Battle of the Campobasso Convoy | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean of the Second World War | |||||||
HMS Petard photographed from HMS Formidable, December 1943 | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
United Kingdom | Italy | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Deric Holland-Martin | Saverio Marotta † | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
3 destroyers |
1 torpedo boat 1 merchantman | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
None |
76 men killed (Italian merchant navy) 133 men killed (Italian Navy): Total: 209 103 men rescued 1 torpedo boat sunk 1 merchantman sunk |
The Battle of the Campobasso Convoy was a naval engagement between three British Royal Navy destroyers and an Italian Regia Marina torpedo boat which took place off Cape Bon in the Mediterranean sea on the night of 3/4 May 1943. The Italians were escorting the 3,566 gross register ton (GRT) freighter Campobasso to Tunisia.
The ships were illuminated by star shells, east of Kelibia in Cape Bon; Perseo attacked the British ships with torpedoes then turned to the north-west. Campobasso exploded under the British bombardment, which, with more star shells, lit up Perseo it being severely damaged; sinking an hour later. The 93 crew of Campobasso suffered 73 killed and of 133 crew on Perseo, 83 survived.
© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search