Operation Substance facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Operation Substance
Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean of World War II
Cloud of smoke over the Mediterranean Sea from a hit destroyer - possibly HMS Fearless. In the foreground is the battleship HMS Nelson.
Date 13–28 July 1941 Location Mediterranean Sea Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom  Australia	Italy
Commanders and leaders
James Somerville	Unknown
Strength
1 aircraft carrier 1 battleship 1 battlecruiser 4 light cruisers 18 destroyers 13 merchant ships	3 torpedo boats 1 submarine 4 MAS boats 9 torpedo bombers 4 medium bombers
Casualties and losses
1 destroyer sunk 1 light cruiser damaged 1 destroyer damaged 2 merchant ships damaged 6 aircraft	12 aircraft

Operation Substance was a special mission by the British Navy in July 1941. It happened during World War II. The goal was to protect a group of supply ships, called Convoy GM 1. These ships were traveling from Gibraltar to Malta. Italian submarines, planes, and fast attack boats tried to stop them.

What Was the Convoy?

The convoy had six cargo ships. These ships carried important supplies for Malta. They brought anti-aircraft guns to protect the island. These guns would help against possible air attacks. Medical teams were also on board. They were needed because Malta was under siege.

The British Navy sent a strong group of warships to protect the convoy. This group was called Force H. It included the huge battleship HMS Nelson. There was also the powerful battlecruiser HMS Renown. Other ships were the fast minelayer HMS Manxman. Cruisers like HMS Manchester and Edinburgh joined them. Arethusa and eight destroyers were also part of Force H. The aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal carried planes. These planes helped defend the convoy from the air.

Before the Battle

The British Navy noticed something important. The Italian air force was running low on torpedoes. This meant their attacks might not be as strong.

The supply ships for Convoy GM 1 left the British Isles on July 13, 1941. They arrived in Gibraltar on July 20. British ships in the eastern Mediterranean sent out lots of radio messages. They hoped to trick the Italians. They wanted the Italians to think a big attack was coming from the east.

Eight Allied submarines waited near Italian naval bases. But the Italian fleet thought the convoy was just the Ark Royal delivering planes. So, they stayed in port. One ship, the Leinster, got stuck while leaving Gibraltar. It had to go back to port. An Italian submarine, the Diaspro, found the convoy on July 22. It fired torpedoes. Luckily, they missed the Renown and HMAS Nestor.

The Big Battle

HMS Fearless was sunk by an Italian plane while protecting the convoy.

On July 23, the convoy faced a big attack. Nine Italian torpedo bombers flew in low. Five high-level bombers also attacked. British fighter planes from the Ark Royal met the torpedo planes. They shot down one Italian plane. But another Italian plane launched a torpedo. It hit the HMS Manchester. That Italian plane was also shot down.

More British fighters took off. They couldn't reach the high-level bombers in time. The bombers dropped their bombs, but they missed the ships. Three British fighter planes were shot down. Later, two more Italian planes attacked. They sank HMS Fearless. Thirty-five sailors died. Another bombing attack nearly hit HMS Firedrake. This caused damage, and the destroyer had to be towed back to Gibraltar. British planes from Malta also helped defend the convoy.

After dark, Italian fast attack boats tried to get close. HMS Cossack spotted them. But the boats still managed to torpedo the SS Sydney Star. This happened around 3:00 AM on July 24. The merchant ship, carrying 484 soldiers, stopped moving. Water was pouring in. The captain worried the ship would sink. He asked for the soldiers to be taken off. The HMAS Nestor came alongside. It took about 500 men to safety. The captain and a small crew stayed on the Sydney Star. The captain thought his ship had taken on 7,000 tons of water. The Nestor then successfully towed the damaged ship to Malta. They arrived in the Grand Harbour shortly after 8:00 AM.

What Happened Next?

Seven empty ships left Malta on July 23. They formed Convoy MG 1. Force H escorted them back to Gibraltar. One of these ships was hit by an aircraft torpedo on the way west. The Ark Royal lost six fighter planes defending the convoys. In total, at least 12 Italian planes were destroyed by British fighters and anti-aircraft guns.

The six supply ships of Convoy GM 1 reached Malta on July 24. An Italian reconnaissance plane flew over to see them. It was protected by 42 Italian fighter planes. Malta launched 22 British fighter planes. They shot down three Italian escort planes without any losses. A brave attack on Grand Harbour by other Italian fast attack boats and manned torpedoes happened on July 25-26. But British intelligence knew about it. The attack failed badly for the Italians.

See also

• Battle of the Mediterranean
• Malta Convoys