Battle of Punta Stilo/Calabria
9 July 1940 w/Alternative Weather
The RN’s Mediterranean Fleet bunder Admiral Cunningham and the Regia Marina’s 1st Fleet under Admiral Campioni were both covering convoys when they ran afoul of each other in the mid afternoon of 9 July 1940. Both were aware that the other was at sea and both were willing to engage. The fight occurred so late in the day because the RM wanted the fight to occur close its base at Taranto and the RN lacked the speed needed to force the fight earlier. Visibility was excellent and the fight occurred mostly at ranges of 20,000 yards or greater. But what if the weather and visibility had been significantly worse. Then the fight might have occurred at much shorter ranges and been the more decisive for it.
The wind was a Force 5 from the South at 20 knots. The sky was solid overcast with 3 layers of clouds. There were squalls and they reduced visibility by 3,000 yards looking in and looking out. Visibility was 18,000 yards when you were not in a squall. There was no sea haze and smoke would barely half a dozen minutes in these conditions
The RM was steaming North at 15 knots Admiral Campioni was providing distant cover for a convoy returning from Benghazi. His First Fleet was arrayed from North to South in several divisional columns with the 1st Division (VAdm Matteucci, Zara DF, Fiume & Goriza) in the van with its accompanying destroyers (DesRon 8: Folgore, Baleno, Fulmine & Lampo). This was followed by 8th Division (VAdm Legnani, Duca degli Abruzzi DF & Giuseppe Garibaldi) and its accompanying destroyers (DesRon 7: Freccia, Dardo, Saetta & Strale). There was a 3,000-yard gap between the two cruiser/destroyer groups. 5,000 yards further South was 5th Division (Adm Campioni & VAdm Brivonesi in Giulio Cesare FF & Conte di Cavour DF respectively) along with their accompanying destroyers (DesRon 9: Alfieri, Carducci, Gioberti & Oriani). 5,000 yards further back was the rear, comprised of 4th Division (VAdm di Moriondo, Alberico di Barbiano DF, Luigi Cardorna, Alberto di Giussano & Armando Diaz) along with rest of the destroyers (DesRon 14: Ugolino Vivaldi, Antonio da Noli, Leone Pancaldo & Antonio Pigafetta), (DesRon 15: Alvise da Mosta, Giovanni da Verrazzano, Lanzerotto Malocello & Nicolo Zeno), (DesRon 16: Nicoloso da Recco, Emanuele Pessagno, Antoniotto Usodimare & Luca Tarigo).
A cruiser division and some destroyers from 2nd Fleet escorted the convoy but that is a matter of beans and bullets and we are concerned with battle.
The RN was also out and about and to the NE of the RM and steaming West at various speeds due to their limits. The van under VAdm Tovey (7th Cruiser Squadron: Orion SF, Neptune & Sydney as well as a division of 3rd Cruiser Squadron: Gloucester DF & Liverpool) and Stuart at 25 knots was trying to make contact and head the RM from its base at Taranto. The rest of Force B (Adm Cunningham in Warspite FF, sub divisions of DesFlot 2, 10 & 14: Hero & Hereward, Decoy, Nubian & Mohawk) were 5,000 yards behind at 24 knots. Force C under RAdm Pridham-Whipple (Malaya SF & Royal Sovereign) and the bulk of the destroyers (DesFlot 2: Hyperion, Hostile, Hasty & Ilex, DesFot 10: Dainty, Defender, Vampire & Voyager, DesFlot 14: Juno & Janus) were some 5,000 yards further behind and limited to 18 knots because of Royal Sovereign. Force A (RAdm Lyster Eagle FF 6x Swordfish & 1x Sea Gladiator) was even further behind. There were two convoys to Malta but they really play no part.
At Noon neither side was certain of the other’s location. Eagle had a Swordfish flight out searching as were the cruiser’s float planes but the sky with its three layers of clouds was a serious hindrance. The RM also had its float planes up and the Regia Aeronautica had recon up ostensively to find the RN so that it could bomb them. Campioni wasn’t so sure about that and was just happy that the RA had not found and bombed the RM so far.
Time passed as the fleets searched for each other and the RA was secretly looking for both. I almost get a mental image of deck officers twiddling their thumbs. About 1400 hours visibility decreased to 12,000 yards but the wind remained the same and new squalls were just aborning every few minutes.
Orion and Zara spotted one another at 1500 hours. They were within 12,000 yards of each other and both were exiting squalls. Orion was crossing Zara’s Tee when they saw one another. Orion firing rapidly hit Zara once in her FP facilities and started a minor fire. Zara could only fire back with her fore turrets but she hit Orion thrice nevertheless. Orion lost her PSTT and had a bulkhead and her engines damaged in a kind of “I knew you’d be surprised message”.
