Battle Of The Strait Of Otranto (1940)

The Battle of the Strait of Otranto was a minor naval skirmish on 12 November 1940 during the Battle of the Mediterranean in World War II. It took place in the Strait of Otranto in the Adriatic Sea, between Great Britain and Italy.

Background

The battle occurred when an Allied squadron entered the Adriatic Sea looking for Italian naval targets. Although they did not know it at the time the squadron's real purpose was to help draw enemy attention from a major action against the main Italian fleet base at Taranto (Battle of Taranto). The Allied squadron was commanded by Vice Admiral Henry Pridham-Whippel in the light cruiser , and included the light cruisers and and the destroyers and .

On 12 November, an Italian Navy (''Regia Marina'') convoy of four merchant ships—''Antonio Locatelli'', ''Premuda'', ''Capo Vado'' and ''Catalani''—were on their way back from Valona, Albania to Brindisi, ItalyJordan 2006, p. 226. while escorted by the World War I-era torpedo boat , commanded by T.V.c. Giovanni Barbini and the auxiliary cruiser commanded by C.F. Francesco De Angelis. The ships were travelling darkened without navigational lights.

Battle

The Allied ships proceeded north during the night of 11 November, and upon reaching a notional line between Bari and Durazzo by 01:00 without incident, they turned to run southward. Twenty minutes later, the raiders encountered six darkened enemy ships, including what they thought were two destroyers and four merchantmen. The enemy vessels passed across their front and were making for the Italian mainland. HMS ''Mohawk'' opened fire at 01:27, and action became general.

In a confused night time action, HMAS ''Sydney'' attacked the leading freighter at a range of , setting it on fire. Over the next 23 minutes, the other three merchantmen were either sunk or damaged and left burning. ''Fabrizi'' was hit and heavily damaged, and limped toward Valona with 11 dead and 17 wounded. ''Ramb III'' after an initial discharge of 19 salvoes from her guns broke off the action unscathed. The merchantmen were all sunk in the action.

The Allies suffered no damage or casualties, although a torpedo narrowly missed ''Sydney''s stern at 01:40. The Italians suffered 36 dead and 42 wounded.

Aftermath

The Italians retaliated by sending aircraft of the ''Regia Aeronautica'' to locate the British naval squadron; however, the CANT flying boats which eventually located the naval squadron were shot down. The ''Regia Marina'' sent motor torpedo boats located north of Valona, Cruiser Squadron 7, consisting of light cruisers , , , the 15th Destroyer Division from Brindisi, Cruiser Squadron 8, consisting of light cruisers and , with the 7th and 8th Destroyer Divisions from Taranto sailed to intercept the British naval squadron in the Otranto Straits, but they failed to make contact.

The day after the battle, two Italian torpedo boats— and —rescued a total of 140 sailors.

Order of battle

''Regia Marina''

* Captain Francesco De Angelis
** Torpedo boat (damaged)
** Auxiliary cruiser
** 4 merchantmen, ''Antonio Locatelli'' (), ''Premuda'' (), ''Capo Vado'' () and ''Catalani'' () (all sunk)

Allies

* Rear Admiral Henry Pridham-Whippel
** 3 light cruisers: (Australian); and (British)
** 2 destroyers: and

Notes

References

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*
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* (IT) Carlo Stasi, ''Otranto e l'Inghilterra (episodi bellici in Puglia e nel Salento)'', in "Note di Storia e Cultura Salentina", anno XV, (Argo, Lecce 2003)
* (IT) Carlo Stasi, ''Otranto nel Mondo. Dal "Castello" di Walpole al "Barone" di Voltaire'' (Editrice Salentina, Galatina 2018) ,
* Thomas P. Lowry, The Attack on Taranto (Stackpoole Books paperbacks, 2000)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Strait of Otranto
Conflicts in 1940
1940 in Italy
Mediterranean Sea operations of World War II
Naval battles of World War II involving Australia
Naval battles of World War II involving Italy
Strait of Otranto
Mediterranean convoys of World War II
November 1940 events
Allied naval victories in the battle of the Mediterranean
Otranto