Photos WW2 Axis Forces
- Thread starter BravoZulu
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2017
- Messages
- 37,911
- Points
- 463
Italy:
Light Cruiser Emanuele Filiberto Duca D'Aosta, before WWII
Overhead view of a Cavour class battleship, 1942. Probably Giulio Cesare
Littorio is leading, with Vittorio Veneto trailing in the background, from gunnery exercises conducted in the summer of 1940.
Light Cruiser Emanuele Filiberto Duca D'Aosta, before WWII
Overhead view of a Cavour class battleship, 1942. Probably Giulio Cesare
Littorio is leading, with Vittorio Veneto trailing in the background, from gunnery exercises conducted in the summer of 1940.
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2017
- Messages
- 37,911
- Points
- 463
Italy:
Submarine Ametista, in a painting by Rudolf Claudus.
The painter Rudolf Claudus (born Klaudus) is a very interesting picture. Born in present-day Sopron, then in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in 1894, Claudus showed great talebt for drawing and painting, and through an uncle (an admiral in the k.u.k. Kriegsmarine), an interest towards the sea. He became an officer in said Navy in 1908; however ten years later, after meeting with Gabriele d'Annunzio and Admiral Leopoldo Notarbartolo di Villarosa, he began a long collaboration with the Regia Marina, in which he was considered the "official painter".
His many paintings raised interest even abroad, and in 1935 he was invited in the USA by FDR, for whom he did some works (as well as for the United States Naval Acadwmy of Annapolis). During World War II, he contributed to the preparation of some experimental camouflage schemes for some RM ships. He was arrested after the 1943 armistice by the Germans, to be eventually freed in 1945. He died in Rome in 1964.
Submarine Ametista, in a painting by Rudolf Claudus.
The painter Rudolf Claudus (born Klaudus) is a very interesting picture. Born in present-day Sopron, then in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in 1894, Claudus showed great talebt for drawing and painting, and through an uncle (an admiral in the k.u.k. Kriegsmarine), an interest towards the sea. He became an officer in said Navy in 1908; however ten years later, after meeting with Gabriele d'Annunzio and Admiral Leopoldo Notarbartolo di Villarosa, he began a long collaboration with the Regia Marina, in which he was considered the "official painter".
His many paintings raised interest even abroad, and in 1935 he was invited in the USA by FDR, for whom he did some works (as well as for the United States Naval Acadwmy of Annapolis). During World War II, he contributed to the preparation of some experimental camouflage schemes for some RM ships. He was arrested after the 1943 armistice by the Germans, to be eventually freed in 1945. He died in Rome in 1964.
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2017
- Messages
- 37,911
- Points
- 463
Submarines Giovanni da Procida (foreground) and Ciro Menotti and, in the background, the accommodation hulk GM 64 Buttafuoco, formerly the Austro-Hungarian ironclad SMS Erzherzog Albrecht, at Taranto in March 1941
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2017
- Messages
- 37,911
- Points
- 463
Minesweeper Triglia, later reclassified gunboat and rechristened Giovanni Berta, at La Spezia likely in 1933; she was the first Italian warship to be sunk in action during WWII at Tobruk, on 12 June 1940
Tall smoke columns from struck ships, as seen from the Italian light cruiser Raimondo Montecuccoli, during the Battle off Pantelleria (Operation Harpoon), 15 June 1942; this engagement is the lone clear-cut tactical success of an Italian squadron-sized force in WWII
Destroyer Freccia, on the left, alongside the motor ship Luciano Manara, torpedoed by British Beaufort torpedo bombers and grounded to avoid sinking, on 6 September 1942
The destroyer Freccia, of the Dardo-class, by WWII was no longer considered (together with its sister ships) for fleet duties, therefore they spent their wartime careers as convoy escorts.
During one such operation (when she, together with the destroyers Bombardiere, Fuciliere, Geniere, Corsaro and Camicia Nera, escorted Convoy "N", formed by the motor ships Luciano Manara and Ravello, bound for Bengazhi), the convoy (after joining another, and thus becoming Convoy "Lambda") was attacked on 6 September 1942 by thirteen Bristol Beauforts of the 39th Squadron; despite the intervention of German and Italian fighter escorts, one torpedo hit the Manara (at 15:40 hours), that came to a complete stop. The Freccia took it under tow and, together with the torpedo boat Procione, brought it to be grounded in Arilla Bay on the Greek coast. The other three ships of the convoy, despite reiterated attacks, safely reached Tobruk and Benghazi on 8 September, with 2500 t of fuel and 1100 t of ammo and other supplies.
