Operation Harpoon-June 1942

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aurora
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Operation Harpoon-June 1942

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Harpoon under command of Adm. Curteis left Gibraltar on 12 June 1942, comprising six merchantmen (Troilus, Burdwan and Orari from Britain; Tanimbar from the Netherlands and the Chant and the tanker Kentucky from the U.S.) carrying a total of 43,000 short tons (39,000 t) of cargo and oil. They were escorted by the anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Cairo, nine destroyers, the fast minelayer HMS Welshman and smaller ships. Distant cover was provided by the battleship HMS Malaya, the aircraft carriers HMS Argus and Eagle, the cruisers HMS Kenya, Charybdis and Liverpool, and a number of destroyers. The two aircraft carriers embarked a total of 16 Sea Hurricanes, six Fairey Fulmars, and 18 Fairey Swordfish.This convoy was run in conjunction wit a westward convoy from Alerxndria-Operation Vigorous but this thread deals with Harpoon separately.

The operation
The first Italian air attacks, on the 14th, sank one freighter, the Tanimbar, south of Sardinia with Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 torpedo bombers. The cruiser HMS Liverpool was damaged and towed back to Gibraltar by HMS Antelope, under aerial attacks, arriving there on the 17th. Later on 14 June, the covering force also returned to Gibraltar, just before the Strait of Sicily. On the same day, the fast minelayer HMS Welshman was detached and travelled to Malta alone, where she delivered some cargo, then sailed back to strengthen the convoy's escort on the 15th.

At dawn of 15 June, the now lightly defended convoy was subjected to a coordinated attack, near Pantelleria, by Axis aircraft and the ships of the Italian 7th Division (cruisers Raimondo Montecuccoli , Eugenio di Savoia and destroyers Ascari, Oriani, Malocello, Premuda and Vivaldi), commanded by Vice-Admiral Alberto da Zara.

The five fleet destroyers in the convoy escort made a smokescreen and attacked the Italian squadron, but the Tribal-class destroyer HMS Bedouin and the P-class destroyer HMS Partridge were hit by gunfire from both Italian cruisers and disabled. In return, the Italian destroyer Vivaldi was struck by her British counterparts and caught fire, but was taken in tow and saved by Malocello and Premuda. Italian reports claim that their destroyers closed to within 6,000 yards of the merchantmen and that they scored a hit on one of the freighters. Then both fleets broke the engagement at approximately 8:00 am, and the Italians lost track of their foe.

Three merchantmen of the convoy—the 10,000 ton tanker Kentucky, Chant and the freighter Burdwan—already disabled by air attack, were abandoned by their escorts when the Italian cruisers steamed back to the scene of the battle shortly before noon. The freighters were eventually sunk by gunfire and torpedoes from Raimondo Montecuccoli and the destroyers Ascari and Oriani. Chant had already been sent to the bottom by aerial bombs when the Italian squadron found her still smoldering wreckage site. The cruiser HMS Cairo and the minesweeper HMS Hebe also received hits from Italian gunfire. The bulk of the British units and two cargo ships limped to Malta.

Partridge was recovered and even tried to tow Bedouin, but then the Italian cruisers with two destroyers reappeared; the tow was cast off, leaving Bedouin adrift.

At 14:30 pm Partridge managed to withdraw and head back for Gibraltar, but Bedouin—already shattered by at least twelve 152 mm (6.0 in) shells plus several near misses and listing heavily—was finally sunk by an aerial torpedo from a Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 bomber. The sinking Bedouin managed to shoot down the aircraft. Twenty-eight of her crew died and more than 200 were taken POWs. The majority of the survivors were rounded up by the small hospital ship Meta.


The destroyer HMS Bedouin, crippled by gunfire from the cruisers of the Italian navy's 7th Division and sinking after an aerial torpedo hit some hours later.
In the evening of the 15th, the surviving ships ran into a minefield off Malta. The destroyers HMS Badsworth and Matchless and another freighter (Orari) struck mines there and were damaged, while the Polish destroyer ORP Kujawiak sank after midnight.

Just two of the original six merchantmen reached Malta, the Orari and Troilus, the former losing some of her cargo due to the mine explosion. HMS Hebe also struck a mine and suffered further damage, but after a month in dry dock she was seaworthy again.

Aftermath
This was the only undisputed squadron-sized victory for the surface forces of the Italian Navy in World War II. The British report of the battle acknowledges that Kentucky and Burdwan "without the Italian naval force would have both reached their destination". However, it should be remembered that, at this stage, any supplies reaching Malta were an Allied success. Furthermore, Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm fighters shot down 13 Axis aircraft while ship's gunners destroyed 16 more, for a total of 29 Axis aircraft shot down during the battle.

But the supplies delivered by Operation Harpoon were insufficient and fuel for the Malta's RAF contingent was running low, in great part due to the sinking of the Kentucky.

On 1 September 1942, the award of various decorations for participants in the operation were announced in the London Gazette, there were six appointments to the Distinguished Service Order, and one bar, two Distinguished Service Crosses, three Distinguished Service Medals and nine officers were Mentioned in Despatches.[21]

The next, and critical, convoy was Operation Pedestal: it would decide the fate of Malta.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_ ... %281942%29





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Jim
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Re: Operation Harpoon-June 1942

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The gallantry and heroism displayed by those sailors who tried to, against vastly superior odds, to bring desperately needed supplies to the relief of besieged Malta is beyond reproach. The loss of the tanker Kentucky with its valuable cargo of petrol was a cruel blow for the RAF airmen fighting to defend the island from almost continuous air attack. Nevertheless the small amount of supplies which actually got through would sustain the island's defenders for a little while longer. Without question the Italian Navy could claim a tactical victory (perhaps their only one of the war) but the heroic Allied seamen would have been proud to learn later that their sacrifice had not been entirely in vain. They had distracted much of the German and Italian Air Forces for just long enough for Ritchie to retire from the Gazala Line back into Egypt to fight again on another day.

