How can HMS Ajax destroy an entire Italian squadron?: In the late October night of 1940, aboard the Alcyone, a sailor strained his eyes through moonlit darkness. Tension gripped the crew as they closed in on the lurking British cruiser, Ajax. In the heart of the torpedo room, the sailor's hands moved with calculated urgency, readying the torpedo tubes. The metallic clinks resonated like an ominous heartbeat. As the crew held their breath, the torpedoes slid into position. 'The Battle of Cape Passero was about to begin. In the summer of 1940, the Mediterranean theater witnessed a dynamic interplay of naval engagements and logistical challenges that left an indelible mark on World War II.
British air bombardments, though routine over Tobruk, yielded limited success, while torpedo planes emerged as a potent force, sinking merchant ships and annihilating the entire Italian destroyer squadron at Tobruk in July.
As July progressed, the escalating convoy traffic to Libya compelled the Italian Navy to adapt its plans, necessitating the permanent assignment of numerous naval assets to the region. August brought the deployment of the technologically advanced battleships Littorio and Vittorio Veneto, alongside successful mine-laying operations in the Sicilian Channel.
The battleships, commissioned in August 1940, represented the pinnacle of Italian naval engineering during World War II. Renowned for their advanced design and technical innovations, these vessels were considered among the best battleships globally at the time, not solely for their firepower, but also for the meticulous resolution of numerous engineering challenges, solidifying their reputation as formidable assets in the Italian Navy's arsenal.
Simultaneously, British Air Force reinforcements in the Mediterranean intensified bombardments, prompting urgent measures to fortify Libyan ports against air attacks. The British also sent convoys from Alexandria to resupply Malta, their Mediterranean fortress. Amid increased shipping traffic to Tunisia and the suspension of Libyan convoy shipments, an unexpected report on October 11 revealed British battleships and aircraft carriers near Malta.
Supermarina, skeptical yet vigilant, swiftly deployed a night patrol led by Captain Carlo Margatini, underscoring the urgency to verify the reported British naval presence. The mission involved Soldati-class destroyers Artigliere, Aviere, Geniere and Camicia Nera. These were supported by the Speaker-class torpedo boats Aerone, Alcione, and Ariel.
The Soldati-class destroyers and Speaker-class torpedo boats were integral components of the Italian Royal Navy during the war. The Soldati-class, with a displacement of around 2,500 tons, featured a potent armament mix including four 120mm guns, anti-aircraft guns, and torpedo tubes. These destroyers, known for their agility, had a top speed of 38 knots. The Spica-class torpedo boats, lighter at approximately 680 tons, were renowned for their swift and stealthy nature.
Armed with torpedoes and anti-submarine weaponry, they attained speeds of up to 34 knots. Meanwhile the British returning Malta convoy, led by HMS Ajax, had set sail at 10.30pm. With a displacement of 7,270 tons standard and 9,740 tons full load, Ajax boasted eight six-inch guns, four four-inch guns, twelve Vickers machine guns, and eight 21-inch torpedo tubes. Ajax was a famous vessel. Months prior, she played a crucial role in the Battle of the River Plate.
As part of the British Royal Navy's South American Division, Ajax, alongside Exeter and Achilles, engaged the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee on December 13, 1939. The relentless pursuit by the British ships forced the Graf Spee into Montevideo Harbor, where it was eventually scuttled by its own crew.
This victory marked the first naval success for the Allies in the Atlantic, boosting morale and showcasing the effectiveness of coordinated naval operations against powerful adversaries early in the war. Positioned to the south of the island, the main body of the Mediterranean fleet awaited developments while the 7th Cruiser Squadron established an extended scouting line northeast of the fleet....to verify any British naval presence.
From north to south, the distance between the Alcyone sailing most northward and the Camicia Nera sailing furthest south easily spanned 25 to 30 miles. At half past one, Alcyone spotted Ajax in the moonlight, 12 miles off her port bow, prompting a request for assistance and a southwest alteration towards the enemy.
Ten minutes later, Ironi under Lieutenant Alberto Banfi and Ariel detected the cruiser, leading its captain to order a coordinated torpedo attack. However the remaining 11th Squadron's destroyers had yet to respond to the contact, continuing their westward sweep at this juncture. Just before 2am, Ajax's lookouts reported two unidentified ships off her bow, later identified as Aeron to port and Ariel to starboard.
Alcione approached undetected and launched two torpedoes from 2,000 meters, targeting the cruiser's port beam. Simultaneously, Aroni and Ariel fired torpedoes from different angles, setting five torpedoes on course towards the British warship.
Due to Ajax's immediate full-speed alteration and course change, coupled with miscalculations in assessing the cruiser's speed and heading by the Italians, all torpedoes missed their mark. The engagement intensified as Aroni closed in, launching another torpedo from a thousand yards, accompanied by a barrage of gunfire.
She scored at least seven direct hits against Ajax. The British cruiser did not open fire until Aroni fired its fourth salvo. Then, Ajax unleashed her main guns at Ariel and her four-inch weapons at Aron. As Aron continued its approach, Ajax maneuvered to open firing with previously unused guns. With the proximity and Ajax adjusting to a parallel heading astern of Aironi, the torpedo boat faced a grim fate. Its captain, Commander Bumpy, ordered a smoke screen in an attempt to disengage. However, Ajax's broadside struck Aironi, causing significant damage and igniting a substantial fire.
