Battle of Cape Spada

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Mediterranean Campaign
Mers-el-Kebir – Calabria – Spada – Taranto – Spartivento – Matapan – Tarigo – Crete – Duisburg – Bon – 1st Sirte – 2nd Sirte – Harpoon – Pedestal – Torch – Skerki – Sicily

Mediterranean Campaign
Mers-el-Kebir – Calabria – Spada – Taranto – Spartivento – Matapan – Tarigo – Crete – Duisburg – Bon – 1st Sirte – 2nd Sirte – Harpoon – Pedestal – Torch – Skerki – Sicily

The naval Battle of Cape Spada took place on 19 July 1940 during World War II in the Mediterranean Sea off Cape Spada, the north-western extremity of Crete.

Contents

1 Origins
2 Battle
3 Order of battle

3.1
3.2 Allies

4 References

Origins

The battle occurred when an Allied squadron patrolling the Aegean encountered two Italian cruisers transferring from Tripoli to Leros, at that time an Italian colony in the Dodecanese Islands. The Allied squadron was commanded by the Australian Captain John Collins in the light cruiser HMAS Sydney and included the destroyers Havock, Hyperion, Hasty, Ilex and Hero, while the Italian 2nd Cruiser Division was commanded by Rear Admiral Ferdinando Casardi and consisted of the high-speed light cruisers Giovanni dalle Bande Nere and Bartolomeo Colleoni.

Battle

When the Italians encountered the Allied destroyers at about 07:30, Sydney and Havock were 40 miles (64 km) to the north on a sweep for submarines. The other destroyers led the Italians cruisers on a chase northwards to give Sydney time to come to the rescue. Sydney sighted the Italians at 08:26, opened 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 rudder (at 09:23) she stopped dead in the water. She fought on but was unable to manoeuvre and she was sunk by torpedoes from Ilex and Hyperion at 09:59. Sydney disengaged because she was short of ammunition and Giovanni delle Bande Nere returned to Benghazi. 555 survivors of Bartolomeo Colleoni were rescued; 121 died.

Order of battle

Rear Admiral Ferdinando Casardi
* 2 light cruisers: Bartolomeo Colleoni (sunk), Giovanni dalle Bande Nere

Allies

Captain John Collins
*

Royal Australian Navy: 1 light cruiser: HMAS Sydney (slightly damaged)

Royal Navy: 5 destroyers: Hasty, Havock (damaged) Hero, Hyperion, Ilex

References

[Action off Cape Spada]

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