Struggle for the Middle Sea: The Great Navies at War in the Mediterranean Theater, 1940 - 1945

384 Pages·2009·6.74 MB·English

by  Vincent P. O'Hara

STRUGGLE FOR
THE MIDDLE SEA
STRUGGLE FOR
THE MIDDLE SEA
The Great Navies at War in the
Mediterranean Theater, 1940–1945
Vincent P. O’Hara
NAVAL INSTITUTE PRESS
Annapolis, Maryland
The latest edition of this work has been brought to publication with the
generous assistance of Marguerite and Gerry Lenfest.
This book was originally brought to publication with the generous assistance of Edward S. and Joyce I.
Miller, as well as Marguerite and Gerry Lenfest.
Naval Institute Press 291 Wood Road Annapolis, MD 21402
© 2009 by Vincent P. O’Hara All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any
information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
ISBN 978-1-61251-408-6 (eBook) The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as
follows:
O’Hara, Vincent P., 1951-Struggle for the Middle Sea : the great navies at war in the Mediterranean theater,
1940-1945 / Vincent P. O’Hara.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. World War, 1939-1945—Mediterranean Sea. 2. World War, 1939-1945—Naval operations. 3.
Mediterranean Sea—History, Naval—20th century. 4. Great Britain. Royal Navy—History—World War,
1939-1945. 5. France. Marine—History—World War, 1939-1945. 6. Italy. Regia Marina—History—World
War, 1939-1945. 7. Germany. Kriegsmarine—History—World War, 1939-1945. 8. United States. Navy—
History—World War, 1939-1945. I. Title.
D779.M43O34 2009
940.54’293—dc22
2009006310
Print editions meet the requirements of ANSI/NISO z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper).
14 13 12 11 10 09 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
First printing
Contents
List of Tables and Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1. The Eve of War: June 1940
Chapter 2. The Defeat of France
Chapter 3. Italy’s Parallel War: June and July 1940
Chapter 4. No Quick Peace: August–December 1940
Chapter 5. Enter the Germans: Winter 1941
Chapter 6. The Red Sea: 1940–41
Chapter 7. A Close-Run Thing: Spring 1941
Chapter 8. France Defends the Empire
Chapter 9. The Convoy War Intensifies: Summer and Fall 1941
Chapter 10. The Axis Resurgent: 1942
Chapter 11. The Allies Resurgent: Torch to Tunis
Chapter 12. The Italian Armistice
Chapter 13. Germany’s War: 1943–45
Conclusion
Abbreviations
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Tables and Illustrations
Tables
Table 1.1 Italian Forces and Dispositions, 10 June 1940
Table 1.2 French Forces and Dispositions in the Mediterranean, 10 June 1940
Table 1.3 British Forces and Dispositions, 10 June 1940
Table 1.4 Mediterranean/Black Sea Minor Navies
Table 2.1 Operation Vado, 14 June 1940, 0410–0425
Table 2.2 Mers-el-Kébir, 3 July 1940, 1656–1920
Table 2.3 Organization of the Forces Maritimes Françaises, 1 October 1940
Toulon
Table 3.1 Attack on Espero, 28 June 1940, 1833–2200
Table 3.2 Battle of Calabria, 9 July 1940, 1520–1645
Table 3.3 Battle of Cape Spada, 19 July, 0617–0930
Table 4.1 Battle of Dakar, 23–25 September 1940
Table 4.2 Action off Gibraltar, 25 September 1940
Table 4.3 Action off Cape Passero, 12 October 1940, 0135–0300
Table 4.4 Action in the Strait of Otranto, 12 November 1940, 0125–0155
Table 4.5 Battle of Cape Spartivento (Teulada), 27 November 1940, 0128–
0155
Table 4.6 Encounter in the Sicilian Narrows, 27–28 November 1940, 2334–
0127
Table 5.1 Action off Pantelleria, 10 January 1941, 0741–0820
Table 5.2 Castelorizzo Harbor, 27 February 1941, 0200–0215