Tall smoke columns from struck ships, as seen from the Italian light cruiser Raimondo Montecuccoli, during the Battle off Pantelleria (Operation Harpoon), 15 June 1942; this engagement is the lone clear-cut tactical success of an Italian squadron-sized force in WWII
Destroyer Freccia, on the left, alongside the motor ship Luciano Manara, torpedoed by British Beaufort torpedo bombers and grounded to avoid sinking, on 6 September 1942
The destroyer Freccia, of the Dardo-class, by WWII was no longer considered (together with its sister ships) for fleet duties, therefore they spent their wartime careers as convoy escorts.
During one such operation (when she, together with the destroyers Bombardiere, Fuciliere, Geniere, Corsaro and Camicia Nera, escorted Convoy "N", formed by the motor ships Luciano Manara and Ravello, bound for Bengazhi), the convoy (after joining another, and thus becoming Convoy "Lambda") was attacked on 6 September 1942 by thirteen Bristol Beauforts of the 39th Squadron; despite the intervention of German and Italian fighter escorts, one torpedo hit the Manara (at 15:40 hours), that came to a complete stop. The Freccia took it under tow and, together with the torpedo boat Procione, brought it to be grounded in Arilla Bay on the Greek coast. The other three ships of the convoy, despite reiterated attacks, safely reached Tobruk and Benghazi on 8 September, with 2500 t of fuel and 1100 t of ammo and other supplies.
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2017
- Messages
- 37,911
- Points
- 463
Italy:
The superstructures of the Italian battleship Conte di Cavour at Taranto, after she sank in shallow water before she could be grounded for the damage suffered by a torpedo hit from a Fairey Swordfish, in December 1940
When the Fleet Air Arm attacked Taranto, one of the battleship that were hit by the torpedoes was the battleship Conte di Cavour (as one can see from this map), at 2314 hours. Despite claims that the single torpedo hit (by Lt. Cmd. Williamson, whose Swordfish was taken down by the battleship's 37 mm guns immediately after releasing the weapon), for all the damage it caused, proved that at least on the rebuilt battleships the infamous Pugliese TDSwas a failure, the torpedo did not hit the side of the ship and said TDS, but instead detonated, thanks to its magnetic detonator, below the keel, under Turret no. 2 (Turret B in RN terminology), where the only thing that protected the ship was the triple bottom.
The damage suffered was severe, as a hole of roughly 100 square meters (more or less 1076 square feet) was torn open, causing the immediate flooding of the bow magazines and nearby compartments. The condition of the ship was recognized as critical by its commander, who decided to call up the available tugs to have the battleship grounded on a sandbank nearby. However, the admiral commanding the 5a Divisione (Fifth Division, the old battleships), Bruto Brivonesi (not to be confused for his brother, likewise an admiral, Bruno Brivonesi) believed that the flooding could be contained without resorting to this measure, and countermanded this order.
After more than four hours of unsuccessfully fighting the floodings, Admiral Brivonesi realized that the battleship seriously risked sinking, and finally agreed to the grounding. However, as the ship was seriously bow-heavy, at 0500 hours in the morning the bow touched the mud much farther from the shore than planned, and in the end the battleship settled into the mud (at a depth of around 17-18 m, 55-60 ft) around 0800, at first taking a severe list to port (40-45°) but then settling almost upright. Of the crew, seventeen men died and there were numerous wounded.
The damage suffered by the old battleship had been comparable to that of its half-sister Duilio, but in the latter's case the prompt grounding of the ship had preempted its sinking in shallow water, and enabled her to be refloated and repaired in relatively little time.
The salvage of the Conte di Cavour began in earnest, although with a lesser priority than that granted to the Littorio and the Duilio, and it began by removing all removable weights (armament, fire directors, etc.). A "dam" was built around the hull hole to allow the ship to be made watertight again and be refloated, which happened on 22 December 1941. After being drydocked to patch the hull, she would be sent to Trieste to be thoroughly repaired and refitted (it was planned to improve its secondary and AA armament), but work proceeded slowly, and even before the Armistice work was ordered stopped. Captured by the Germans on 11 September 1943, she was sunk on 20 February 1945 during an air attack, after being struck by two bombs.
