Battle off Cape Gavdo

[Diagram by types of ship] [Diagram by Task Groups]

Start: Friday March 28, 1941

Encounter in the south of Creta between the vanguards of both British and Italian fleet. The Italians are quickly reinforced by the main body of their fleet but fall within range of the British planes and must go back. One of the Italian heavy cruisers is damaged must slow down. She is left behind with an escort of cruisers and destroyers. That will spark the battle off Cape Matapan the same night.

Place: Creta

	Allied	Axis
Forces	Pridham-Whippel (Force B, only group of the British fleet to enter the gun battle against the Italians): 4 light cruisers, 4 destroyers.	Sansonetti (Vanguard, the first group to establish contact with the English): 3 heavy cruisers, 3 destroyers. Iachino (general command of the operation): 1 battleship, 2 light cruisers, 10 destroyers. Cattaneo (under the orders of Iachino): 3 heavy cruisers, 4 destroyers. Total: 1 battleship, 6 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, 17 destroyers
Losses	Nil.	1 battleship, 1 heavy cruiser damaged. Damages due to air attacks, not to gun fire.

Webmaster's question(s) and remark(s): Are the Italian destroyers in the task group Cattaneo the ones present during the first phase of the battle ?

Additional information on the web : [Warships1]

Made by LemaireSoft on June 30, 2001