View source for Battle of Cape Spada

{{Short description|1940 naval battle of World War II}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Battle of Cape Spada
| image             = Bartolomeo Colleoni under attack.JPG
| image_upright     = 1.0
| caption           = ''Bartolomeo Colleoni'' sinking, 19 July 1940
| partof            = the [[Battle of the Mediterranean]] of the [[Second World War]]
| date              = 19 July 1940
| place             = Off [[Crete]], [[Mediterranean Sea]]
| coordinates       = {{Coord|35|41|34|N|23|43|14|E|source:itwiki-itwiki_type:event|display=title}}
| result            = Allied victory
| combatant1        = {{flagcountry|Australia}} <br /> {{flagcountry|United Kingdom}}
| combatant2        = {{flagcountry|Fascist Italy (1922-1943)}}
| commander1        = {{flagicon|Australia|naval-1913}} [[John Augustine Collins|John Collins]]
| commander2        = {{flagdeco|Fascist Italy (1922-1943)}} [[Ferdinando Casardi]]
| strength1         = 1 Australian Light Cruiser <br /> 5 British destroyers
| strength2         = 2 light cruisers
| casualties1       = 1 wounded <br /> 1 light cruiser damaged
| casualties2       = 121 killed <br /> 555 captured <br /> 1 light cruiser sunk
| campaignbox       = {{Campaignbox Mediterranean Campaign}}
}}

The '''Battle of Cape Spada''' was a [[naval battle]] between the Royal Navy and the {{lang|it|[[Regia Marina]]}} during the [[Battle of the Mediterranean]] in the [[second World War]]. It took place on 19 July 1940 in the [[Mediterranean Sea]] off [[Cape Spada]], the north-western extremity of [[Crete]].

==Prelude==
{{main|Italian cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni}}
The action occurred when a Commonwealth squadron patrolling the Aegean encountered two Italian cruisers en route from [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]] to [[Leros]], an Italian colony in the [[Dodecanese]] Islands. The Commonwealth squadron was commanded by the [[Royal Australian Navy|Australian]] Captain [[John Augustine Collins|John Collins]] aboard the [[light cruiser]] {{HMAS|Sydney|1934|6}} with the [[G and H-class destroyer|H-class destroyers]] {{HMS|Havock|H43|6}}, {{HMS|Hyperion|H97|2}}, {{HMS|Hasty|H24|2}}, {{HMS|Hero|H99|2}} and the similar {{sclass2|I| destroyer|2}} {{HMS|Ilex|D61|2}} of the [[Royal Navy]]. The Italian 2nd Cruiser Division was commanded by Vice-Admiral [[Ferdinando Casardi]] aboard the fast light cruiser {{Ship|Italian cruiser|Giovanni delle Bande Nere||2}} which included {{Ship|Italian cruiser|Bartolomeo Colleoni||2}}, another light cruiser.<ref>[[:it:Ammiraglio di Divisione|Ammiraglio di Divisione]]. equivalent to Vice-Admiral.</ref><ref>Coulthard-Clark 2001, pp. 170–171.</ref>

==Battle==
[[File:Crete2022OSM.png|thumb|{{center|Map of Crete, Capa Spada to the north-west (enlargeable)}}]]
When the Italians encountered the Allied destroyers at about 07:30, ''Sydney'' and ''Havock'' were {{convert|40|mi|nmi+km|lk=on|abbr=on}} to the north on a sweep for submarines. The other destroyers led the Italian cruisers on a chase northwards to give ''Sydney'' time to come to the rescue. ''Sydney'' sighted the Italians at 08:26, opening fire at 08:29, and the Italian cruisers turned away to the south-west. In the chase that followed, ''Bartolomeo Colleoni'' was hit several times by ''Sydney'' and a shell tore through her unarmored hull; the boilers and guns were disabled at 09:23, leaving her dead in the water.<ref>{{Cite web|last=O'Sullivan|first=Fergus|date=13 July 2021|title=The Battle of Cape Spada: The Australian Navy Proves Its Mettle|url=https://historyguild.org/the-battle-of-cape-spada-the-australian-navy-proves-its-mettle/|url-status=live|website=History Guild|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110004640/https://historyguild.org/the-battle-of-cape-spada-the-australian-navy-proves-its-mettle/ |archive-date=10 November 2021 }}</ref>

The crew of ''Bartolomeo Colleoni'' fought on but were unable to manoeuvre or use the main armament; despite the fire from her {{convert|100|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} guns, she was sunk by three torpedoes launched from ''Ilex'' and ''Hyperion'' at 09:59. ''Sydney'' continued to engage ''Bande Nere''. ''Sydney'' was hit in the funnel by an Italian shell but hit ''Bande Nere'' at least twice, killing eight in the bow and the hangar. Later, ''Sydney'' disengaged because she was short of ammunition, ''Bande Nere'' returned to [[Benghazi]], shadowed by the battleship {{HMS|Warspite|03|6}} and a screen of destroyers.<ref>O'Hara 2009, p. 46.</ref>