It has been said that the virtual loss of the Conte di Cavour at Taranto would, ironically, mirror the loss of its sister, the Giulio Cesare, when the latter sank in Sevastopol in 1955, after having been ceded to the Soviet Navy. In both cases, the ill-advised intervention of a superior officer who countermanded the sensible orders of the unit commander ended up delaying actions that might have prevented the sinking or, in the latter's case, at least heavy loss of life.
The salvage of the Conte di Cavour was undertaken mainly for prestige reasons, to make sure that no battleship struck at Taranto could be considered a total loss. However, the resources spent on this obsolescent battleship, whose efficacy against RN battleships was more than questionable and whose use together with the newer Littorio-class battleships caused more than a few headscratchers, can raise more than a few criticism, compared to the conservative (and in hindsight more sensible) choice of simply raising her, and strip her of what could still be useful, without insisting for a full refit for operational service.
The superstructures of the Italian battleship Conte di Cavour at Taranto, after she sank in shallow water before she could be grounded for the damage suffered by a torpedo hit from a Fairey Swordfish, in December 1940
When the Fleet Air Arm attacked Taranto, one of the battleship that were hit by the torpedoes was the battleship Conte di Cavour (as one can see from this map), at 2314 hours. Despite claims that the single torpedo hit (by Lt. Cmd. Williamson, whose Swordfish was taken down by the battleship's 37 mm guns immediately after releasing the weapon), for all the damage it caused, proved that at least on the rebuilt battleships the infamous Pugliese TDSwas a failure, the torpedo did not hit the side of the ship and said TDS, but instead detonated, thanks to its magnetic detonator, below the keel, under Turret no. 2 (Turret B in RN terminology), where the only thing that protected the ship was the triple bottom.
The damage suffered was severe, as a hole of roughly 100 square meters (more or less 1076 square feet) was torn open, causing the immediate flooding of the bow magazines and nearby compartments. The condition of the ship was recognized as critical by its commander, who decided to call up the available tugs to have the battleship grounded on a sandbank nearby. However, the admiral commanding the 5a Divisione (Fifth Division, the old battleships), Bruto Brivonesi (not to be confused for his brother, likewise an admiral, Bruno Brivonesi) believed that the flooding could be contained without resorting to this measure, and countermanded this order.
After more than four hours of unsuccessfully fighting the floodings, Admiral Brivonesi realized that the battleship seriously risked sinking, and finally agreed to the grounding. However, as the ship was seriously bow-heavy, at 0500 hours in the morning the bow touched the mud much farther from the shore than planned, and in the end the battleship settled into the mud (at a depth of around 17-18 m, 55-60 ft) around 0800, at first taking a severe list to port (40-45°) but then settling almost upright. Of the crew, seventeen men died and there were numerous wounded.
The damage suffered by the old battleship had been comparable to that of its half-sister Duilio, but in the latter's case the prompt grounding of the ship had preempted its sinking in shallow water, and enabled her to be refloated and repaired in relatively little time.
The salvage of the Conte di Cavour began in earnest, although with a lesser priority than that granted to the Littorio and the Duilio, and it began by removing all removable weights (armament, fire directors, etc.). A "dam" was built around the hull hole to allow the ship to be made watertight again and be refloated, which happened on 22 December 1941. After being drydocked to patch the hull, she would be sent to Trieste to be thoroughly repaired and refitted (it was planned to improve its secondary and AA armament), but work proceeded slowly, and even before the Armistice work was ordered stopped. Captured by the Germans on 11 September 1943, she was sunk on 20 February 1945 during an air attack, after being struck by two bombs.
It has been said that the virtual loss of the Conte di Cavour at Taranto would, ironically, mirror the loss of its sister, the Giulio Cesare, when the latter sank in Sevastopol in 1955, after having been ceded to the Soviet Navy. In both cases, the ill-advised intervention of a superior officer who countermanded the sensible orders of the unit commander ended up delaying actions that might have prevented the sinking or, in the latter's case, at least heavy loss of life.
