Operation Abstention

Operation Abstention
Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean of the Second World War
Italian destroyer Francesco Crispi
Date 25–28 February 1941 Location Island of Kastelorizo, eastern Aegean Sea 36°09′00″N 29°35′24″E / 36.15000°N 29.59000°E / 36.15000; 29.59000 Result Italian victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom  Australia	Italy
Commanders and leaders
Andrew Cunningham E. de F. Renouf H. J. Egerton	Luigi Biancheri Francesco Mimbelli
Strength
2 light cruisers 7 destroyers 1 gunboat 1 submarine 1 armed yacht 200 commandos 200 soldiers and marines	2 destroyers 2 torpedo boats 2 MAS boats SM.79 bombers SM.81 bombers 280 soldiers 88 marines
Casualties and losses
5 killed 10 wounded 20 captured or interned 7 missing[1] 1 destroyer damaged 1 gunboat damaged	14 killed 12 captured[2]

Operation Abstention was a code name given to a British invasion of the Italian island of Kastelorizo (Castellorizo) off the Turkish Aegean coast, during the Second World War, in late February 1941. The goal was to establish a motor torpedo-boat base to challenge Italian naval and air supremacy on the Greek Dodecanese islands.^[3] The British landings were challenged by Italian land, air and naval forces, which forced the British troops to re-embark amidst some confusion and led to recriminations between the British commanders for underestimating the Italians.