[[File:Italian cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni NH 80948.tiff|thumb|left|{{center|{{ship|Italian cruiser|Bartolomeo Colleoni||2}} in 1935}}]]
Despite their speed advantage, the Italian cruisers failed to outrun ''Sydney'' because they had to steer south-southwest, instead of the most obvious route of escape to the south, to avoid being trapped between their opponents and the Cretan coast. This gave the Australian cruiser the chance to close the range. The light armour of ''Colleoni'' and ''Bande Nere'' was unable to withstand ''Sydney''{{'}}s shells. The lack of aerial reconnaissance was another factor contributing to the successful Commonwealth chase.<ref>Greene & Massignani, pp. 84–85</ref>
{{clear}}

<gallery mode="packed">
File:HMAS Sydney in 1936 (9916488333607636).jpg|HMAS Sydney (D48) in 1936
File:Sailors of the light cruiser HMAS Sydney peer through a hole in a funnel 4166485.jpg|The hole in Sydney's forward funnel
</gallery>

==Aftermath==

===Casualties===
Of the crew of ''Bartolomeo Colleoni'' there were 555 survivors but 121 men, including the captain, Umberto Novaro, died.<ref>O'Hara 2009, p. 46.</ref>

===Subsequent operations===
The British destroyers were bombed by Italian aircraft after the battle, damaging ''Havock'', whose no. 2 boiler was flooded. A floatplane from ''Warspite'', which was searching for ''Bande Nere'', ditched in the sea and was lost near [[Tobruk]], the crew being taken prisoner by the Italians. Allied Convoy AN 2 was ordered to sail back to [[Port Said]] and remain there until ''Bande Nere'' reached Benghazi.<ref>Titterton, p. 48</ref>

==Orders of battle==
===Italy===
[[File:Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg|40px|border|Kingdom of Italy]]<br>
2nd Cruiser Division ''Regia Marina'' (Rear-Admiral Ferdinando Casardi)<br>
* [[Light cruiser]]
** {{Ship|Italian cruiser|Bartolomeo Colleoni||2}} ('''sunk''')
** {{Ship|Italian cruiser|Giovanni dalle Bande Nere||2}}

===Commonwealth===
[[File:Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|60px|border|RN Ensign]]<br>
2nd Destroyer Flotilla Royal Navy (Captain John Collins)<br>
* Light cruiser
** {{HMAS|Sydney|1934|6}}
* [[Destroyer]]
** {{HMS|Hasty|H24|6}}
** [[HMS Havock (H43)|HMS ''Havock'']]
** [[HMS Hero (H99)|HMS ''Hero'']]
** [[HMS Hyperion (H97)|HMS ''Hyperion'']]
** [[HMS Ilex|HMS ''Ilex'']]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* {{cite book |last=Coulthard-Clark |first=Chris |title=The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles |year=2001 |publisher=Allen & Unwin |location=Sydney |isbn=1-86508-634-7}}
* {{cite book |last1=Greene |first1=Jack |last2=Massignani |first2=Alessandro |title=The Naval War in the Mediterranean, 1940–1943 |year=1998 |publisher=Chatham |location=London |isbn=1-86176-057-4}}
* {{cite book |last=O'Hara |first=Vincent P. |author-link=Vincent P. O'Hara |year=2009 |title=Struggle for the Middle Sea: The Great Navies at War in the Mediterranean Theater, 1940–1945 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, MD |isbn=978-1-59114-648-3}}
* {{cite book |last=Titterton |first=G. A. |title=The Royal Navy and the Mediterranean |volume=II |year=2002 |publisher=Routledge |location=London |isbn=0-7146-5179-6}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last=Brown |first=David |title=Warship Losses of World War Two |year=1995 |orig-year=1990 |publisher=Arms and Armour Press |location=London |edition=2nd rev. |isbn=1-85409-278-2}}
* {{cite book |ref={{harvid|Playfair|1959}}|first1=I. S. O. |last1=Playfair |author1-link=Ian Stanley Ord Playfair |first2=G. M. S. |last2=Stitt |first3=C. J. C. |last3=Molony |first4=S. E. |last4=Toomer |editor-last=Butler |editor-first=J. R. M. |editor-link=James Ramsay Montagu Butler |series=History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series |title=The Mediterranean and Middle East: The Early Successes Against Italy (to May 1941) |volume=I |publisher=[[HMSO]] |year=1959 |orig-year=1954 |edition=4th impr. |oclc=494123451 |url=http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/UK-Med-I/index.html |access-date=28 May 2018 |display-authors=1}}
* {{cite book |first1=Jürgen |last1=Rohwer |first2=Gerhard |last2=Hümmelchen |title=Chronology of the War at Sea, 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two |year=2005 |orig-year=1972 |publisher=Chatham |location=London |edition=3rd rev. |isbn=1-86176-257-7}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050316090849/http://www.regiamarina.net/battles/capespada/capespada_us.htm Action off Cape Spada]
* [http://digilander.libero.it/planciacomando/WW2/spada.htm ''Scontro di Capo Spada''] {{in lang|it}}

{{World War II}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cape Spada}}
[[Category:Conflicts in 1940|Cape Spada]]
[[Category:1940 in Italy]]
[[Category:Naval battles of World War II involving Australia|Cape Spada]]
[[Category:Naval battles of World War II involving Italy|Cape Spada]]
[[Category:Naval battles of World War II involving the United Kingdom|Cape Spada]]
[[Category:Allied naval victories in the battle of the Mediterranean|Cape Spada]]
[[Category:July 1940 in Europe]]