Battle of Skerki Bank facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Skerki Bank |
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| Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean | |||||||
 Nicoloso da Recco |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United Kingdom Australia |
 Italy Germany |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Cecil Harcourt |
Aldo Cocchia |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 3 light cruisers 2 destroyers |
3 destroyers 2 torpedo boats 4 troopships |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| splinter damage | c. 2,200 killed 1 destroyer sunk 1 destroyer damaged 2 torpedo boats damaged 4 troopships sunk |
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The Battle of Skerki Bank was an important sea fight during World War II. It happened near Skerki Bank in the Mediterranean Sea on December 2, 1942. A group of British warships, called Force Q, attacked an Italian convoy. A convoy is a group of merchant ships traveling together, usually with warships protecting them. This Italian convoy, named Convoy H, was carrying soldiers and supplies.
Force Q was made up of cruisers and destroyers from the British Royal Navy. They managed to sink all four Italian transport ships. They also sank one of the Italian escort ships, a destroyer. The British ships only got minor damage. However, after the battle, German planes attacked Force Q. They sank one British destroyer, the Quentin, and damaged another, the Quiberon. This battle was a big success for Force Q.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
Force Q: The British Warships
After the Allies landed in North Africa (this was called Operation Torch), they wanted to stop the Axis powers (Germany and Italy) from sending supplies. These supplies were going from Italy to Tunis and Bizerta in Tunisia. So, on November 30, a special group of British warships was formed. This group was called Force Q.
Force Q was based at Bône, a port city on the coast of Algeria. This port was close to Tunisia. Force Q was led by Rear Admiral Cecil Harcourt. It included three light cruisers: HMS Aurora (which was the flagship, meaning the admiral was on board), Argonaut, and Sirius. It also had two destroyers: HMS Quentin and HMAS Quiberon. Destroyers are fast warships that protect larger ships.
Convoy H: The Italian Supply Ships
Convoy H was the group of Italian and German ships that Force Q attacked. It included four transport ships: the German KT-1 and the Italian Aventino, Puccini, and Aspromonte. These ships were carrying important supplies and soldiers to Africa. They had 1,766 troops, about 700 tons of cargo (mostly ammunition), four tanks, 32 other vehicles, and twelve artillery pieces.
The convoy was protected by several Italian warships. The escort was led by Captain Aldo Cocchia on the destroyer Nicoloso da Recco. Other escort ships included the destroyers Camicia Nera and Folgore. There were also two smaller, faster ships called torpedo boats: Clio and Procione. Torpedo boats are small ships that carry torpedoes.
Before the Battle
On December 1, Force Q left its base to find and attack Axis ships. They were looking for ships on the route from Trapani in Sicily to Tunis. Four convoys were at sea that night. British planes spotted them. Three of the convoys were told to turn back to port. But Convoy H kept going towards Tunis.
During the night, planes flew over Convoy H and dropped flares. Flares are bright lights that hang in the air to show where ships are. At 12:30 AM, Force Q picked up the Italian ships on their radar. Radar uses radio waves to find objects. The Italian ships were about 60 miles northeast of Bizerta.
The Italian commander, Captain Cocchia, knew enemy ships were nearby. He ordered his convoy to turn sharply. But the convoy lost its formation. One ship, the Puccini, accidentally crashed into the Aspromonte. Another ship, the KT 1, got lost and sailed away from the group. This made the Italian convoy easier to attack.
The Battle Begins
At 12:27 AM, Force Q reached the Italian convoy. The British ships were sailing fast. The British ships approached in a line: Aurora first, then Sirius, Argonaut, Quiberon, and Quentin. At 12:38 AM, the leading British ships fired on the KT 1, which exploded.
The British ships continued their attack. The Argonaut fired at the KT 1 again and launched a torpedo. Then, the Argonaut and Aurora fired at the Italian destroyer Camicia Nera. The Camicia Nera fired six torpedoes back at the British ships but missed.
The Italian destroyer Folgore also attacked. It fired torpedoes at the British flagship Aurora. These torpedoes missed. The Sirius used its searchlight to find an Italian transport ship. The Folgore then fired its last torpedoes at the searchlight, but they also missed.
Soon after, the Folgore was hit by many shells from the British ship Argonaut. It caught fire and began to sink. It capsized (turned over) at 1:16 AM. Another Italian torpedo boat, the Procione, was also hit. Its forward gun crew was killed. The Italian destroyer De Recco tried to launch torpedoes but missed.
The British ships continued their attack. The Quiberon and Quentin fired on the Puccini, setting it on fire. The Aurora fired on the Aspromonte, which also began to sink. The British ships then focused on the Clio, but it managed to escape without damage.
The De Recco got close to Force Q and launched more torpedoes, but they missed. The De Recco was hit by shells from the British ships. Many of its crew were killed, and the ship was stopped in the water. It was later towed back to port. After sinking or damaging most of the Italian ships, the British Force Q headed back to its base.
After the Battle
What Happened to the Ships and Crews
Of the four Italian and German transport ships in Convoy H, three were sunk by Force Q. The fourth was scuttled (sunk on purpose by its own crew). The Italian escort ship Folgore was also sunk.
A terrible number of lives were lost. About 200 sailors from the transport ships and 1,527 soldiers were killed. The Folgore lost 126 crew members. The Nicoloso da Recco lost 118 crew members, and the Aspromonte lost 39. The Procione had three casualties.
The British ships only had minor damage from shell splinters. But on their way back to base, German torpedo bombers attacked Force Q. At 6:30 AM on December 3, a torpedo hit the British destroyer Quentin, sinking it. Twenty men from the Quentin were lost. The Quiberon was also damaged in this air attack.
Other Convoys That Night
Another group of Italian ships, Convoy C, was also at sea that night. It was heading to Tripoli. British planes spotted one of its ships, the Veloce, and hit it with a torpedo. The Veloce was carrying fuel and caught fire. A group of British destroyers, called Force K, sailed towards the burning ship. They found and attacked the Italian torpedo boat Lupo, sinking it. The rest of Convoy C escaped into shallow water.
A third convoy, Convoy "B", was also sailing that night from Naples to Tunis. German planes spotted Force Q in the area. So, Convoy "B" was ordered to turn back to Trapani. As they sailed back, the ships of Convoy "B" saw the battle happening in the distance. They saw bright flares and explosions. To stay safe, the commander of the leading escort ship ordered Convoy "B" to change course and go to Palermo, a route further north. This helped them avoid Force Q.
