Battle of Cape Bon (1941)

Battle of Cape Bon
Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean of World War II
The Italian cruiser Da Barbiano photographed c. 1940, sunk by Allied destroyers near Cape Bon
Date 13 December 1941 Location Mediterranean Sea, Cape Bon, Tunisia 36°45′N 10°45′E / 36.750°N 10.750°E / 36.750; 10.750Coordinates: 36°45′N 10°45′E / 36.750°N 10.750°E / 36.750; 10.750 Result Allied victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom  Netherlands	Italy
Commanders and leaders
G.H. Stokes	Antonino Toscano †
Strength
4 destroyers	2 light cruisers 1 torpedo boat
Casualties and losses
None	2 light cruisers sunk 817 dead

The naval Battle of Cape Bon took place on December 13, 1941 during the Second World War, between two Italian light cruisers and an Allied destroyer flotilla off Cape Bon, Tunisia. The loss of the two cruisers and their valuable fuel cargoes was a serious defeat for the Regia Marina.

When Italy declared war in June 1940, the Regia Marina was one of the largest navies in the world but it was restricted to the Mediterranean. The British Empire possessed enough resources and naval might to maintain a strong presence in the area and replace most losses by redeploying ships. This led to caution by the Italian command and a tendency to avoid conflict. Control of the Mediterranean was disputed by the Regia Marina the Royal Navy and their allies. The sea was vital for the supply of the Italian and German forces in North Africa, as well as the maintenance of Malta as a British offensive base. Without Malta, Britain could not intercept Italian convoys to prevent the supply of Axis forces. Possession of Radar and the breaking of Italian codes, particularly the Boris Hagelin C38 cipher machine used by the Regia Marina, further contributed to British success.

The Italian 4th Cruiser Division (ammiraglio di divisione Antonino Toscano), consisted of the Da Giussano class light cruisers Alberto da Giussano and Alberico da Barbiano, with the Spica-class Italian torpedo boat Cigno. The division sailed from Palermo bound for Tripoli, carrying an urgent deck cargo of nearly 2,000 short tons (1,800 t) of aviation fuel for fighters of the Regia Aeronautica based in Libya.

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