mm) shells plus several near misses and listing heavily—was finally sunk by aerial torpedo
es. Twenty-eight of her crew died and more than 200 were taken POW
s.
In the evening of the 15th, the surviving ships ran into a minefield off Malta. The destroyers HMS Badsworth and Matchless and another freighter (Orari) struck mines there and were damaged, while the Polish destroyer ORP Kujawiak
sank after midnight.
Just two of the original six merchantmen reached Malta, the Orari and Troilus, the former losing some of her cargo due to the mine explosion. HMS Hebe also struck a mine and suffered further damage, but after a month in dry dock she was seaworthy again.
The British report of the battle acknowledges that Kentucky and Burdwan "without the Italian naval force would have both reached their destination". However, it should be remembered that, at this stage, any supplies reaching Malta were an Allied success. Furthermore, Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm fighters shot down 13 Axis aircraft while ship's gunners destroyed 16 more, for a total of 29 Axis aircraft shot down during the battle.
But the supplies delivered by Operation Harpoon were insufficient and fuel for the Malta's RAF
contingent was running low, in great part due to the sinking of the Kentucky.
On 1 September 1942, the award of various decorations for participants in the operation were announced in the London Gazette
, there were six appointments to the Distinguished Service Order
, and one bar
, two Distinguished Service Crosses
, three Distinguished Service Medals
and nine officers were Mentioned in Despatches.
The next, and critical, convoy was Operation Pedestal
: it would decide the fate of Malta.
United Kingdom
Poland
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Operation Harpoon (2002)
Not to be confused with Operation Harpoon Operation Harpoon was the code name of a joint American–Canadian military operation which took place in March 2002 in Paktia Province, Afghanistan. This operation took place in roughly the same region as Operation Anaconda...
Operation Harpoon was one of two simultaneous Allied convoy
Malta Convoys
The Malta Convoys were a series of Allied supply convoys that sustained the besieged island of Malta during the Mediterranean Theatre of the Second World War...
s sent to supply 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 Axis-dominated 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...
in mid-June 1942, during 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...
. One convoy, Operation Vigorous
Operation Vigorous
Operation Vigorous was a World War II Allied operation to deliver a supply convoy that sailed from Haifa and Port Said on 12 June 1942 to Malta. The convoy encountered heavy Axis air and sea opposition and returned to Alexandria on 16 June....
, left Alexandria
Alexandria
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...
. The other, Operation Harpoon, travelled in the opposite direction from Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
. Both convoys met with fierce Axis opposition and only two of Harpoon′s six merchant ships completed the journey, at the cost of several Allied warships.
They were followed by Operation Pedestal
Operation Pedestal
Operation Pedestal was a British operation to get desperately needed supplies to the island of Malta in August 1942, during the Second World War. Malta was the base from which surface ships, submarines and aircraft attacked Axis convoys carrying essential supplies to the Italian and German armies...
.
Background
Until the French surrenderArmistice with France (Second Compiègne)
The Second Armistice at Compiègne was signed at 18:50 on 22 June 1940 near Compiègne, in the department of Oise, between Nazi Germany and France...
and Italy's declaration of war, the Mediterranean
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...
had been an Allied "lake". The French Fleet
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
and the Royal Navy
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...
's Mediterranean Fleet dominated the only potential and credible adversary, Italy's Regia Marina
Regia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
.
The French surrender and its consequences changed that. The French Fleet became a potential threat in Axis hands and so was, in part, destroyed
Destruction of the French Fleet at Mers-el-Kebir
The Attack on Mers-el-Kébir, part of Operation Catapult and also known as the Battle of Mers-el-Kébir, was a naval engagement fought at Mers-el-Kébir on the coast of what was then French Algeria on 3 July 1940...
, adding to French antipathy toward the British. French bases in North Africa
French colonial empires
The French colonial empire was the set of territories outside Europe that were under French rule primarily from the 17th century to the late 1960s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the colonial empire of France was the second-largest in the world behind the British Empire. The French colonial empire...
ceased to offer protection to Allied shipping. The Regia Marina possessed potent modern warships, particularly battleships and heavy cruisers, and Italian and 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....
n territory provided centrally located naval and air bases that could cut British supply routes. The fall of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and 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...
in 1941 extended the reach of Axis forces which were consequently able to intercept Allied shipping from Alexandria
Alexandria
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...
and Suez
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
by air.
