In the late October night of 1940, aboard the Alcione, a sailor strained his eyes through
moonlit darkness. Tension gripped the crew as they closed in on the lurking British cruiser, Ajax.
In the heart of the torpedo room, the sailor's hands moved with calculated urgency, readying the
torpedo tubes. The metallic clinks resonated like an ominous heartbeat. As the crew held
their breath, the torpedoes slid into position. The Battle of Cape Passero was about to begin…
[Background]
In the summer of 1940, the Mediterranean theatre witnessed a dynamic interplay of
naval engagements and logistical challenges that left an indelible mark on World War II.
British air bombardments, though routine over Tobruk, yielded limited success,
while torpedo planes emerged as a potent force, sinking merchant ships
and annihilating the entire Italian destroyer squadron at Tobruk in July.
As July progressed, the escalating convoy traffic to Libya compelled the Italian Navy to adapt its
plans, necessitating the permanent assignment of numerous naval assets to the region. August
brought the deployment of the technologically advanced battleships Littorio and Vittorio Veneto,
alongside successful minelaying operations in the Sicilian Channel. The battleships,
commissioned in August 1940, represented the pinnacle of Italian naval engineering
during World War II. Renowned for their advanced design and technical innovations,
these vessels were considered among the best battleships globally at the time, not solely
for their firepower but also for the meticulous resolution of numerous engineering challenges,
solidifying their reputation as formidable assets in the Italian Navy's arsenal.
Simultaneously, British air force reinforcements in the Mediterranean intensified bombardments,
prompting urgent measures to fortify Libyan ports against air attacks. The
British also sent convoys from Alexandria to resupply Malta, their Mediterranean fortress.
Amid increased shipping traffic to Tunisia and the suspension of Libyan convoy shipments,
an unexpected report on October 11 revealed British battleships and aircraft carriers
near Malta. Supermarina, sceptical yet vigilant, swiftly deployed a night patrol led by Captain
Carlo Margottini, underscoring the urgency to verify the reported British naval presence. The
mission involved Soldati-class destroyers Artigliere, Aviere, Geniere, Camicia Nera
and the Spica-class torpedo boats Airone, Alcione, Ariel.
The Soldati-class destroyers and Spica-class torpedo boats were integral components of
the Italian Royal Navy during the war. The Soldati-class, with a displacement of around 2,500
tons, featured a potent armament mix, including four 120 mm guns, anti-aircraft guns, and torpedo
tubes. These destroyers, known for their agility, had a top speed of 38 knots. The Spica-class
torpedo boats, lighter at approximately 680 tons, were renowned for their swift and stealthy
nature. Armed with torpedoes and anti-submarine weaponry, they attained speeds of up to 34 knots.
Meanwhile, the British returning Malta-convoy, led by HMS Ajax,
had set sail at 10:30 pm. With a displacement of 7,270 tons standard and 9,740 tons full load,
Ajax boasted eight 6-inch guns, four 4-inch guns, 12 Vickers .50 machine guns,
and eight 21-inch torpedo tubes. Ajax was a famous vessel. Months prior, she played a crucial role in
the Battle of the River Plate. As part of the British Royal Navy's South American Division,
Ajax, alongside Exeter and Achilles, engaged the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee
on December 13, 1939. The relentless pursuit by the British ships forced the Graf Spee into
Montevideo harbor, where it was eventually scuttled by its own crew. This victory marked
the first naval success for the Allies in the Atlantic, boosting morale and showcasing the
effectiveness of coordinated naval operations against powerful adversaries early in the war.
Positioned to the south of the island,
the main body of the Mediterranean Fleet awaited developments,
while the 7th Cruiser Squadron established an extended scouting line northeast of the fleet.
[Battle sequence]
At half past one, Alcione spotted Ajax in the moonlight, twelve miles off her port bow,
prompting a request for assistance and a southwest alteration towards the enemy. 10 minutes later,
Airone under Lieutenant Alberto Banfi and Ariel detected the cruiser, leading its captain to
order a coordinated torpedo attack. However, the remaining 11th Squadron's destroyers had
yet to respond to the contact, continuing their westward sweep at this juncture.
Just before 2 a.m., Ajax's lookouts reported two unidentified ships off her bow, later identified
as Airone to port and Ariel to starboard. Alcione approached undetected and launched two torpedoes
from 2000 metres, targeting the cruiser's port beam. Simultaneously, Airone and Ariel fired
torpedoes from different angles, setting five torpedoes on course towards the British warship.
Due to Ajax's immediate full-speed alteration and course change, coupled with miscalculations
in assessing the cruiser's speed and heading by the Italians, all torpedoes missed their mark.
The engagement intensified as Airone closed in, launching another torpedo from a thousand yards,
accompanied by a barrage of gunfire. She scored at least seven direct hits against Ajax.
The British cruiser did not open fire until Airone fired its fourth salvo. Then, Ajax unleashed her
main guns at Ariel and her 4-inch weapons at Airone. As Airone continued its approach,
Ajax manoeuvred to open firing with previously unused guns. With the proximity and Ajax adjusting
to a parallel heading astern of Airone, the torpedo boat faced a grim fate. Its captain,
Commander Banfi, ordered a smokescreen in an attempt to disengage. However,
Ajax's broadside struck Airone, causing significant damage and igniting a substantial
fire. At point-blank range, Ajax deployed machine guns against the drifting ship,
while two torpedoes were launched back at Airone, missing their mark
but proving inconsequential as the Italian flagship succumbed to the engulfing flames.