Table 5.3 Encounter off Gavdos, 28 March 1941, 0741–1118
Table 5.4 Battle of Cape Matapan, 28–29 March 1941, 2228–0403
Table 6.1 Attack on Convoy BN7 and Battle of Harmil Island, 20–21 October
1940, 2320–0640
Table 6.2 Attack on Convoy BN14, 3 February 1941
Table 7.1 Action off Sfax, 16 April 1941, 0220–0400
Table 7.2 Tripoli Harbor, 21 April 1941, 0502–0545
Table 7.3 Attack on Convoy GA 15, 29–30 April 1941, 2315–0300
Table 7.4 Lupo Convoy Action, 21–22 May 1941, 2230–0030
Table 7.5 Sagittario Convoy Action, 22 May 1941, 0840–0930
Table 8.1 Engagement off Sidon, 9 June 1941, 1335–1445
Table 8.2 First Encounter off Beirut, 16 June 1941, 0400–0415
Table 8.3 Second Encounter off Beirut, 22 June 1941, 0145–0200
Table 9.1 Beta Convoy Battle, 9 November 1941, 0057–0140
Table 9.2 Maritza Convoy Action, 24 November 1941, 1535–1630
Table 9.3 Mantovani Convoy Action, 1 December 1941, 1800–1953
Table 9.4 Battle of Cape Bon, 13 December 1941, 0323–0328
Table 10.1 First Battle of Sirte, 17 December 1941, 1753–1804
Table 10.2 Second Battle of Sirte, 22 March 1942, 1427–1858
Table 10.3 Battle of Pantelleria, 15 June 1942, 0542–1420
Table 10.4 Prelude to Pedestal, 11 August 1942, 2225–2245
Table 11.1 First Battle of Oran, 8 November 1942, 0315–0755
Table 11.2 Second Battle of Oran, 9 November 1942, 1000–1120
Table 11.3 French Forces at Toulon, November 1942
Table 11.4 Battle near Skerki Bank, 2 December 1942, 0038–0130
Table 11.5 Destruction of Lupo, 2 December 1942, 2346–2355
Table 11.6 D’Annuzio Action, 16 January 1943, 0321–0350
Table 11.7 Number/Tonnage of Axis Merchant Ships over 500 GRT Lost in the
Mediterranean
Table 11.8 Belluno Convoy, 16 April 1943, 0248–0315
Table 11.9 Campobasso Convoy, 3–4 May 1943, 2340–0100
Table 12.1 Messina Convoy, 2 June 1943, 0134–0315
Table 12.2 Status of the Regia Marina, 8 September 1943
Table 12.3 Action off Bastia, 9 September 1943, 0700–0845
Table 12.4 Fate of Italian Units after the Armistice
Table 12.5 German Navy Deployment in the Mediterranean, 9 September 1943
Table 13.1 Large German Warships Commissioned in the Aegean Sea
Table 13.2 Action South of Rhodes, 23 September 1943, 0100
Table 13.3 Kalymnos Bay, 17 October 1943
Table 13.4 Encounter in the Strait of Otranto, 22 September 1944, 0550–0630
Table 13.5 Action in the Gulf of Salonika, 7 October 1944, 0100
Table 13.6 Action off Skiathos, 19 October 1944, 2340
Table 13.7 Large German Warships Commissioned in the Adriatic Sea
Table 13.8 Battle off 1st, 29 February 1944, 2144–2210
Table 13.9 Ambush off Pag Island, 1 November 1944, 1950–2300
Table 13.10 Large German Warships Commissioned in the Ligurian Sea and
Southern France
Table 13.11 Major Allied Warships Deployed for Operation Anvil, 15 August
1944
Table 13.12 Action off Port Cros, 15 August 1944, 0440–0722
Table 13.13 Action off La Ciotat, 17 August 1944, 0430–0830
Table 13.14 Encounter off Imperia, 2 October 1944, 0020–0035
Table 13.15 Battle of the Ligurian Sea, 18 March 1945, 0300–0420
Table 13.16 Major German Surface Warships Lost in the Mediterranean
Table C.1 Surface Engagements by Ocean/Sea
Table C.2 Surface Engagement by Belligerent
Charts
Chart 9.1 Monthly Delivery of Materiel to Libya, 1941
Chart 11.1 Monthly Delivery of Materiel to Libya, 1942
Chart C.1 Ships Sunk and Damaged in Surface Actions, 1940–1945,
Mediterranean and Red Sea
Chart C.2 Impact of the Mediterranean Strategy, British Imports and Tonnage
Lost
Chart C.3 Personnel and Materiel Escorted or Carried by the Regia Marina,
June 1940–8 September 1943