Italian and German armies in Libyan territory also threatened Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and the control of the strategically important Suez Canal. A catastrophe in Egypt might in turn lead to destabilisation of Britain's control of Middle Eastern oil supplies, or even worse, to the Axis gaining control of them. This apocalyptic scenario depended upon Axis forces in North Africa receiving adequate supplies from Italy.
Malta threatened this Axis supply route, but itself needed regular resupply and reinforcement, in order to be effective and to resist Axis invasion.
By mid-June, 1942, Malta's supply situation had deteriorated. The Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
had joined the Regia Aeronautica
Regia Aeronautica
The Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
to isolate and starve the island and it had become untenable as an offensive base. Axis armies had advanced into Egypt and 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...
thereby acquiring their own advance bases and denying the British safety over much of the eastern Mediterranean.
Fresh aircraft were regularly flown in to Malta, but food and fuel were diminishing. In response, Britain invested large amounts of effort to ensure resupply. Two convoys, codenamed Harpoon and Vigorous, were gathered, sailing simultaneously to split Axis forces. To contest the two Malta convoys, the Axis airforces had a total of 347 Italian and 128 German aircraft in the western Mediterranean, of which 175 Italian aircraft were based in Sardinia, with the rest in Sicily while 53 Italian and 122 German aircraft were based in the eastern Mediterranean; a total of 650 aircraft, although not all were operational.
A series of British naval disasters allowed the Regia Marina to gain naval supremacy in the east-central Mediterranean. The Italian Fleet took advantage of the situation and moved onto the offensive, blocking or decimating at least three large British convoys bound for Malta. This led to a number of naval engagements, such as the Second Battle of Sirte
Second Battle of Sirte
The Second Battle of Sirte was a naval engagement in which the escorting warships of a British convoy to Malta frustrated a much more powerful Regia Marina squadron. The British convoy was composed of four merchant ships escorted by four light cruisers, one anti-aircraft cruiser, and 17 destroyers...
, the Battle of Mid-June or Operation Harpoon (plus Operation Vigorous
Operation Vigorous
Operation Vigorous was a World War II Allied operation to deliver a supply convoy that sailed from Haifa and Port Said on 12 June 1942 to Malta. The convoy encountered heavy Axis air and sea opposition and returned to Alexandria on 16 June....
) and finally to Operation Pedestal
Operation Pedestal
Operation Pedestal was a British operation to get desperately needed supplies to the island of Malta in August 1942, during the Second World War. Malta was the base from which surface ships, submarines and aircraft attacked Axis convoys carrying essential supplies to the Italian and German armies...
, all of them favourable to the Axis. However, the only real success of the Italian Fleet was the attack on the Harpoon convoy.
The convoy
Harpoon left GibraltarGibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
on 12 June 1942, comprising six merchantmen (Troilus, Burdwan and Orari from Britain; Tanimbar from Holland and the Chant and the tanker Kentucky from the U.S.) carrying a total of 43000 ST (39,008.9 t) of cargo and oil. They were escorted by the anti-aircraft cruiser , nine destroyers, the fast minelayer and smaller ships. Distant cover was provided by 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...
, the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s and , the cruisers , and , and a number of destroyers.The two aircraft carriers embarked a total of 16 Sea Hurricanes, six Fairey Fulmar
Fairey Fulmar
The Fairey Fulmar was a British carrier-borne fighter aircraft that served with the Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War. A total of 600 were built by Fairey Aviation at its Stockport factory between January 1940 and December 1942...
s, and 18 Fairey Swordfish
Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War...
.
The operation
The first Italian air attacks, on the 14th, sank one freighter, the Tanimbar, south of SardiniaSardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
with Savoia-Marchetti SM.79
Savoia-Marchetti SM.79
The Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero was a three-engined Italian medium bomber with a wood and metal structure. Originally designed as a fast passenger aircraft, this low-wing monoplane, in the years 1937–39, set 26 world records that qualified it for some time as the fastest medium bomber in the...
torpedo bombers. The cruiser HMS Liverpool was damaged and towed back to Gibraltar by HMS Antelope, under aerial attacks, arriving there on the 17th. Later on 14 June, the covering force also returned to Gibraltar, just before the Strait of Sicily
Strait of Sicily
The Strait of Sicily is the strait between Sicily and Tunisia. It is about wide and divides the Tyrrhenian Sea and the western Mediterranean Sea from the eastern Mediterranean. Its maximum depth is ....
. On the same day, the fast minelayer HMS Welshman was detached and traveled to Malta alone, where she delivered some cargo, then sailed back to strengthen the convoy's escort on the 15th.