1506 hours Orion failed to fix the bulkhead, suffered additional hull damage, but it was her engine hit that slowed her and the rest of her cruisers to 21 knots. Zara failed to put her fire out and suffered minor hull damage for it. Both sides summoned their FP to return and spot for them.
Tovey made a two-point turn to port to try and close the range but otherwise continued generally West in an attempt to get as much of his squadron out of the squall and engaged as he could. Matteucci ordered his cruisers to 20 knots and turned 90 degrees to port to open his broadside arcs and get more of his cruisers in the fight. Matteucci’s destroyers followed his cruisers, just as Stuart followed Tovey’s cruisers.
Orion now just inside 9,000 yards and firing rapidly hit Zara thrice, knocking out a starboard secondary, damaging her hull and her engine limiting her to 20 knots. Zara’s return fire hit Orion thrice more, taking out her remaining TT, knocking out her fore turret and damaging her hull and slowing her to 14 knots. Neptune fired rapidly at Fiume and hit her 4 times, damaging her FP facilities, setting a minor fire, knocking out both her fore turrets and really messing up her SL. Fiume fired back but the turn and surprise caused her to whiff. Sydney fired rapidly at Goriza and hit her twice, knocking out a fore turret and damaging her hull which limited her to 27 knots. Goriza fired back and hit Sydney thrice, damaging her hull, engine and bridge. Gloucester also fired rapidly at Goriza, hitting her thrice, taking out a secondary and damaging her hull and a bulkhead. With Liverpool still in the squall that pretty much put paid to the firing for now.
1512 hours Orion fixed her bulkhead, Zara failed to fix her fire and the resultant minor hull damage slowed her to 14 knots. Fiume put her fire out. Sydney broke her engine beyond repair. Goriza failed to fix her bulkhead and took further hull damage. Neptune, Sydney and Liverpool fired off their port TT at Zara, Fiume and Goriza respectively. Orion turned away North under smoke while the towns followed Neptune and Sydney as they continued on course. That brought Liverpool and Stuart out of the squall. Matteucci also turned two-points to port to keep Neptune in arc. By now DesRon 8 had followed Matteucci’s cruisers around to the West. All the Brit torpedoes missed.
Neptune fired rapidly at Zara and hit her thrice. Zara lost a secondary, her fore turret and hull damage that slowed her to 9 knots. Zara’s return fire hit Neptune 9 times. Neptune lost both her TT, a secondary, both her fore turrets and an aft, two hull hits and had her rudder jammed to port. Neptune was limited to 21 knots. Sydney fired rapidly at Fiume and hit her four times. Fiume had both FC knocked out and suffered two hull hits that slowed her to 24 knots. Fiume’s return fire missed. Gloucester fired rapidly at Goriza and hit her twice. Goriza had her FP facilities hit and a minor fire set as well as hull damage the slowed her to 21 knots. Goriza’s return fire missed. Liverpool fired rapidly at Folgore and hit her once. Folgore took a hull hit. Folgore hit Liverpool once and bounced off her belt. Stuart fired rapidly at Baleno and hit her twice. Baleno had her bridge hit and lost her fore gun. Baleno’s return fire missed as did the rest of DesRon 8.
1518 hours Zara again failed to fix her fire and suffered further minor hull damage. Neptune failed to fix her rudder and circled at 21 knots to port. Fiume almost fixed 1 FC, but still a no go. Goriza put her fire out. Both sides had called for support and help was on the way but the half dozen squalls in the area was preventing the help from helping.
Matteucci wanted nothing more than to preserve his cruisers and turned away to South under smoke. But DesRon 8 with the bridge hit to Baleno was unable to follow. Neptune had also had enough and circled under smoke. That left it to Sydney, Gloucester, Liverpool and Stuart.
Sydney fired rapidly at Folgore and hit her 9 times. Folgore had her DC damaged with a minor fire. She lost both TT and all her guns as well 3 hull hits that slowed her to 10 knots. Folgore fired back and missed. Gloucester fired rapidly at Baleno and hit her 11 times. Baleno took 2 hits to her DC setting two minor fires, lost a TT, had all her guns knocked as well as a magazine hit, she managed to flood, damage to a bulkhead and two further hull hits as well as an engine damaged that slowed her to 15 knots. Baleno’s return fire was ineffective. Liverpool fired rapidly at Fulmine and hit her 6 times. Fulmine had her DC damaged and had a minor fire set, all her TT were lost as well as her fore gun mount and she took two hull hits that slowed her to 22 knots. Fulmine’s return fire was ineffective. Stuart fired rapidly at Lampo and hit her once. Lampo suffered damage to her hull that slowed her to 29 knots. Lampo’s return fire missed.
1521 hours Zara put her fire out before the sea could do it for her. Fiume was not able to fix any of her FC. Folgore put her fire out. Baleno failed to fix her bulkhead and coupled with the two minor fires suffered further hull damage that sank her. Fulmine put her fire out. Neptune fixed her rudder and turned away north under smoke.