More importantly Rommel, the German commander in North Africa, despite capturing Tobruk, had missed the deadline for Herkules-the planned airborne invasion of Malta, which was then postponed by Hitler and Mussolini indefinitely. Little of the operation would be made public at the time-Not until the 3rd of July was the loss of Bedouin reported with no details made available. Finally On 1 September 1942 the award of various decorations for participants in the operation were announced in the London Gazette but by then the next, and critical convoy, "Pedestal", had reached Malta allowing the RAF there to commence sustained and damaging air attacks on Rommel’s supply ships. In addition a new 8th Army commander was about to make his mark on future events

http://ww2db.com/battle_spec.php?battle_id=94
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Re: Operation Harpoon-June 1942

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but the Tribal-class destroyer HMS Bedouin and the P-class destroyer HMS Partridge were hit by gunfire from both Italian cruisers and disabled.
Any idea of battle ranges?
Entering a night sea battle is an awesome business.The enveloping darkness, hiding the enemy's.. seems a living thing, malignant and oppressive.Swishing water at the bow and stern mark an inexorable advance toward an unknown destiny.
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Re: Operation Harpoon-June 1942

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Dave-Vincent O'Hara in his book "Struggle for the Middle Sea" gives ranges of 14000-15000 yds between Bedouin and the Italian 6" cruisers,maybe somewhat the same as the hits on Partridge and Cairo- the Italians stood off.All British ships had been firing at maximum elevation for little- if any effect.
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Re: Operation Harpoon-June 1942

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Had da Zara's squadron acted with utmost vigour and so prevented Troilus and Orari from getting through to Malta-the action would have been devastating.Their cargoes were just enough to meagrely feed the Maltese people and the garrison until another convoy could be fought through.The most vital task for the Italian Navy was the elimination of Malta-in this they failed once again- through not pressing forward when they had an obvious advantage :? :?
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Re: Operation Harpoon-June 1942

Post by pgollin »

.

So you still rely on O'Hara ?

.
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Re: Operation Harpoon-June 1942

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Not really- he was the only one source in my possession which gave the answer to Dave's question.Should I have said "I don't know" be fair now Phil ???
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Re: Operation Harpoon-June 1942

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According to Roskill's "War at Sea" I quote as follows :-
"The gun action between the Italian cruisers and the British destroyers opened outside the latter's 4.7 inch and 4 inch guns.The Bedouin and Partridge were soon hit a disabled;but the other three destroyers pressed on and hit one enemy destroyer"

Commander Scurfield on Bedouin relates the event in a letter to his wife from his POW camp:

"The cruisers opened fire almost at once and the first salvos fell astern of the Bedouin. Their spread was good-too good perhaps at that range-and the shooting seemed to be unpleasantly accurate. Perhaps this is always the impression when one is the target! My attention was taken up by the time-honoured dodge of steering for the last splash. I had often heard of it being done and found it exhilarating. It worked, too, for some time. A little before 0630, Manners reckoned we were within range, so I told him to engage the leading destroyer, and we opened fire at 17,400 yards. Ten minutes later the enemy altered another twenty degrees away and we shifted our fire to the leading cruiser at 12,400 yards."
Cairo had been hit; Partridge was damaged and stopped; and Bedouin's superstructure had been almost shot away so that she too was brought to a burning halt. In return the Royal Navy Destroyers had inflicted some splinter damage on the Eugenio di Savoia but that was all.

http://ww2db.com/battle_spec.php?battle_id=94
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Re: Operation Harpoon-June 1942

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THE ABANDONMENT OF THE DAMAGED SHIPS

At 8:00 Zara had lost contact with the enemy, disappeared behind the artificial fog: the admiral had not been informed of the result of attacks by aviation aircraft, and he himself could not make certain of that seen two reconnaissance seaplanes IMAM Ro.43 catapulted from the cruiser had both been shot down by British fighters. Without information, the admiral tried to imagine the movements of the enemy: the fighting had moved behind a vast minefield placed south of Pantelleria, and Zara believed that the British would try to get around from the north, passing between the ‘ island and the mines; at 8:14 and then moved the two remaining cruisers east tract undermined, in the hope of being the first the British in their race to the gate.

Behind the smokescreen, Campbell Hardy was instead manoeuvering his units to the south-east towards the coast of Tunisia, to bring assistance to merchant hit by air strikes: around 9:00 aerial reconnaissance from Malta informed him that the ships of Zara were heading towards the north gate of the minefield of Pantelleria, and the British commander decided then proceed south along the remaining coast of Tunisia.

-Using a temporary gap in the screen with the replacement of two fighter squadrons had, at 10:40 Axis torpedo bombers managed to hit some of the merchant ship Burdwan, forcing the minesweeper HMS Hythe to tow it, the speed the convoy was now very limited by the three ships taken in tow: In addition to Kentucky and the Burdwan towed by minesweepers, destroyers also Partridge, tamed the fire on board, took in tow the damaged Bedouin. Hardy Campbell then took the decision to abandon damaged units and to carry on Malta at maximum speed possible with the two remaining ships, the destroyer Badsworth was left behind along with minesweepers and Hythe Hebe with the task of sinking the damaged units once the recovered Crews , while the pair-Bedouin Partridge was ordered to Malta on their own.

http://www.desertwar.net/operation-harpoon.html
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