Pantelleria
Pantelleria , the ancient Cossyra, is an Italian island in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, southwest of Sicily and just east of the Tunisian coast. Administratively Pantelleria is a comune belonging to the Sicilian province of Trapani...
, by Axis aircraft and the ships of the Italian 7th Division (cruisers , and destroyers Ascari
Soldati class destroyer
The Soldati class were a group of destroyers built for the Italian Navy during World War II. The ships were named after military professions...
, Oriani
Oriani class destroyer
The Oriani Class were a group of four destroyers built for the Italian Navy in the late 1930s. They were a repeat of the Maestrale class destroyers, but had increased machinery power and a different anti-aircraft armament. The increase in power, however, disappointed in that there was only a...
, Malocello
Navigatori class destroyer
The Navigatori class were a group of Italian destroyers built in 1928-29. These ships were named after Italian explorers. They fought in World War II. Just one unit, the Nicoloso Da Recco, survived the conflict.-Design:...
, Premuda and Vivaldi
Navigatori class destroyer
The Navigatori class were a group of Italian destroyers built in 1928-29. These ships were named after Italian explorers. They fought in World War II. Just one unit, the Nicoloso Da Recco, survived the conflict.-Design:...
), commanded by Vice-Admiral Alberto da Zara
Alberto Da Zara
Alberto Da Zara was one of the most notable admirals of the Italian Regia Marina. He joined it in 1907 and fought aboard battleships in the Italo-Turkish War and the First World War. In the inter-war years he alternated between commanding torpedo boats and cruisers and acting as a naval commander...
.
The five fleet destroyers in the convoy escort made a smokescreen and attacked the Italian squadron, but the Tribal-class destroyer
Tribal class destroyer (1936)
The Tribal class, or Afridi class, were a class of destroyers built for the Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Australian Navy that saw service in World War II...
and the P-class destroyer were hit by gunfire from both Italian cruisers and disabled. In return, the Italian destroyer Vivaldi was struck by her British counterparts and caught fire, but was taken in tow and saved by Malocello and Premuda. Then both fleets broke the engagement.
Three more merchantmen—the 10,000 ton tanker
Tanker (ship)
A tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and the liquefied natural gas carrier.-Background:...
Kentucky, Chant and the freighter Burdwan—were disabled by air attack, abandoned and later sunk by gunfire and torpedoes from Raimondo Montecuccoli and the destroyers Ascari and Oriani. Chant had already been sent to the bottom by aerial bombs when the Italian squadron found her still smoldering wreckage site. The cruiser and the minesweeper also received hits from Italian gunfire.
Partridge was recovered and even tried to tow Bedouin, but then the Italian cruisers with two destroyers reappeared; the tow was cast off, leaving Bedouin adrift.
Partridge managed to withdraw and head back for Gibraltar, but Bedouin—already shattered by at least twelve 6 in (152.4 mm) shells plus several near misses and listing heavily—was finally sunk by aerial torpedo
Aerial torpedo
The aerial torpedo, airborne torpedo or air-dropped torpedo is a naval weapon, the torpedo, designed to be dropped into water from an aircraft after which it propels itself to the target. First used in World War I, air-dropped torpedoes were used extensively in World War II, and remain in limited...
es. Twenty-eight of her crew died and more than 200 were taken POW
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
s.
ORP Kujawiak
The ORP Kujawiak was a British Hunt-class destroyer escort, formerly named the HMS Oakley. It was laid down on 22 November 1939 and launched on 30 October 1940. It was commissioned to the Polish Navy in June 1941. The destroyer was sunk on 16 June 1942 after running into a mine near Malta while...
sank after midnight.
Just two of the original six merchantmen reached Malta, the Orari and Troilus, the former losing some of her cargo due to the mine explosion. HMS Hebe also struck a mine and suffered further damage, but after a month in dry dock she was seaworthy again.
Aftermath
This was the only undisputed squadron-sized victory for the surface forces of the Italian navy in World War II.The British report of the battle acknowledges that Kentucky and Burdwan "without the Italian naval force would have both reached their destination". However, it should be remembered that, at this stage, any supplies reaching Malta were an Allied success. Furthermore, Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm fighters shot down 13 Axis aircraft while ship's gunners destroyed 16 more, for a total of 29 Axis aircraft shot down during the battle.
But the supplies delivered by Operation Harpoon were insufficient and fuel for the Malta's RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
contingent was running low, in great part due to the sinking of the Kentucky.