Tovey reported that he was withdrawing his Leanders as they were both badly damaged. Sydney, the Townes and Stuart would try and maintain contact until Cunningham could come up. Matteucci reported his withdrawal to Campioni and requested that the fleet clear the way so he could get his damaged cruisers to port.
DesRon 8 turned away to the south under smoke. But 8th Division under VAdm Legnani had arrived along with DesRon 7. Legnani came out of a squall steaming due West at 31 knots and within 9,000 yards of Sydney and the Townes followed by DesRon 7. Sydney, the Townes and Stuart greeted these newcomers with a barrage of rapid fire.
Sydney and Gloucester fired at Abruzzi (Legnani’s flagship) and hit her 13 times. Abruzzi had her FC facilities damaged and was set afire (minor), had all her TT knocked out twice over, had three secondaries knocked out as well as her fore turret, a damaged bulkhead and two further hull hits that slowed her to 20 knots as well as having her rudder jammed to port. Abruzzi’s return fire hit Sydney twice, knocking out her fore turret and damaging her hull slowing her to 27 knots. Liverpool hit Garibaldi twice, knocking out her FC and her fore turret. Garibaldi’s return fire hit Liverpool 5 times, knocking out both her fore turrets, damaging her engine, a bulkhead and her hull that slowed her to 26 knots. Stuart fired at Freccia and hit her thrice. Freccia lost her fore gun mount and two hull hits that slowed her to 22 knots. DesRon 7 fired at Stuart and hit her 8 times. Stuart lost all her TT, her fore gun, damage to two bulkheads and two hits to her engines (including a critical) that knocked her DIW.
1524 hours Abruzzi failed to fix her bulkhead and that slowed her to 14 knots while her minor fire caused more minor damage to her hull. Garibaldi failed to fix her FC. Liverpool failed to fix her bulkhead and she slowed to 21 knots. Stuart failed to fix her bulkheads and suffered two more hull damage over it. Liverpool fired her TT at Garibaldi.
The RN cruisers and Stuart turned away the North under smoke as Cunningham arrived with Warspite and subdivisions of DesFlots 2, 10 and 14. The appearance of the RN battleship was accompanied by Admiral Campioni, the RM battleships and DesRon 9.
Warspite targeted Cesare and hit her 9 times. Cesare had her FP facilites hit twice and two minor fires set, she lost two secondaries and 5 hits to her hull that slowed her to 4 knots. Cesare and Cavour targeted Warspite and hit her once knocking out a a secondary. Warspite’s secondary Fired rapidly at Alfieri and missed. Cesare’s secondary fired at Hero and missed. Cavour’s secondary fired at Hereward and hit her twice. Hereward lost fore TT and gun mount. Hero fired rapidly at Alfieri and missed. Hereward fired rapidly at Carducci and and hit her twice. Carducci took two hits to her DC and had two minor fires set. Carducci’s return fire missed. Decoy also fired rapidly at Carducci and missed. Nubian fired rapidly at Gioberti and hit her thrice. Gioberti to a hit to her DC, had a minor fire set, lost her fore TT and her fore gun mount. Giobert’s return fire missed. Mohawk fired rapidly at Oriani and hit her twice. Oriani took damage to her hull and bulkhead that slowed her 29 knots. Oriani’s return fire missed.
1530 hours Cesare failed to put any of her two minor fires and the resultant and collective minor hull damage sank her. Carducci put out a fire but the remaining minor caused minor hull damage. Gioberti put out her fire. Oriani fixed her bulkhead. Stuart sank.
The RM and RN destroyers all turned 45 degrees towards each other before turning back to the west and closed the range inside 7,000 yards.
Warspite fired at Cavour and hit her thrice. Cavour lost her fore turret and two hull hits that slowed her to 18 knots. Cavour’s return fire hit Warspite once. Warspite took a hull hit that slowed her to 22 knots. Warspite’s secondary fired rapidly at Alfieri and missed. Hero also fired rapidly at Alfieri and missed. Cavour’s secondary fired at Hero and missed. Hereward and Decoy both fired rapidly at Carducci and missed. Carducci fired back at Hereward and hit her once, knocking out a TT. Nubian fired rapidly at Gioberti and hit her thrice. Gioberti lost her last gun mount, had both a bulkhead and her engines damaged that slowed her to 23 knots. Gioberti’s return fire hit Nubian once, damaging her engine and slowing her to 32 knots. Mohawk fired rapidly at Oriani and hit her 4 times. Oriani lost a TT, both her gun mounts and damage to a bulkhead that slowed her to 23 knots.
Then began the morale checks. It turned that VAdm VAdm Brivonesi didn’t care that he was now in command (he made his first check). But a couple of his destroyers who withdrew (failed their morale) after losing all their guns was a different matter and he ordered the withdrawal of the RM (he failed those checks) and the Warspite had won another fight for the RN.
WMC