At point-blank range, Ajax deployed machine guns against the drifting ship, while two torpedoes were launched back at Aironi, missing their mark, but proving inconsequential as the Italian flagship succumbed to the engulfing flames. Ariel succumbed to the onslaught. Ajax's direct hits at short range left the torpedo boat immobile in the water, sinking rapidly as her captain and senior officers perished with the ship.
All this happened in just a few minutes. Alcione was still sailing towards the action as the Ajax sailed away, and Ariel had sung. Meanwhile to the south, just before 2 a.m. The 11th destroyer squadron Janiere altered course to the south, just before 2 AM, the 11th Destroyer Squadron's Meuniere altered course to the northwest, followed a minute later by Aviere swinging north.
Aviere spotted Ajax 15 minutes later, closing the distance from 8,000 yards, initiating a salvo while attempting to launch torpedoes. The low-hanging moon behind the Italian destroyer inadvertently facilitated the British cruiser's precise marksmanship.
A six-inch shell struck Aviere's mount and another penetrated the hull leading to significant flooding forward. Within five minutes, Aviere staggered to starboard and lost contact two minutes later. A burning and battered mess, the Janiere withdrew from battle. Janiere, spotting Ajax mere minutes after it incapacitated Janiere, as the cruiser headed south, unleashed a few salvos falling astern before withdrawing.
It accompanied the battered Janiere back to the harbor. Meanwhile to the north, Alcione discovered the absence of the enemy, the sinking Aroni and the sunken area. The unscathed destroyer arrived at a scene of burning scraps and oil, with Italian sailors floating in the dark waters.
Briefly probing south, Alcione then returned to rescue 125 crew members from Ariel and Aroni. It deployed its vessels to save the lucky few. Banffy decided to go down with his ship and stay with those who could not be rescued. Aironi succumbed to the depths at half past 3 am.
Artigliere, commanded by Captain Carlo Margottini, had altered course to the north at 2 AM, covering nearly 8 miles at top speed, when 30 minutes later, geysers erupted around her. Ajax, concealed in the moon's glare just a few thousand yards northeast, commenced firing.
Artigliere retaliated with a torpedo launch before a six-inch salvo devastated her bridge, mortally wounding Margatini. Another round ignited a significant fire after detonating the forward-ready ammunition.
Ajax's hits managed to annihilate all officers aboard, with the exception of the chief engineer. As Ajax steamed past, Artigliere countered with four shells, damaging the cruiser's compass bridge and disabling a four-inch mount and radar.
Subsequently, three rounds struck Artigliere's forward engine room, and a fourth pierced her central boiler. Abandoned, adrift, and ablaze, Artiglia was left behind as Ajax veered port to quarter to three. Just as Ajax turned, Camicia Neira, positioned as the southernmost destroyer, spotted Ajax approximately 5,000 yards to the northwest.
The moon, lingering near the western horizon, provided advantageous illumination for Camicia Neira. She opened fire. In the ensuing exchange, both the destroyer and the British cruiser exchanged a few salvos, albeit ineffective. Ajax, lacking flashless gunpowder, found its crew's night vision compromised by repeated broadsides.
From Ajax's perspective, Comitia Nera resembled a cruiser. When the perceived adversary vanished into what appeared to be a smokescreen, Ajax seized the opportunity to alter course southwest in an attempt to rendezvous with the remainder of the 7th Cruiser Squadron. In pursuit, the Italian ship veered west-southwest, followed by a westward turn a few minutes later. Crossing Ajax's wake on a divergent course, Comitia Nera failed to re-establish contact.
As the Comitia Nera continued the chase, Artigliere faced arduous damage control efforts that successfully extinguished the fires, and one boiler was brought back into operation. However, a lack of boiler feed water halted her once again an hour later.
At 5am, Comitia Nera returned to take the impaired destroyer under tow, but their presence was reported by a British flying boat. The rescue efforts took hours, giving the British the ability to send a response. The heavy cruiser York and the light cruisers Gloucester and Liverpool appeared on the horizon at quarter to nine a.m., compelling Camizia Nera to abandon the tow and retreat.
British planes bombed the incapacitated vessel as York torpedoed the Artigliera five minutes later after multiple attempts to hit the drifting target with deliberate eight-inch gunfire. The destroyer descended to the ocean depths, engulfed in flames. In all, only the Aeroni and Ariel managed to score a few hits against the Ajax, but no vessel was able to render it immobile. In contrast, the Italians lost one destroyer and two escorts, with another destroyer severely damaged.
In total, they lost 325 men. Lieutenant Banffy, despite his heroic sacrifice to remain on board, later resurfaced in an air bubble and was rescued against his own wishes. Ultimately, the dark waters witnessed the clash, leaving Ajax battered but victorious in the moonlit confrontation. The Mediterranean waves concealed the toll, with 13 lives lost and 22 wounded.
Commissioners managed to escape as the ominous masts of heavy cruiser York and its companions faded to the horizon. Despite Italian post-war claims, Ajax's radar reportedly did not play any role during the battle.
Older sources do imply radar was used explaining Ajax's success through its use. For the Italians, the battle's outcome was disconcerting, especially because they did not know what caused the imbalance. It wasn't until March 1941, at the Battle of Cape Matapan, that they learned the British managed to use radar during combat operations.
This outcome led Supermarina to the conclusion that they were technically inferior to the British, particularly in executing night encounters at sea. The 11th Destroyer Squadron, possessing superior torpedo capacity, failed to concentrate their efforts.
Instead, their four ships presented themselves individually, silhouetted in moonlight to Ajax's gunners at close range. silhouetted in moonlight, to Ajax's gunners at close range. Both sides had to learn lessons from this encounter, as the Battle of the Mediterranean was far from over.