On 1 September 1942, the award of various decorations for participants in the operation were announced in the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
, there were six appointments to the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, and one bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
, two Distinguished Service Crosses
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
, three Distinguished Service Medals
Distinguished Service Medal (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Royal Navy and members of the other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, up to and including the rank of Chief Petty Officer, for bravery and resourcefulness on active service...
and nine officers were Mentioned in Despatches.
The next, and critical, convoy was Operation Pedestal
Operation Pedestal
Operation Pedestal was a British operation to get desperately needed supplies to the island of Malta in August 1942, during the Second World War. Malta was the base from which surface ships, submarines and aircraft attacked Axis convoys carrying essential supplies to the Italian and German armies...
: it would decide the fate of Malta.
Allies
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
- Force X - convoy escort - Capt. Cecil Campbell Hardy
- light cruiser (AA) # (flagFlagshipA flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
) - minelayer
- destroyers: †, , ##, , #
- escort destroyers: , ##, , ORP KujawiakORP KujawiakThe ORP Kujawiak was a British Hunt-class destroyer escort, formerly named the HMS Oakley. It was laid down on 22 November 1939 and launched on 30 October 1940. It was commissioned to the Polish Navy in June 1941. The destroyer was sunk on 16 June 1942 after running into a mine near Malta while...
† - minesweepers: HMS Hebe ##, Speedy, Rye, Hythe
- minesweeping motor launches: ML-121, 134, 135, 168, 459, 462
- light cruiser (AA) # (flag
- Convoy WS-19:
- transports: Burdwan†, Chant†, Orari ##, Tanimbar†, Troilus
- tanker: Kentucky†
- Force W - cover force - Vice-Admiral Alban CurteisAlban CurteisAdmiral Sir Alban Thomas Buckley Curteis KCB CVO DSO was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Senior British Naval Officer, Western Atlantic.-Naval career:...
- battleship:
- aircraft carriers: ,
- light cruisers: (flag), ##,
- destroyers: , , , , , , ,
- Force Y - replenishment force
- fleet tanker: Brown Ranger
- corvettes: HMS Coltsfoot, Geranium
Italy
- 7 Division (Vice-Admiral Alberto da ZaraAlberto Da ZaraAlberto Da Zara was one of the most notable admirals of the Italian Regia Marina. He joined it in 1907 and fought aboard battleships in the Italo-Turkish War and the First World War. In the inter-war years he alternated between commanding torpedo boats and cruisers and acting as a naval commander...
):- light cruisers: (flag),
- destroyers: Alfredo OrianiOriani class destroyerThe Oriani Class were a group of four destroyers built for the Italian Navy in the late 1930s. They were a repeat of the Maestrale class destroyers, but had increased machinery power and a different anti-aircraft armament. The increase in power, however, disappointed in that there was only a...
, AscariSoldati class destroyerThe Soldati class were a group of destroyers built for the Italian Navy during World War II. The ships were named after military professions...
, Ugolino VivaldiNavigatori class destroyerThe Navigatori class were a group of Italian destroyers built in 1928-29. These ships were named after Italian explorers. They fought in World War II. Just one unit, the Nicoloso Da Recco, survived the conflict.-Design:...
##, Lanzerotto MalocelloNavigatori class destroyerThe Navigatori class were a group of Italian destroyers built in 1928-29. These ships were named after Italian explorers. They fought in World War II. Just one unit, the Nicoloso Da Recco, survived the conflict.-Design:...
, Premuda
- † - ships sunk
# - ships damaged, ## - heavily damaged
See also
- Battle of the MediterraneanBattle of the MediterraneanThe 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....
- Malta ConvoysMalta ConvoysThe Malta Convoys were a series of Allied supply convoys that sustained the besieged island of Malta during the Mediterranean Theatre of the Second World War...
- Operation PedestalOperation PedestalOperation Pedestal was a British operation to get desperately needed supplies to the island of Malta in August 1942, during the Second World War. Malta was the base from which surface ships, submarines and aircraft attacked Axis convoys carrying essential supplies to the Italian and German armies...
- Operation VigorousOperation VigorousOperation Vigorous was a World War II Allied operation to deliver a supply convoy that sailed from Haifa and Port Said on 12 June 1942 to Malta. The convoy encountered heavy Axis air and sea opposition and returned to Alexandria on 16 June....
External links
The official despatch to the Admiralty describing Operation Harpoon.- Operation Harpoon
- Order of battle
- Italian Cruiser Montecuccoli
- Battaglia di Mezzo Giugno - Plancia di Commando
Sources
- Bragadin, Marc'Antonio (1957). The Italian Navy in World War II, United States Naval Institute, Annapolis. ISBN 0-405-13031-7.
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