The salvage of the Conte di Cavour was undertaken mainly for prestige reasons, to make sure that no battleship struck at Taranto could be considered a total loss. However, the resources spent on this obsolescent battleship, whose efficacy against RN battleships was more than questionable and whose use together with the newer Littorio-class battleships caused more than a few headscratchers, can raise more than a few criticism, compared to the conservative (and in hindsight more sensible) choice of simply raising her, and strip her of what could still be useful, without insisting for a full refit for operational service.
G
guest0001
Guest
A German guard at the border with Luxembourg during the "phoney war".
G
guest0001
Guest
10th May 1940, under the cover of a 37mm Pak, German Infantry advances towards the village of Eppeldorf, Luxembourg.
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2017
- Messages
- 37,911
- Points
- 463
Damage suffered by two 203 mm guns of the Italian heavy cruiser Bolzano, struck by a 6 inch shell fired by HMS Neptune during the Battle of Punta Stilo
At 1605 h, during the Battle of Punta Stilo (off Calabria for our British friends), the heavy cruiser Bolzano (3a Divisione) was struck by three 6 inch shells fired by either HMS Neptune or HMS Orion. One of these shells struck the right 203 mm gun barrel of Turret no. 2 (turret B in RN terminology), roughly a meter away from the mouth, causing severe damage and exposing the liner, with even the left gun barrel being deeply penetrated by splinters. The hit also damaged the aim devices of the turret and put its 7,20 m range finder out of action; a seaman in the turret was killed by a splinter that had gotten through an opening.
Despite the damage, the turret was not put out of action, and both guns kept firing. Interestingly enough, when the Bolzano was repaired, it was attempted to fire once with the struck gun, and it broke in half (a section of the broken half is currently kept at the Museo Navale di La Spezia). The other gun barrel was replaced.
Torpedo boat Partenope at Tripoli in the afternoon of 21 april 1941, after the Royal Navy bombarded the port; the paint on the 100 mm guns' barrels has melted due to the rapid fire, and the ship's flag is at half-mast as the commander was killed in the attack
The commander of BETASOM, Capitano di Vascello Romolo Polacchini, reviews the crew of the submarine Leonardo da Vinci, before its departure for a mission.
BETASOM was the base at Bordeaux of the Italian submarines operating in the Atlantic Ocean. A total of thirty-one boats, at one point or another, operated from there, and between August 1940 and September 1943 they sank around 650'000 grt.
Of these, the Leonardo da Vinci was the most successful in terms of tonnage sunk, as before its loss in May 1943 it sank 120'243 grt, making it not only the most successful Italian submarine, but the most successful non-German submarine of the conflict.
The officer saluting back is the submarine's commander, Capitano di Corvetta Luigi Longanesi Cattani, who would survive the war and would eventually reach the rank of Ammiraglio di Squadra (Vice Admiral) in the postwar Marina Militare.
At 1605 h, during the Battle of Punta Stilo (off Calabria for our British friends), the heavy cruiser Bolzano (3a Divisione) was struck by three 6 inch shells fired by either HMS Neptune or HMS Orion. One of these shells struck the right 203 mm gun barrel of Turret no. 2 (turret B in RN terminology), roughly a meter away from the mouth, causing severe damage and exposing the liner, with even the left gun barrel being deeply penetrated by splinters. The hit also damaged the aim devices of the turret and put its 7,20 m range finder out of action; a seaman in the turret was killed by a splinter that had gotten through an opening.
Despite the damage, the turret was not put out of action, and both guns kept firing. Interestingly enough, when the Bolzano was repaired, it was attempted to fire once with the struck gun, and it broke in half (a section of the broken half is currently kept at the Museo Navale di La Spezia). The other gun barrel was replaced.
Torpedo boat Partenope at Tripoli in the afternoon of 21 april 1941, after the Royal Navy bombarded the port; the paint on the 100 mm guns' barrels has melted due to the rapid fire, and the ship's flag is at half-mast as the commander was killed in the attack
The commander of BETASOM, Capitano di Vascello Romolo Polacchini, reviews the crew of the submarine Leonardo da Vinci, before its departure for a mission.
BETASOM was the base at Bordeaux of the Italian submarines operating in the Atlantic Ocean. A total of thirty-one boats, at one point or another, operated from there, and between August 1940 and September 1943 they sank around 650'000 grt.
Of these, the Leonardo da Vinci was the most successful in terms of tonnage sunk, as before its loss in May 1943 it sank 120'243 grt, making it not only the most successful Italian submarine, but the most successful non-German submarine of the conflict.
