Battle of the Cigno Convoy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of the Cigno Convoy
Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean of the Second World War
Belluno (ex. Fort de France) in a pre-war photograph
Date 16 April 1943 Location Mediterranean off Marettimo Island Result Italian victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	Italy
Commanders and leaders
Basil Jones	Carlo Maccaferri
Strength
2 destroyers	4 torpedo boats 1 transport ship
Casualties and losses
10 men killed 14 wounded 1 destroyer scuttled 1 destroyer damaged	~130 men killed 1 torpedo boat sunk 1 torpedo boat severely damaged

The Battle of the Cigno Convoy was a naval fight during World War II. It happened on April 16, 1943. Two British destroyers from the Royal Navy fought two Italian torpedo boats. This battle took place near Marettimo island, west of Sicily.

The Italian ships were protecting a transport ship called Belluno. This ship was carrying important supplies to Tunisia. One torpedo boat, Tifone, even carried aviation fuel. The British tried to stop them. The Italian ships fought hard, sinking one British destroyer. Another British destroyer was badly damaged and had to be sunk later.

Why This Battle Happened

After the Allies invaded French North Africa in November 1942, they wanted to control the sea and air. This was to stop the Axis powers (Germany and Italy) from sending supplies. They needed to cut off the supply routes from Italy to North Africa and Sicily.

By early 1943, Allied planes and ships were sinking many Axis supply ships. It became very hard for the Axis to get supplies. The Italian navy, called the Regia Marina, faced fuel shortages. This meant they had to use smaller ships for escorts. These smaller ships were harder to find and faster to unload.

Getting Ready for Battle

On April 15, 1943, the cargo ship Belluno left Naples. It was heading to Trapani in Sicily. It carried ammunition for Axis forces in Tunisia. Two Italian torpedo boats, Tifone and Climene, escorted it.

At Trapani, two more torpedo boats joined the convoy. These were Cigno and Cassiopea. Cigno was the flagship, led by Lieutenant Commander Carlo Maccaferri. Their job was to look out for British motor torpedo boats.

Meanwhile, two British destroyers, HMS Pakenham and Paladin, were near Malta. They received orders to investigate ships seen near Pantelleria. They set off at 5:45 PM.

The Ships Meet

In the early hours of April 16, the Italian convoy left Trapani. At 2:42 AM, Pakenham detected other ships on its radar. It was two torpedo boats. The British destroyers turned to get a better position.

At 2:38 AM, Cigno also spotted shapes in the dark. Cigno turned towards them and sent recognition signals. Pakenham also showed its lights. Commander Maccaferri on Cigno soon realized these were British destroyers.

The Battle Begins

A map showing Marettimo, the western-most of the Aegadian Islands

At 2:48 AM, Pakenham opened fire. It hit Cigno on the back, starting a fire. Cigno fired back, hitting Pakenham and damaging its torpedo tubes. Cassiopea also started firing at Paladin.

The transport ship Belluno and its escorts quickly turned back towards Trapani. Pakenham was hit again at 2:50 AM. This caused a bigger fire and forced the crew to flood a magazine to prevent explosions.

Close-Range Fighting

The ships were very close, firing all their weapons. At 2:53 AM, Pakenham hit Cigno in its boiler room. This caused a huge cloud of smoke and steam. Cigno stopped moving.

Even while drifting, Cigno fired torpedoes at Pakenham, but they missed. Pakenham then fired its own torpedoes. One hit Cigno in the middle, breaking the ship in two. The back half sank quickly. But the front half stayed afloat, and its gun crew kept firing!

Italian torpedo boat Cassiopea

Pakenham then turned towards Cassiopea. But around 3:00 AM, shells from either the sinking Cigno or Cassiopea hit Pakenham. These hits damaged its boiler tubes, causing the engine room to flood. Pakenham lost power and stopped.

Paladin also fought Cassiopea. Paladin hit Cassiopea with many shells, jamming its steering and starting big fires. However, Cassiopea's rear guns kept firing.

The Fight Ends

At 3:08 AM, Paladin turned off its lights and stopped firing. Paladin's captain thought Cassiopea was a much larger cruiser. Paladin then moved away to the southeast.

Pakenham managed to get some power back. It fired at Cassiopea again, hitting it. Cassiopea returned fire, hitting Pakenham's back. Pakenham then stopped firing and followed Paladin. Cassiopea was badly damaged and did not chase them.

After the Battle

Losses

The Italian torpedo boat Cigno was sunk, and 103 of its crew were lost. The British destroyer Pakenham had nine crew members killed and fifteen wounded. One of the wounded later died.

What Happened Next

The damaged Cassiopea was towed back to Trapani by Climene. It was later taken for repairs. The transport ship Belluno and Tifone successfully reached Tunis and delivered their cargo.

Pakenham and Paladin tried to return to Malta. But Pakenham's engine room was flooding with steam. Its captain, Jones, knew he couldn't make repairs quickly. With Axis airfields nearby, he had to keep going.

Pakenham eventually lost power and stopped. Paladin tried to tow it, but they were moving very slowly. As dawn broke, enemy aircraft appeared. The British ships had to drop the tow rope to fight them off.

At 6:30 AM, orders came from Malta to sink Pakenham. It was too far from Malta for Allied fighter planes to protect it. So, Commander Jones ordered his crew to sink their own ship. Paladin took on Pakenham's crew and returned to Malta.