Battle of the Mediterranean facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Mediterranean |
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 United Kingdom Australia United States Netherlands Yugoslavia.svg){kind=small} Greece Poland |
 Italy Germany Croatia Vichy France |
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The Battle of the Mediterranean was a major naval campaign fought in the Mediterranean Sea during World War II. It took place from June 1940 until May 1945. This battle was mainly between the navies of Italy and the United Kingdom, along with their allies.
Contents
What the Battle Was About
This battle was mostly fought between the Italian Royal Navy (called Regia Marina) and the British Royal Navy. Both sides had three main goals during this long fight.
- First, they wanted to attack the enemy's supply lines.
- Second, they needed to keep their own supply routes open. The Axis powers needed to supply their armies in North Africa. The Allies had to supply the important island of Malta.
- Third, each side wanted to destroy the other navy's ability to fight at sea.
The Mediterranean Sea saw some of the biggest naval battles of the war, outside of the Pacific Ocean. The Allies especially worked hard to keep control of Malta. This island was a very important naval and air base.
Why Italy Faced Challenges
Italian warships were often well-designed and looked good. However, some Italian cruisers did not have very strong armor. Also, most Italian warships did not have radar for much of the war. Radar helps ships find enemies and aim their weapons, especially at night or in bad weather.
Another challenge for Italy was how their commanders worked. Allied commanders could make their own decisions during a battle. But Italian commanders had to follow very strict orders from their Naval Headquarters (Supermarina). This sometimes meant they missed chances to attack, even when they had an advantage.
The Italian Navy also had a big problem with fuel. They started the war with only enough fuel for about one year of normal operations. By 1943, they barely had enough fuel to sail far from Italy's coasts.
How the Allies Had an Edge
The Allies had a secret weapon called "Ultra." This was intelligence from Bletchley Park that helped them guess what the Italian forces would do. They also had radar, which helped them find enemy ships and aim their weapons from far away, even at night.
The British Fleet Air Arm (their naval air force) was also very good at finding enemy ships from the air. They worked closely with their ships, which helped them win important battles like the Battle of Cape Matapan.
Who Fought in the Mediterranean
The main forces fighting in the Mediterranean campaign were:
- Axis Powers:
- Italian Navy, Air Force, and Army
- German Navy (especially U-boats), Air Force, and Army
- Allied Powers:
- British Navy, Air Force, and Army
- Australian Navy, Air Force, and Army
- New Zealand Navy, Air Force, and Army
- Greek Navy, Air Force, and Army
- French forces (at the start, later they were neutral)
- United States forces (towards the end of the war)
Key Moments in the Battle
The Battle of the Mediterranean began on June 10, 1940. On this day, Italy declared war on Britain and France. The very next day, Italian bombers attacked Malta. This was the first of many attacks on the island.
The first big clash between the navies was the Battle of Calabria on July 9, 1940. Neither side won clearly. After this, there were several smaller ship battles.
In November 1940, the British Royal Navy launched a surprise air attack on the Italian fleet. This attack happened in Taranto harbor. They badly damaged three large Italian battleships. This changed the balance of power in the Mediterranean Sea.
Three months later, the fleets met again at the Battle of Cape Matapan. This was a major victory for the Allies. Three Italian cruisers were sunk, and a battleship was damaged.
After this, the Allies faced heavy losses during the Battle of Crete. They were supporting their army when German forces invaded the island.
In spring 1941, the Greek and Yugoslavian navies were destroyed or captured by Italian and German forces. This happened during the war in the western Balkans.
Later in 1941, the Royal Navy had some success attacking Axis convoys. However, events like the First Battle of Sirte and the Raid on Alexandria in December shifted the advantage back to the Axis.
The Italian Navy's most successful attack was on December 19, 1941. Divers planted mines on British battleships during a raid on Alexandria harbor. Two battleships, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Valiant, were sunk. They were later raised and put back into service. During the ten months they were out of action, the Italian Navy had temporary control of the Mediterranean. Benito Mussolini's propaganda called this the Mare Nostrum, which means "our sea."
There were many tough convoy battles, like the Second Battle of Sirte and Operation Pedestal. These were victories for the Axis, but they helped Malta survive. By November 1942, the Allies had regained the advantage.
In September 1943, Italy surrendered. After this, naval actions in the Mediterranean became smaller. They mostly involved fighting U-boats and small ships in the Adriatic Sea and Aegean Sea.
Here are some of the most important naval battles that happened during the campaign:
- 28 June 1940, Battle of the Espero Convoy. An Italian convoy was attacked, and the destroyer Espero was sunk.
- 9 July 1940, Battle of Calabria. A large fleet battle that ended with no clear winner.
- 19 July 1940, Battle of Cape Spada. A battle between cruisers where the Bartolomeo Colleoni was sunk.
- 11 November 1940, Battle of Taranto. A surprise air attack on the Italian fleet in harbor, sinking 3 battleships.
- 27 November 1940, Battle of Cape Spartivento. Another large fleet battle with no clear winner.
- 27-29 March 1941, Battle of Cape Matapan. A major fleet action where 3 Italian cruisers were sunk.
- 20 May-1 June 1941, Battle of Crete. Many actions supporting the army in Crete, where 9 British warships were sunk.
- 8 November 1941, Battle of the Duisburg Convoy. An Axis convoy was destroyed.
- 19 December 1941, Raid on Alexandria. Manned torpedoes attacked the British fleet, sinking 2 battleships.
- 22 March 1942, Second Battle of Sirte. A British convoy was attacked.
- August 1942, Operation Pedestal. A British convoy was attacked, ensuring Malta's survival.
Major Landings and Invasions
These are some of the most important amphibious operations (landings from the sea) during the Battle of the Mediterranean:
- 20 May 1941, start of the Battle of Crete, when the Axis invaded Crete.
- 8 November 1942, start of Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of Morocco and Algeria.
- 9 July 1943, start of Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily.
- 3 September 1943, start of the Allied invasion of Italy.
- 9 September 1943, start of the Allied Salerno landings in Italy.
- 22 January 1944, start of Operation Shingle, the Allied landings at Anzio in Italy.
- 15 August 1944, start of Operation Dragoon, the Allied landings in southern France.
See also
In Spanish: Batalla del Mediterráneo para niños