The officer saluting back is the submarine's commander, Capitano di Corvetta Luigi Longanesi Cattani, who would survive the war and would eventually reach the rank of Ammiraglio di Squadra (Vice Admiral) in the postwar Marina Militare.
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2017
- Messages
- 37,911
- Points
- 463
The Turbine-class destroyer Nembo was assigned, by June 1940, to the I Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere (1st Destroyer Flotilla), stationed in the Libyan port of Tobruk. Said flotilla executed two bombardments of British positions around Sollum in the night between 14 and 15 June, and in the morning of 26 June. Units of the Fleet Air Arm equipped with Fairey Swordfish torpedo-bombers attacked Tobruk a first time in the evening of 5 July 1940, sinking one destroyer and one steamer and damaging more.
Another attack (meant for the light cruiser Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, wrongly believing that it had found refuge there after the Battle of Cape Spada) was executed by six Swordfish of the 824 Squadron in the night between 19 and 20 July 1940. Despite heavy AA fire (which damaged three aircrafts) three torpedoes found their marks, sinking the steamer Sereno, the fellow destroyer Ostro (whose aft magazine was detonated by the torpedo) and the Nembo at 0137 hours; the latter immediately began to capsize, throwing several men overboard, and by 0145 the ship had settled in the shallow water (no more than 7-8 m there).
Twenty-five crewman died in the sinking, while four more were wounded; casualties were relatively light because most of the crew was hosted on other ships in the harbour, and was not aboard the destroyer, with only essential services manned.
The ship was stripped of what could be salvaged, and its guns were later sent to Bardia to strengthen the defences there.
Another attack (meant for the light cruiser Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, wrongly believing that it had found refuge there after the Battle of Cape Spada) was executed by six Swordfish of the 824 Squadron in the night between 19 and 20 July 1940. Despite heavy AA fire (which damaged three aircrafts) three torpedoes found their marks, sinking the steamer Sereno, the fellow destroyer Ostro (whose aft magazine was detonated by the torpedo) and the Nembo at 0137 hours; the latter immediately began to capsize, throwing several men overboard, and by 0145 the ship had settled in the shallow water (no more than 7-8 m there).
Twenty-five crewman died in the sinking, while four more were wounded; casualties were relatively light because most of the crew was hosted on other ships in the harbour, and was not aboard the destroyer, with only essential services manned.
The ship was stripped of what could be salvaged, and its guns were later sent to Bardia to strengthen the defences there.
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2017
- Messages
- 37,911
- Points
- 463
Seamen assigned to the fire director station of the Italian light cruiser Raimondo Montecuccoli enjoy their meal, after the battle off Pantelleria during the contrast to Operation Harpoon, 16 July 1942
Destroyer Lubiana, formerly the Beograd-class Yugoslav destroyer Ljubljana, at Trieste in January 1943
Destroyer Lubiana, formerly the Beograd-class Yugoslav destroyer Ljubljana, at Trieste in January 1943
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2017
- Messages
- 37,911
- Points
- 463
Italy:
Alpino Bagnolini returning from its first war patrol on 22 June 1940, during which it torpedoed and sunk the light cruiser HMS Calypso, first Royal Navy ship to be sunk by the Regia Marina during World War II
Light cruiser Eugenio di Savoia
Alpino Bagnolini returning from its first war patrol on 22 June 1940, during which it torpedoed and sunk the light cruiser HMS Calypso, first Royal Navy ship to be sunk by the Regia Marina during World War II
Light cruiser Eugenio di Savoia
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2017
- Messages
- 37,911
- Points
- 463
Italy:
Destroyer Ugolino Vivaldi on fire, after being damaged by a British shell, during the battle off Pantelleria (Operation Harpoon), 15 June 1942
The Navigatori-class destroyer Ugolino Vivaldi (commanded by Capitano di Vascello Ignazio Castrogiovanni) participated, together with its sister Lanzerotto Malocello of the XIV Squadriglia (Fourteenth Flotilla) in the operation against the British convoy forming the centerpiece of Operation Harpoon.