Ariel succumbed to the onslaught. Ajax’s direct hits at short range
left the destroyer immobile in the water, sinking rapidly, with her captain and
senior officers perishing with the ship. All this happened in just a few minutes.
Alcione was still sailing towards the action as the Ajax sailed away and Ariel had sunk.
Meanwhile to the south, just before 2 a.m., the 11th Destroyer Squadron's Geniere altered
course to the northwest, followed a minute later by Aviere, swinging north. Aviere
spotted Ajax fifteen minutes later, closing the distance from eight thousand yards,
initiating a salvo while attempting to launch torpedoes. The low-hanging moon behind the
Italian destroyer inadvertently facilitated the British cruiser's precise marksmanship. A
6-inch shell struck Aviere's mount, and another penetrated the hull,
leading to significant flooding forward. At Within five minutes, Aviere staggered to starboard and
lost contact two minutes later. A burning and battered mess, the Aviere withdrew from battle.
Geniere, spotting Ajax mere minutes after it incapacitated Aviere,
as the cruiser headed south, unleashed a few salvos falling
astern before withdrawing. It accompanied the battered Aviere back to the harbour.
Meanwhile to the north, Alcione discovered the absence of the enemy, the sinking Airone,
and the sunken Ariel. The unscathed destroyer arrived at a scene of burning scraps and oil,
with Italian sailors floating in the dark waters. Briefly probing south,
Alcione then returned to rescue 125 crew members from Ariel and Airone. It deployed its vessels
to save the lucky few. Banfi decided to go down with his ship and stay with those who
could not be rescued. Airone succumbed to the depths at half past three a.m..
Artigliere, commanded by captain Carlo Margottini, had altered course to the
north at 2 a.m., as well, covering nearly eight miles at top-speed when, thirty minutes later,
geysers erupted around her. Ajax, concealed in the moon’s glare just a few thousand yards northeast,
commenced firing. Artigliere retaliated with a torpedo launch before a 6-inch salvo devastated
her bridge, mortally wounding Margottini. Another round ignited a significant fire after detonating
the forward ready ammunition. Ajax’s hits managed to annihilate all officer’s aboard,
with the exception of the Chief Engineer. As Ajax steamed past, Artigliere countered with four
shells, damaging the cruiser's compass bridge and disabling a 4-inch mount and radar. Subsequently,
three rounds struck Artigliere's forward engine room, and a fourth pierced her central boiler.
Abandoned, adrift, and ablaze, Artigliere was left behind as Ajax veered port at a quarter to three.,
Just as Ajax turned, Camicia Nera, positioned as the southernmost destroyer,
spotted Ajax approximately five thousand yards to the northwest. The moon,
lingering near the western horizon, provided advantageous illumination
for Camicia Nera. She opened fire. In the ensuing exchange,
both the destroyer and the British cruiser exchanged a few salvos, albeit ineffective.
Ajax, lacking flashless gunpowder, found its crew's night vision compromised by repeated
broadsides. From Ajax's perspective, Camicia Nera resembled a cruiser. When the perceived
adversary vanished into what appeared to be a smoke screen, Ajax seized the opportunity to
alter course southwest in an attempt to rendezvous with the remainder of the 7th Cruiser Squadron.
In pursuit, the Italian ship veered west-southwest, followed by a westward
turn a few minutes later. Crossing Ajax's wake on a divergent course,
Camicia Nera failed to reestablish contact.
As the Camicia Nera continued the chase, Artigliere faced arduous damage control efforts
that successfully extinguished the fires, and one boiler was brought back into operation. However,
a lack of boiler feed water halted her once again an hour later. At 5 a.m., Camicia Nera returned
to take the impaired destroyer under tow, but their presence was reported by a British flying
boat. The rescue efforts took hours, giving the British the ability to send a response.
The heavy cruiser York and the light cruisers Gloucester and Liverpool appeared on the horizon
at quarter to 9 a.m.., compelling Camicia Nera to abandon the tow and retreat. British planes
bombed the incapacitated vessel, as York torpedoed the Artigliere five minutes later,
after multiple attempts to hit the drifting target with deliberate
8-inch gunfire. The destroyer descended to the ocean depths engulfed in flames.
In all, only the Airone and Ariel managed to score a few hits against the Ajax,
but no vessel was able to render it immobile. In contrast, the Italians
lost one destroyer and two escorts, with another destroyer severely damaged. In total,
they lost 325 men. Lieutenant Banfi, despite his heroic sacrifice to remain on-board,
later resurfaced in an air bubble and was rescued against his own wishes.
Ultimately, the dark waters witnessed the clash, leaving Ajax battered but
victorious in the moonlit confrontation. The Mediterranean waves concealed the toll,
with thirteen lives lost and twenty-two wounded. Camicia Nera managed to escape,
as the by the ominous masts of heavy cruiser York and its companions faded to the horizon..
[Aftermath]
Despite Italian post war claims, Ajax’s radar reportedly did not play any role during the
battle. Older sources do imply radar was used, explaining Ajax’s success through its use. For
the Italians, the battle’s outcome was disconcerting, especially because they
did not know what caused the imbalance. It wasn’t until March 1941, at the Battle of Cape Matapan,
that they learned the British managed to use radar during combat operations.
This outcome led Supermarina to the conclusion that they were technically inferior to the
British, particularly in executing night encounters at sea. The 11th Destroyer Squadron,
possessing superior torpedo capacity, failed to concentrate their efforts; instead,
their four ships presented themselves individually, silhouetted in moonlight,
to Ajax's gunners at close range. It was a tough lesson the Supermarina had to
learn its lessons from, as the war for the Meditteranean, was far from over.