Operation Harpoon (1942)

Operation Harpoon
Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean of World War II
Light cruiser Eugenio di Savoia, Admiral Da Zara's flagship
Date 12–15 June 1942 Location Western Mediterranean, toward Malta Coordinates: 36°12′0″N 11°38′0″E / 36.20000°N 11.63333°E / 36.20000; 11.63333 Result Axis victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom  Poland	Kingdom of Italy  Nazi Germany
Commanders and leaders
Alban Curteis Cecil Campbell Hardy	Alberto Da Zara
Strength
2 aircraft carriers 1 battleship 4 light cruisers 1 minelayer 17 destroyers 4 minesweepers 6 motor launches 6 merchant ships	2 light cruisers 5 destroyers Unknown number of aircraft
Casualties and losses
2 destroyers sunk 4 merchant ships sunk 2 light cruisers damaged 3 destroyers damaged 1 minesweeper damaged 1 merchant ship damaged 101+ killed 20+ wounded 216 prisoners	1 destroyer damaged 29 aircraft destroyed 12 killed

Operation Harpoon (Battle of Pantelleria) was one of two simultaneous Allied convoys sent to supply Malta in the Axis-dominated central Mediterranean Sea in mid-June 1942, during the Second World War. Operation Vigorous was a westward convoy from Alexandria and the convoy of Operation Harpoon travelled east from Gibraltar. Two of the six ships in the Harpoon convoy completed the journey, at the cost of several Allied warships. The convoy of Operation Vigorous was driven back by the Italian fleet after many air attacks.

In 1942, Axis bombing smashed the docks, ships, aircraft and airfields by the end of April 1942 and the bombing was switched to targets preliminary to invasion, camps, barracks, warehouses and road junctions. After 18 April, German bombing suddenly stopped and Italian bombers took over, regularly bombing with small formations of aircraft. During the month, Axis aircraft flew more than 9,500 sorties against 388 by the Royal Air Force (RAF) all but 30 of which were fighter sorties. The British had lost 50 aircraft, 20 shot down in combat against 37 Axis losses incurred during the dropping of 6,700 long tons (6,800 t) of bombs, three times the March figure, 3,000 long tons (3,000 t) on the docks, 2,600 long tons (2,600 t) on airfields. The bombing demolished or damaged 11,450 buildings, 300 civilians were killed and 350 seriously wounded. Good shelters existed but some casualties were caused by delayed-action bombs.

Rations of meat, fats and sugar were cut further and on 5 May, the bread ration was reduced to 10.5 ounces (300 g) per day, enough to last until late July; pasta rations had already been stopped and there had been a poor winter potato harvest. Three destroyers, three submarines, three minesweepers, five tugs, a water carrier and a floating crane were sunk in port and more ships damaged. The island continued to function as a staging post but the Axis bombing campaign neutralised Malta as an offensive base. Two boats of the 10th Submarine Flotilla had been sunk, two were damaged in harbour and on 26 April the flotilla was ordered out because of mining by small fast craft, which were undetectable by radar and inaudible during the bombing; the surviving minesweepers were too reduced in numbers to clear the approaches. Three reconnaissance aircraft remained and only 22 bomber sorties were flown, eleven more by Fleet Air Arm (FAA) aircraft during the month and by the start of June, only two Fairey Albacores and two Fairey Swordfish were left.

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