Being too slow to accompany the two Italian light cruisers in their high-speed dash (after their rebuild, the Navigatori could reach at best 28 knots, while the Raimondo Montecuccoli and the Eugenio di Savoia could comfortably reach 32 knots), Ammiraglio di Divisione Alberto Da Zara ordered the two destroyers to attack the convoy independently, so they detached and turned due west/northwest. They ended up facing four destroyer escorts (Hunt-class), plus after a bit the two fleet destroyers HMS Marne and Matchless; during the engagement, they also launched torpedoes against the nearest merchantmen, and according to Vincent O'Hara it is possible that the steamer Chant was sunk by a torpedo launched by either Italian destroyer, rather than an air-dropped torpedo from a Junkers Ju.88.
At 0607 h, the Vivaldi was struck by a shell (mostly attributed to HMS Matchless, but again O'Hara disputes this, pointing out that it's possible that the shell was fired by several other ships) in the fore boiler room, causing severe damage and a severe fire. With the Malocello slowing down and laying a smokescreen to protect its stricken brethren, the British escorts closing in on them and an aircraft (a German one, moreover) attacking the soon immobilized Vivaldi with bombs, luckily with no consequences, Captain Castrogiovanni at one point transmitted to Da Zara: "I shall fight to the end! Long live the King!", believing that his ship was going to be sunk. However, amidst the general confusions on both sides, the British destroyer escorts ended up disengaging, so that at 0646, with power partly restored, the Vivaldi started to limp towards the island of Pantelleria, with the fire still raging, while the other destroyers in the Italian formation came to support them.
Despite the precarious situation (with even an air attack from four Fairey Albacores that dropped torpedoes, however missing even the crippled destroyer), and even explosions in the magazines, the Vivaldi under tow managed to survive, and at 1400 h it arrived in the small harbour of Pantelleria; the fire was mostly extinguished by 2100 h, and one hour later even the last small fires were put out at last. During the battle, ten crewmembers had been killed, nine wounded and several had been burned.
Destroyer Ugolino Vivaldi on fire, after being damaged by a British shell, during the battle off Pantelleria (Operation Harpoon), 15 June 1942
The Navigatori-class destroyer Ugolino Vivaldi (commanded by Capitano di Vascello Ignazio Castrogiovanni) participated, together with its sister Lanzerotto Malocello of the XIV Squadriglia (Fourteenth Flotilla) in the operation against the British convoy forming the centerpiece of Operation Harpoon.
Being too slow to accompany the two Italian light cruisers in their high-speed dash (after their rebuild, the Navigatori could reach at best 28 knots, while the Raimondo Montecuccoli and the Eugenio di Savoia could comfortably reach 32 knots), Ammiraglio di Divisione Alberto Da Zara ordered the two destroyers to attack the convoy independently, so they detached and turned due west/northwest. They ended up facing four destroyer escorts (Hunt-class), plus after a bit the two fleet destroyers HMS Marne and Matchless; during the engagement, they also launched torpedoes against the nearest merchantmen, and according to Vincent O'Hara it is possible that the steamer Chant was sunk by a torpedo launched by either Italian destroyer, rather than an air-dropped torpedo from a Junkers Ju.88.
At 0607 h, the Vivaldi was struck by a shell (mostly attributed to HMS Matchless, but again O'Hara disputes this, pointing out that it's possible that the shell was fired by several other ships) in the fore boiler room, causing severe damage and a severe fire. With the Malocello slowing down and laying a smokescreen to protect its stricken brethren, the British escorts closing in on them and an aircraft (a German one, moreover) attacking the soon immobilized Vivaldi with bombs, luckily with no consequences, Captain Castrogiovanni at one point transmitted to Da Zara: "I shall fight to the end! Long live the King!", believing that his ship was going to be sunk. However, amidst the general confusions on both sides, the British destroyer escorts ended up disengaging, so that at 0646, with power partly restored, the Vivaldi started to limp towards the island of Pantelleria, with the fire still raging, while the other destroyers in the Italian formation came to support them.
Despite the precarious situation (with even an air attack from four Fairey Albacores that dropped torpedoes, however missing even the crippled destroyer), and even explosions in the magazines, the Vivaldi under tow managed to survive, and at 1400 h it arrived in the small harbour of Pantelleria; the fire was mostly extinguished by 2100 h, and one hour later even the last small fires were put out at last. During the battle, ten crewmembers had been killed, nine wounded and several had been burned.
Similar threads
- Discussion
