Post by captainloggy on Feb 11, 2021 9:13:58 GMT -6
October 1932
Final losses:
Italy: 2 BC, 3 BB, 1 CA, 1 CL, 9 DD, 13 aircraft
Great Britain: 3 BC, 13 BB, 4 CL, 8 DD
Having received information that a substantial British force was operating east of Malta, the Italian fleet sortied to intercept them. They were divided into three formations: a scouting force, with battlecruisers Leonardo da Vinci and Marco Polo at its core, the main battle force with all twelve battleships of the Regia Marina, and finally our carrier with escorts. A scoutplane from Nola spotted the enemy scouting formation at 1332, north-by-east of our formation, but on a southward course.
In reaction, the fleet adjusted course lightly to intercept, meanwhile Sparviero began readying her strike wing. The surface forces soon came into visual range of each other, with our battleships engaging the enemy on a northward course, meanwhile our battlecruisers closed from the east. First hits were landed by battleship Pompeo at 1425 on HMS Hood, with HMS Ariadne retaliating five minutes later with her first hits. The British force, realizing they were outnumbered, turned north shortly after beginning the engagement, and our entire fleet gave chase at flank speed in three columns.
While Hood and Empress of India made good speed away, Glorious soon lagged behind after hits from Leonardo da Vinci, but was spared immediate destruction by the appearance of HMS Howe and her 18in guns, who was a far more dangerous target. Unfortunately for the British ship, her armour wasn’t quite as impressive as her armament, and the behemoth soon slowed down, severely damaged.
Just in time, CANT Z.108 torpedo bombers arrived on the scene and commenced their attack runs at 1520h, landing three hits on Howe. As the Italian fleet raced north, various ships took shots at the stricken giant, with torpedos from D6 finally doing her in by 1552.
The battlecruiser Ariadne was also chased down, when in the evening the main British battlefleet was spotted south of the Italians. A ferocious charge at dusk, mainly by the destroyers, brought immense destruction to both fleets. The chaotic night action soon made any attempt at effective coordination futile, as several friendly fire incidents were recorded. Chronologically recounting the action was impossible, as only the logs of ships that had made it out alive were consultable, and they painted an incomplete and at times contradictory picure aside from the obvious fact that chaos reigned throughout the night. At the end of the day, the British Mediterranean Fleet was severely crippled, while Italian forces had suffered heavy losses as well and limped back to port.
Italy: 2 BC, 3 BB, 1 CA, 1 CL, 9 DD, 13 aircraft
Great Britain: 3 BC, 13 BB, 4 CL, 8 DD